One way to improve this is to do like gmail and provide keyboard shortcuts in addition to the point and click interface. (It has to be explicitly enabled in settings, but it didn't have to be that way). Like the author is claiming, it takes very little time to get used to and you get more productive quickly. The only problem I've run into (also covered by the OP) is that input focus might be different than what you think and you end up quickly doing unintended things to your email. Luckily there's an undo function for that.