Hello All,
Well it looks like Google has come out with their own tool to check for GMail messages without having to open up the browser.
GMail Notifier:
hxxp://toolbar.google.com/gmail-helper/
The Gmail Notifier is a downloadable Windows application that alerts you when you have new Gmail messages. It displays an icon in your system tray to let you know if you have unread Gmail messages, and shows you their subjects, senders and snippets, all without your having to open a web browser.
-SlickVic78