Difference Between iCloud Mail and Regular Mail?

[Reservation]

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but what exactly are the new features of the iCloud mail? I got my new .me account and got this email:

With iCloud Mail, new messages are pushed to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and you’re notified when new mail arrives, so you won’t miss an important message.

But doesn't the regular Mail app already do that? I've been using the Mail app on my iPod touch and it has all those features. From what I gather, the only new thing is that iCloud gives me a new email account. Is that it? What am I missing?

[Jason S.]

With most e-mail accounts on the iPhone (Microsoft Exchange accounts, and I believe Yahoo as well, being the exceptions) your mail is not "pushed." Instead, the phone checks every now and then (whatever you set it to check, 5 min, 15 min, etc. in Settings).

With the @me.com email that iCloud gives you, you will get a notification almost instantly when you receive a new message, instead of waiting for the phone to "Fetch" the mail every so many minutes.

[Reservation]

Originally Posted by Jason S.

With most e-mail accounts on the iPhone (Microsoft Exchange accounts, and I believe Yahoo as well, being the exceptions) your mail is not "pushed." Instead, the phone checks every now and then (whatever you set it to check, 5 min, 15 min, etc. in Settings).

With the @me.com email that iCloud gives you, you will get a notification almost instantly when you receive a new message, instead of waiting for the phone to "Fetch" the mail every so many minutes.

Gotcha. That makes sense. Thanks.