Email Primer?...Push? IMAP? Exchange Sync?

[78Staff]

Ok, been searching around and reading up on all the different email apps avail for my 650, but am confused about a few things...

I keep seeing "push" referenced, but don't really understand what that is and why I would or would not want it. Ditto for IMAP...I understand pop, but IMAP is new to me.

Basically, I'm using VersaMail 3.1 on a Cingular 650, works well enough for my basic email needs which right now is quick access to mail from my comcast and gmail accts, with the ability to leave the mail on the server. But I may want to add my work exchange 2003 mail in the future. I also would want to receive it wireless, not by syncing to a desktop pc at work. Is this where push/pull comes in? I would also need to see folders under my inbox (read where some apps only show inbox, no folders - that won't work for me), usually with very large no's of mail in them, but would be OK with some sort of date limit, ie past 7 days...

[benjie]

IMAP has many advantages over POP.

#1 - with IMAP what you see on your device is what you see on your laptop is what you see on your desktop.

#2 - with IMAP PUSH, when an email hits the IMAP server, it is PUSHED to your device, your desktop, laptop, or whatever device is LOGGED in to the IMAP server. At this moment, I have my laptop and Treo 700p IMAPing and when a message hits the server, it hits both devices.

#3 - with IMAP PUSH you no longer have to poll to get your mail. The reason is that the device is logged in to the IMAP server and when the email hits the server, it pushes the email out to the device(s) logged in to the server.

#4 - with IMAP you can keep only what you want on the device - it stays on the server until the device syncs with it under date settings you tell it to retrieve. I keep bunches of days on the server, and on the device I keep a limited number of days. If I need more, I have ChatterEmail sync for X days back.

I am not an Outlook user...

Ben

[davidra]

The new ActiveSync update will allow Versamail to get "push" mail from your Exchange server. Even without it, you can just have the device pull emails at whatever time you want. Using Versamail, you can "over the air" sync your email, calendar and contacts with your office Outlook counterparts. However, Versamail does not support multiple folders. As best I can tell, the only access to my Outlook email is the Inbox....this is a pain at times. If an emergency, I can log in to the web server via the browser and open files in that manner, but it's tedious. I am not sure if other email clients will support folders....

[benjie]

Take a look at the comparison chart at www.chatteremail.com.

Ben