Mac Mail IMAP with tons of mail

[decksnap]

Maybe I'm just a moron - google searching has failed me. What I'd like to do seems simple but I'm a bit behind the times on this topic.

I have years and years of mail filed into folders on my pop account in Mail. I would like to make the switch over to imap without involving those folders in any way (just too large). I just want to keep all of those folders on the desktop only and have the syncing of imap be lean and small (inbox/outbox, maybe a couple other things).

Also, my home account is gmail, at work it's rackspace. Optimally I'd want to make the switch to iMap for both email accounts, but I realize the instructions for each may be different since gmail is kind of an odd duck.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Weaselboy]

The problem is if you delete the POP account, it will delete all those folders of saved messages. What you can do is just leave the POP account there, but just disable it in Mail prefs. It won't receive any more messages, but your locally saved messages will still be there. Then if you want you can just drag the ones you want over to the IMAP account folders.

[decksnap]

Interesting... so if I have the two accounts with pop disabled, can I still file imap messages into the pop account folders?

Ultimately I'd love a cleaner approach where you could just set which folders sync within the imap account and which don't. Is that not possible?

[Weaselboy]

Originally Posted by decksnap

Interesting... so if I have the two accounts with pop disabled, can I still file imap messages into the pop account folders?

Yes. But they will only be stored locally.

Originally Posted by decksnap

Ultimately I'd love a cleaner approach where you could just set which folders sync within the imap account and which don't. Is that not possible?

I don't of any way to make local POP mailboxes sync with an IMAP mail box.