I never used to use web-based applications for anything, but I have recently discovered three that have changed the way I access information and use the computer. Gmail, Bloglines, and Blogger are the culprits.
Gmail is still in beta, but it is already my email client of choice. Standard email clients are great (my personal favorite being Thunderbird), but they typically tie you to a single computer. IMAP is a choice, but for personal email that seems like overkill. Most webmail interfaces to existing POP3 accounts are just bad imitations of a real client. Gmail is different, and it rocks. It really must be experienced. I now have total access to my email from any net-connected machine sporting a web browser.
Bloglines has really changed the way I read news, blogs, and anything else with a RSS/ATOM/etc site feed. I want to read news at home in the evenings and from work at lunch. Dedicated RSS readers don't really solve this problem unless they run off of a USB drive. Additionally, I often just read sites like Slashdot and OSNews from the actual site anyway, so I could never keep track of what I had read or not read. Bloglines provides a way to read all of my favorites sites wherever I am, and keep track of whether I've read them yet or not.
Blogger is really amazing. I used to keep my online notebook at my website where I had a series of Python scripts that kept track of dates, content, markup, and then published the site every time I added an entry. Blogger is much easier, looks better, and is accessible from anywhere. (My system required ssh shell access to my site host.) I am rather snobbish when it comes to "user-friendly" tools (I like using tools other people can't figure out), but Blogger is too good to pass up. It really makes life easier.
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