[neon_duke]

I asked this on the networking board but I thought I might try here as well.

Currently all incoming email is downloaded to the desktop machine, where it is kept locally. At the moment you can only read it from that machine.

Is there an email client I can use on the PowerBook that will let me share that exisitng email database so we don't end up with messages scattered over both machines?

Thanks in advance.

-Duke

[dettociao]

Switch to IMAP

Nate

[Xterratop]

Originally posted by dettociao:
Switch to IMAP

Nate

How would you do that? Explain please.

[dettociao]

Well I guess it would depend on where you get your email. If it's from an ISP, call them up and ask them if they support IMAP instead of POP3. If they do, then they can walk you through setting it up. If, instead, you're trying to switch (say) your work email over-- then you're probably SOL. Ask your Network Admin though, it never hurts.

Basically, with IMAP mail-- instead of storing your folders locally on the computer, the folders are stored remotely on the server (along with all the mail). This works great for people who are constantly switching computers. I personally couldn't live with POP3 after going to IMAP.

Nate

[Commodus]

Hey, whoa, there's an easier solution than going over to IMAP. Most mail apps have an option you can set for a given account to have it leave a copy of a message on a server, usually for X amount of days. If you set that, any mail program that hasn't already downloaded the message should get it.

Mail (in 10.2) has the option by going to the Mail menu, choosing Mail Preferences, and then choosing Edit when you've got the account selected that you want to modify. Unfortunately I'm not at my Mac to tell you exactly where to locate it from there, but I know for a fact that it's an option from within an account's settings.

[dettociao]

Ah yes, but if you use IMAP then you will ALWAYS have a copy of it-- until you delete it. No off-chance of removal.

[neon_duke]

Thanks for the quick answers. IMAP may be an option; I'll talk to my ISP about it.

The question I have about IMAP is what is the interface like? I considered just using web-accessed mail, but the interfaces on webmail are just so clunky and inconvenient.

Anybody else have thoughts? TIA,

uke

[parsec_kadets]

Every mail client I've ever seen that was worth it's weight supported IMAP. So you'll be able to continue using the client you are now. What could be better than that?

[neon_duke]

Stupid Earthlink only supports IMAP via webmail, which is hideously clunky and won't let me auto-sort my messages. I really don't want to use webmail as an option.

I suppose I could switch all the clients to leave messages on the server except one, and then only DL the mail once a day... but that sounds annoying too.

Story of my life - the stuff I want seems so ordinary and reasonable, but for some reason I can never find what I'm looking for. Why is this such a problem?

[Macola]

Just watch out with IMAP that you don't use up all the space on your mail server. It can fill up pretty quick.