Do You POP or Do You IMAP?

By Mike Barnett

Which eMail manager do you use? Is it Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, or something else?

Most people have a favorite eMail application that they use for managing their eMail, creating rules for routing and storing messages (in different folders), filtering spam, forwarding certain messages to their BlackBerry and/or TREO and/or other eMail device… and, also saving copies of sent eMail.

Chances are that most of you are currently accessing your eMail via your ISP's eMail server via the POP3 Protocol (Post Office Protocol 3).

In today’s eMail world, we are finding that many users need to access their eMail from a variety of different computers and/or devices and/or share the same eMail with other people (partners, brokers, assistant, etc).

If this is the same for you, then POP3 might have too many limitations for you to manage your communications effectively. Even if you bend and tweak every possible setting in your POP3 eMail program, only your main PC contains your filtered folders and sent eMail.

The solution is another eMail Protocol called the Internet Message Access Protocol, or IMAP. In my opinion, IMAP is a perfect solution. So why don’t more people use it? Because the problem is that most ISPs and/or eMail hosts don’t support IMAP.

Why? Because IMAP requires a lot more resources (hardware, software, bandwidth, human) than your ISP wants to provide for you. How come? Because IMAP stores ALL your folders and sent eMail on the server rather than on your local computer (and/or device).

With IMAP, you (or anyone with your login access on any computing device that manages eMail) can view the same messages and/or folders, including sent eMail, regardless of which program or computer you're using to connect to your eMail account.

In addition to your eMail always being available on the Internet, IMAP also creates a mirrored copy of your eMail (and folders) on your different computers and/or devices, thereby affording you the ability to read (and respond) to eMail offline. Every time your device hooks up to the server, your IMAP folders (and respective eMail) are synchronized.

How do you create an IMAP eMail account? The same way you create a POP3 account, except you choose IMAP (instead of POP3) in your favorite eMail manager when setting up the account…, but please NOTE, your ISP (and/or your eMail host), must support the IMAP protocol.

IMAP also permits you to use any eMail application when you want to check your eMail from the office, from home, or from the road.

Regardless of which eMail application you use, each eMail client will indicate and synchronize all of your folders (unless you change the settings to not have the folder viewable) and they will be sorted the way you are used to viewing and using them.

As mentioned above, there is really only one problem. Even though Outlook, Outlook Express, and most other eMail applications work perfectly with IMAP servers, it is hard to find ISPs and eMail hosts that support IMAP. For instance, most of the larger ISPs and eMail services including Earthlink, Comcast, Verizon and others still only offer POP3 access.

However, even if your ISP doesn't offer the IMAP Protocol, that doesn't mean you must use that ISP as your primary eMail provider. In fact, it is my suggestion that you only use your IPSs for connections to the Internet and not to host your eMail.

If you rely on eMail as much as I do, switching to IMAP could free you from being tied to one computer, operating system, or eMail program.

Where do you find a reliable IMAP service provider? You have to look no further than InternetCrusade ;-)

One last tip, if you have to use the POP3 Protocol (because your ISP and/or eMail host do not support the IMAP Protocol), then I suggest you configure your eMail program to leave all of your messages on the server, which will at least allow you to access and download your eMail using a different computer and/or device. (Note: Be sure you have adequate space.)

If you are sending from more than one computer and want to assure you have a copy of all your sent messages, just CC yourself and the copies will be waiting in your Inbox when you next POP your account.

Thanks.

Reply

Thanks for the information. I really had no idea that there were such limitations to pop. I`m a newbie, just beginning module 4, and I`m sure I`m just scratching the surface of the e-mail world, but I`m wondering if those exceptions to pop useability are really something the average user needs to worry about.

It seems like a severe remedy to have to leave an ISP and search for IMAP capable ISP if there aren`t many that even handle IMAP. IMAP does sound quite amazing though.

The other question was cost. Let`s say you have a list of contacts approaching 5000. Could you give me a ball park figure of converting everything to a new service, and how long would it interrupt the flow of information?

One other question- I`m with go daddy - didn`t know any better- is that a service provider that offers IMAP, and if I am able to stay with the same company (any body with a company that offers either) wouldn`t it be alot less disruptive and financially punitive to stay with one company? If there are such choices.

Again .. Thanks

Broker/owner

RE/MAX Anchor Services
416 Main Street
Port Washington, NY 11050
516-883-7400 office
516-662-4445 cellular

Reply

Mike, I forward all my email to my free Google gMail account (lots of free storage and the best spam filters) where I can read and respond to all my emails from any internet connected computer, both Macs and PC's. gMail even forwards my emails to my Blackberry cell phone in real time so I don't even need to find a connected computer to deal w/email but when I do get back to my main PC, I launch Outlook and have it download my gMail. The best of internet email access and the best of Outlook on my main PC.

Reply

Awesome email Heaven!

I am going to 'break the rules' of the internet world and copy the entire post by Mike Barnett below, because I've just gone thru email HELL!

THANK GOODNESS FOR IC!

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IC's customer service is BAR NONE, unparellelled!

After almost 4 days of (( gulp!!)) no email, and over a weekend, no less - and having my all-in-one printer, copier, scanner, fax gadget that doesn't play well with ((( gulp AGAIN ))) VISTA, I was ready to call it a day.

RT to the rescue!

So........I can only give the best testimonial I can because these guys are great!

If you are NOT a part of the solution, YOU are a part of the problem...InternetCrusade TOTALLY gets this philosophy, so I would HIGHLY recommend that if you need help, quicker, faster, better, then put them on YOUR TEAM.

I am glad I did! Now, no matter HOW good you think you are, read this post below (copied in it's entirety) by Mike Barnett, Guru EXTRAORDINAIRRE. IT will be worth the 2 minutes of your time.