In a clean install, clicking a mailto: link will trigger the e-mail client selection dialog, which allows users to choose between using Opera Mail, the system default mailer, and a couple of random web mail providers. Users can change their settings in Preferences > Advanced > Programs by editing the “mailto” handler.

This feature works via a list of web mail providers in the webmailproviders.ini file in the “defaults” sub-directory of the Opera program directory. On Windows, for instance, the file will be in “C:\Program Files\Opera\defaults\”. On OS X, the file is in the Opera.app package in the “Contents/Resources/defaults/” directory. Opera will need to be restarted to pick up new/changed entries in the file.

For whatever reason, they don’t include GMail by default, if you would like to use it add the following code to the bottom of the webmailproviders.ini

[Gmail]
ID=1
URL=https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&to=%t&su=%j&body=%m&cc=%k&bcc=%l
ICON=http://mail.google.com/favicon.ico

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If you’re like me, you’ve been looking for a way to bring the two services together in some sort of halfway decent manner.

These are two of my favorite ways and I recommend them strongly.

1) Twitter Gadget for Gmail

The Twitter Gadget for Gmail is not to be confused with TwitterGadget – they’re two similar services, but the former greatly outshines the later.

Once the widget is installed you’ll notice that it provides a little box to the left which you can use to quickly update your status. When you click on your name you’ll see a screen that looks like this.

Containing everything that you would ever want in a Twitter client – including the ability to view replies/DMs and it includes the killer read/unread feature that I’ve been looking for in a web-based service. It automatically refreshes and everything is done in-line so you can leave this window open and just watch the tweets roll in.

The developers are currently working on some new features including a way to share tweets between Gmail users, but I’m highly surprised this isn’t one of the most popular clients out on the market currently.

2) TweetByMail

TweetByMail is a Canadian startup launched after Twitter canceled their SMS service in Canada. It lets you send and recieve Twitter status updates from any email client. It looks like this in my email box. (I’ve created a GMail label to filter them out.)

You can see that you can get a good birdseye view of what’s going on, and then you can use the tweets like you would any other piece of email, you can forward them, mark them as read, mark them as unread, move them to folders, add flags to them, etc.

The only downside of this way is you’re unable to filter down replies to you automatically, although you could use some gmail trickiness to star messages that contain @yourname in them, or you could use a service like Twitter2Mail.

TweetByMail supports all of the standard twitter commands, so you can update and reply to updates directly from your email box. In the few times I’ve needed support with the service they’ve been very prompt and very helpful. It’s a service I’m surprised isn’t more popular.

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Hopefully I’ve pointed you into the right direction to getting a good Twitter solution, if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or @livejamie me on Twitter. :)

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