Unfortunately, not all of us can afford that.
And I think everyone caught your drift the first time
Well sometimes valuable lessons need to be repeated. People are all
so about Gmail but its a screwy service which can lock your account
up at any stage and leave you with no access to you mail. People
cite the huge mailbox allowing them to keep their email on the server
which possibly breeds an belief in not backing up valuable data.
The other issue is one of confidentiality, as in Gmail not deleting data despite you deleting your email. That should make companies think twice about sending email to gmail accounts (or other free mail services).
Let me add that I'm a strict opponent of GMail. However, that was before
I even heard about these random lockups of accounts. Definately worth staying away from, especially if you have valuable stuff in the mailbox
(or backup to HD or other service via a FWD daily).