i think there is an API out there (try googling gmail api) to interface... and i agree, i posted a thread similar on neowin.net
there ar ethree main functions to get gmail working properly, and i think most are possible
checking for new messages
sending e-mail funtionality with contacts
links to go to inbox being changed (most definantly cant be done without hacking msn itself, which most wouldnt want i assume)
but possibly a /gmail would load your inbox
who knows
and the way to intercept the mailto: without a program is to use the registry...
quoted from the gmailto website (currently down)
Other Info
If any of you are interested in making your own program similar/better to this, here is the important info you'll need. This program is really, really simple though. It basically grabs the variable values out of a mailto link and opens the GMail compose URL below with those values added to it.
GMail Compose Email URL
https//gmail.google.com/?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fgmail%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2Fgmail%3Fview%3Dpage%26name%3Dcompose%26fs%3D1%26tearoff%3D1%26cmid%3D5"
Or sometimes this https://gmail.google.com/?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fgmail%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2Fgmail%3Fview%3Dcm%26fs%3D1%26tearoff%3D1%26cmid%3D5"
NOTE: You have to double escape spaces in everything after the "dest=" variable. So instead of "+" or "%20", you need to use "%2520". You also have to double escape the pound symbol. So instead of this "#" it is this "%2523".
GMail Field Variables
Just append any of these to the GMail Compose Email URL above.
Email To: "to"
Usage: "%26to%3Dmike%40rabidsquirrel%2Enet"
CC: "cc"
Usage: "%26cc%3D"
Comma Delimited list of emails
BCC: "bcc"
Usage: "%26bcc%3D"
Comma Delimited list of emails
Subject Line: "su"
Usage: "%26su%3DYour%2520Subject%2520Line"
Body: "body"
Usage: "%26body%3DBlahblah"
Registry Locations
This is how you associate GMail with Mailto links.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\mailto\shell\open\command
Change the default value to this: C:\Program Files\G-Mailto\G-Mailto.exe "%1"
These make G-Mailto show up in the Internet Options > Programs Tab > Email selection box.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\G-Mailto
Create this Key
Change the default value to this: G-Mailto
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\G-Mailto\Protocols\mailto\shell\open\command
Create this Key
Change the default value to this: C:\Program Files\G-Mailto\G-Mailto.exe "%1"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Clients\Mail\G-Mailto\Shell\open\command
Create this Key
Change the default value to this: C:\Program Files\G-Mailto\G-Mailto.exe
links for the api:
http://johnvey.com/features/gmailapi/ (WARNING .NET! but could be some usefull info there)
thats gmailto (i found the info frmo googles cache)
http://www.rabidsquirrel.net/G-Mailto/