Tate Create & T2 Creative Media » email http://www.tomtatedesigns.com Geek Chic - Smart Design for the Style Conscious Fri, 14 May 2010 14:31:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 IMAP vs. POP – What’s right for your email? http://www.tomtatedesigns.com/2007/10/24/imap-vs-pop-whats-right-for-your-email/ http://www.tomtatedesigns.com/2007/10/24/imap-vs-pop-whats-right-for-your-email/#comments Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:11:58 +0000 thomastate http://www.tomtatedesigns.com/wordpress/2007/10/24/imap-vs-pop-whats-right-for-your-email/ Which is better for you?
Face it, most of the time, you can get by knowing very little about how anything really works. You put the gas in your car and it goes. You put the potatoes down the insinkerator and they go. You flush the toilet and it just… goes. Who cares where or how, right?

As far as email is concerned, you actually might benefit from knowing the difference between these two bad boys of the email underbelly. Because choosing the right one for your lifestyle needs, just may save you some stress, time and/or embarrassment.

Here’s how it breaks down.

Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)

IMAP uses a client-server model that maintains a link between your inbox and the mail server. IMAP gives you added security, by storing the email remotely. This way if anything happens to your personal computer, your email is safe. You can always backup your IMAP email, but because it is stored remotely you can access it from anywhere, via any computer.

  • Advantages:
      Your messages and any changes to them stay on your server, saving local disk space.
      You always have access to an updated mailbox.
      You can get your mail from multiple locations.
      Performance on a modem is faster, since you initially download message headers only.
      You can synchronize specific mail folders for offline use.
  • Disadvantages:
      Not all ISPs support IMAP.

Post Office Protocol (POP3)

Post Office Protocol (POP), works like a moving company. It brings all the mail from the server to your computer, just like moving the furniture from your old apartment. Once it’s been moved, that’s it. It’s only ever in one place at a time. You can force POP to make a copy before it moves, but the default is to move the original permanently. Once the transfer is made, the connection between the Server and your Computer is severed and you can go on about your day. Offline editing to your hearts content.

  • Advantages:
      Your messages are downloaded to your local computer all at once, thereby making offline reading easier.
      You can specify whether to keep copies of the messages on the server.
      Most ISPs currently support POP3.
  • Disadvantages:
      You must synchronize your local inbox with your server’s mailbox. This can result in downloading new messages over and over each time you connect.
      If you use more than one computer, messages might reside on one
      or the other, but not both.
      POP3 doesn’t work as well as IMAP over a slow link connection.
      You can’t access all mail folders from multiple locations.

For my money, IMAP is your best bet. With today’s unlimited cable and DSL connections, the time of connection or load on the server is no longer of primary concern the way it was in the time of modem connections and pay by the minute contracts. This digital age is all about flexibility and access to information. IMAP allows for both and it’s ability to give you access to your email from wherever and whenever means the tether to your personal computer is cut.Five years ago, support for IMAP was lagging, but just today, the online service GMAIL from GOOGLE announced it was adding IMAP support to it’s popular web based email. And as we are quickly coming to realize in this digital age, so goes Google, so goes the Internet.

_The Sheik

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]]> http://www.tomtatedesigns.com/2007/10/24/imap-vs-pop-whats-right-for-your-email/feed/ 0 Top 11 Free Web-Based Email Providers http://www.tomtatedesigns.com/2007/10/22/top-11-free-web-based-email-providers/ http://www.tomtatedesigns.com/2007/10/22/top-11-free-web-based-email-providers/#comments Tue, 23 Oct 2007 01:40:18 +0000 thomastate http://www.tomtatedesigns.com/wordpress/2007/10/22/top-10-free-web-based-email-providers/ Free email is AWESOME. no fees, no maintenance, built in junk mail filtering and you can dump the address whenever you want. I’ve brought together my faves in a kick ass list. Gmail, Yahoo, AIM, Hotmail, Inbox.com and friends. Let me know of any others you think are worth including…

1. Gmail – Free Email Service – http://www.gmail.com
Gmail (Google Mail) Free Email and Chat Account
Gmail is the Google approach to email and chat. Practically unlimited free online storage allows you to collect all your messages, and Gmail’s simple but very smart interface lets you find them precisely and see them in context without effort. Unfortunately, Gmail does not offer IMAP, only POP access. Gmail also puts contextual advertising next to the emails you read.
Gmail Review | Gmail Resources | Gmail Screenshots | Gmail Tips

2. AIM Mail – Free Email Service – http://www.aol.com
AIM Mail - Free Email Service
AIM Mail, AOL’s free web-based email service, shines with unlimited online storage, very good spam protection and a rich, easy to use interface.
Unfortunately, AIM Mail lacks a bit in productivity (no labels, smart folders and message threading), but makes up for some of that with very functional IMAP (as well as POP) access.
AIM Mail Review | AIM Mail Tips

3. Yahoo! Mail – Free Email Service – http://www.yahoo.com/
Yahoo! Mail - Free Email Service
Yahoo! Mail is your ubiquitous email program on the web with unlimited storage and RSS news feeds, SMS texting and instant messaging to boot.
While Yahoo! Mail is generally a joy to use, free-form labelling and smart folders would be nice, and the spam filter could catch junk even more effectively.
Yahoo! Mail Review | Yahoo! Mail Resources | Yahoo! Mail Tips

4. Inbox.com – Free Email Service – http://www.inbox.com
Inbox.com
Inbox.com not only gives you 5 GB to store your mail online but also a highly polished, fast and functional way to access it via either the web (including speedy search, free-form labels and reading mail by conversation) or through POP in your email program.
Unfortunately, IMAP access is not supported by Inbox.com, and its tools for organizing mail could be improved with smart or self-teaching folders.
Inbox.com Review | Inbox.com Tips

5. FastMail Guest Account – Free Email Service – http://www.fastmail.com
FastMail Free Guest Account
FastMail is a great free email service with IMAP access, useful features, one of the best web-based email interfaces and few ads.
FastMail Review | FastMail Resources | FastMail Tips

6. Windows Live Hotmail – Free Email Service – http://www.hotmail.com
Windows Live Hotmail - Free Email Service
Windows Live Hotmail is a free email service that gives you a 5 GB of online storage, fast search, solid security and an interface easy as a desktop email program.
When it comes to organizing mail, Windows Live Hotmail does not go beyond folders (to saved searches and tags, for example), its spam filter could be more effective, and POP or IMAP access are missing.
Windows Live Hotmail Review | Windows Live Hotmail Resources | Windows Live Hotmail Tips

7. Bluebottle – Free Email Service – http://www.bluebottle.com
Bluebottle - Free Email Service
Bluebottle offers email accounts that are practically free of spam (using challenge/response filtering) and can be accessed on the web or using POP with any email program.
Bluebottle could offer more tools for efficiently handling mail, though, online storage is in a somewhat short supply, and challenge/response filtering comes with its own share of problems, too.
Bluebottle Review

8. BigString.com – Free Email Service – http://www.bigstring.com
BigString.com - Free Email Service
BigString.com is a free 2 GB email service that includes rich secure and certified mail services and lets you password-protect, expire or edit sent messages, for example.
Unfortunately, BigString.com is not equally well equipped for handling incoming mail and lacks organizing tools.
BigString.com Review

9. HotPOP – Free Email Service – http://www.hotpop.com
HotPOP - Free POP3 Email Service
HotPOP offers free, reliable email accounts you can use with any email program using POP3 and SMTP. In addition, HotPOP lets you forward incoming messages to multiple other addresses.
Unfortunately, HotPOP lacks IMAP access and a web-based email interface and is a bit short on storage space.
HotPOP Review

10. goowy mail – Free Email Service – http://www.goowy.com
goowy mail - Free Email Service
goowy mail is your rich desktop email program on the web with a fast interface that lets you drag and drop, use context menus and enjoy lots of pleasant eye candy. In addition to email, goowy offers a calendar, an RSS feed reader and games.
More features are needed.

11. My Way Mail – Free Email Service – http://www.myway.com
My Way Mail - Free Email Service
My Way Mail is a clean, fast and fun (though not particularly advanced) free email service.
It lacks secure messaging and other advanced, non-essential features, though.
My Way Mail Review | My Way Mail Tips

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