Mail Question

[jbrown]

I have three accounts - and so three names appear in the top left hand section. To the right of these appear icons/symbols to give me info. So if I'm checking for new mail, there'll be a spinning icon to show its searching. If there is a problem connecting I'll get a triangle with an ! in the middle to tell me something is wrong.

But sometimes a get a circle with a wedge in it ( like a pie chart ), sometimes the wedge is small, say from 12 to 1 (imagine a clock here ), sometimes larger, say 12 to 3 ( a quarter ). What are these for, I can find no ref for them.

cheers

 

[mpw]

Booyukashaa!

 

[jbrown]

what?

 

[mad jew]

I am probably wrong but I've always thought it was a timer-style graphic to tell you the server and your Mac are syncing folders, making sure everything's as it should be.

 

[jbrown]

I thought that was the spinning icon was for

 

[cwedl]

what?

Its what Ali G says. Seems to answer the question quite well! :d

 

[mad jew]

I thought that was the spinning icon was for

Well, I guess a better way of putting it is that the spinning icon is for downloading new messages (checking for mail) whereas the pie is for loading up the messages from the computer and making sure they match those in the equivalent folder on the server. I really could be completely wrong though, remember that I'm mad.

 

[jbrown]

No offense demi-gods - I'm after some info here

 

[jbrown]

Thanks Mad - just thought there should be some info on it - say in Help

 

[mfacey]

What kind of mailservers are these that you are talking about? that weird pie-like icon only happens with IMAP servers I have set up (I believe). As far as I know that means its syncing with the IMAP server, just like Mad Jew said. Don't think I've ever seen that icon come up on POP3 servers though...

 

[mad jew]

Don't think I've ever seen that icon come up on POP3 servers though...

That's exactly what brought me to my conclusion. I only recently converted to IMAP and only now have I started noticing the pie. The spinning circle is only for getting new mail, meaning it's only downloading new messages from the Inbox on the server, nothing more.

 

[jbrown]

Could you briefly and simply explain POP and Imap for me.

I have both

 

[mad jew]

Very simply: POP will have your computer download the messages and then delete them from the server whereas IMAP will let you keep the messages on the server and sync them with copies on your hard drive.

These guys make it clearer.

 

[mfacey]

Very simply: POP will have your computer download the messages and then delete them from the server whereas IMAP will let you keep the messages on the server and sync them with copies on your hard drive.

Man, you're fast on the replies!

 

[mpw]

What?

Its what Ali G says. Seems to answer the question quite well! :d

He's right, my post in reply to your original post before you edited any sense into it!