Out of curiosity, what about gmail is so important that you dont move to a different mail client (paid or otherwise)? Or is it simply the fact that you haven't found an alternative that you like?
It's partly inertia and knowing that it would be a hassle to switch email addresses. But also, I think it's a phenomenal service. It's quick, and has great ui. Great spam filters. Great security - recently google added two-factor authentication as an option, which I love, since so many services are tied to my gmail account. In addition they have "shadow accounts" for services that need your password to function (usually other email clients) - so if you setup IMAP on your phone, and your phone is stolen, you can simply disable access for that client. The total package is great.
GMail isn't just a mail client though; it's a web server and a client with push email, calendar syncing, etc; it's basically a simpler version of Exchange.
Are there any good alternatives? Are their any alternatives at all?