Thread:

If you use one primary computer, POP. If you have more than one computer, IMAP. The deal is that with IMAP all your email is stored on a server so that when you log in from home or office or traveling with your laptop the experience is the same. A POP account downloads email from the server to your computer, then it is not available if you log in with a different machine. However, you can modify POP settings to mimic IMAP.

Many thanks for the advice.

Originally Posted by Sherman Homan   There is usually a "Leave a copy on the server" option. That way you can be sure that in a couple of months your account will bounce because it is full. I prefer IMAP, but some services still don't offer it. Precisely. So how and why would you try to make POP mimic IMAP, since IMAP is clearly superior in cases where you do, in fact, wish to leave your mail and your folder...

I prefer IMAP. Check out fastmail.fm. The free account is a little too limited, but the one-time only fee account is good.

Originally Posted by randax   Just not a great fan of that company. Any other suggestions? I’m not a huge fan of Google either, but that doesn’t stop me appreciating their products. Gmail isn’t perfect—the “All Mail” and a couple other folders appear uselessly in Mail.app—but it is free, and you really won’t get better from a free email provider. Having ~6.5GB of storage, that’s constantly increasing, means that...

Originally Posted by Sherman Homan   If you use one primary computer, POP. If you have more than one computer, IMAP. The deal is that with IMAP all your email is stored on a server so that when you log in from home or office or traveling with your laptop the experience is the same. A POP account downloads email from the server to your computer, then it is not available if you log in with a different machine. However, you can modify...

Guys, get used to the fact that some people think POP is superior to IMAP. They don't have facts or arguments, but they'll fight you till the end. I've seen it happen in the Lounge more than once. At any rate, IMAP is the way to go, there is NO reason to settle for POP. -t

aim.com has IMAP too if you like. personally i use .Mac and Gmail with the Mail.app

Gmail all the way. I understand why you would rather not work with them, but the quality of their product is second to none. We have google apps running on our domain and it could not work better.

A good comparison (though a bit dated) with advantages & disadvantages of each can be found at The IMAP Connection -- Comparing Two Approaches to Remote Mailbox Access: IMAP vs. POP . As for me: IMAP