A different kind of email setup?

[imom]

I have used iPhones for years but still haven't ever used them for email on-the-go because the standard system is not what I need at all. Let me explain...

My dream email app is very simple. It would pick up mails from my POP3 server while I am away from my computer, and it would of course be used to send mails too. But when I dock the iPhone to my Mac, I would like the new mails on the phone to be TRANSFERRED ONE-WAY to the Mac, including sent mails. In other words, I would like the iPhone to be a temporary workspace which is moved to the main computer whenever I dock, leaving the iPhone empty.

Is there a name for this setup? Does it even exist? I have been asking people about this for years. i refuse to believe I am the only one who would want such a system.

I believe that the way the mainstream system works, emails sent from my phone would not be copied over to my Mac at all, and my inbox would be synced, which I would not want at all (I have 10GB of mail on my Mac which I do NOT want on my phone!)

Is there a custom app for doing this? Or am I the only person on a planet of 7 million who wants mail to work this way?

 

[ChristianVirtual]

Use IMAP server instead, or Exhange server.

I have always all email on iPhone, iPod, iPad and Mac; also the send one. Very transparent

By the way: 7 billion people I guess, didn't count recently

 

[imom]

Use IMAP server instead, or Exhange server.

I have always all email on iPhone, iPod, iPad and Mac; also the send one. Very transparent

By the way: 7 billion people I guess, didn't count recently

Thanks, but as I wrote I specifically don't want all mail on my iPhone!

 

[ChristianVirtual]

Thanks, but as I wrote I specifically don't want all mail on my iPhone!

My bad; missed that. shouldn't read forums late Friday night

 

[ericrwalker]

Thanks, but as I wrote I specifically don't want all mail on my iPhone!

Exchange won't put them all on your phone. It will only do the most recent messages. (Mine is set to sync 1 month of emails)

 

[imom]

Exchange won't put them all on your phone. It will only do the most recent messages. (Mine is set to sync 1 month of emails)

I assume that required an Exchange server, which I don't have unfortunately.

 

[blue442]

gmail can be used as IMAP if i remember correctly.

http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=77702

 

[dontpannic]

Thanks, but as I wrote I specifically don't want all mail on my iPhone!

You can set IMAP servers to just show 1 days worth of emails. Therefore the inbox will be empty in the morning, you can pick up and reply to your emails and they'll be copied straight up to the imap server instead.

 

[imom]

You can set IMAP servers to just show 1 days worth of emails. Therefore the inbox will be empty in the morning, you can pick up and reply to your emails and they'll be copied straight up to the imap server instead.

Thanks, I'll look into this but I don't know if my ISP will allow me to migrate all my existing 10GB of mail to an IMAP server though, which I assume would be necessary.

This seems to be unnecessarily complicated compared to the system I outlined above.

 

[Small White Car]

This seems to be unnecessarily complicated compared to the system I outlined above.

Sorry, but any system that requires you to dock your phone to your computer daily is never going to become popular.

I'm not saying you wouldn't like it, I'm just saying no one is going to build that because there would be too few customers to make it worthwhile to them.

 

[ChristianVirtual]

I don't know when I last time docked my iDevices ... We are in the post PC area, aren't we ?

Ok, I know: still have to dock when I want to develop some stuff as XCode still don't transfer wireless. But that's not counting.

 

[imom]

Sorry, but any system that requires you to dock your phone to your computer daily is never going to become popular.

well I already have to recharge my iPhone TWICE a day

 

[ericrwalker]

I assume that required an Exchange server, which I don't have unfortunately.

You host your own pop server with your own domain? Google will host email with any domain for free, if you have over a certain amount of email, they do charge a small fee.

I host my own email, and use it through google and use it with exchange. It's wonderful.

 

[imom]

You host your own pop server with your own domain?

yes, I'll look at the Google solution too.

 

[applesith]

well I already have to recharge my iPhone TWICE a day

Then your battery is toe up and you need a replacement. Twice a day is kinda nuts. But docking daily for syncing has gotten old fast and not coming back.

 

[imom]

Then your battery is toe up and you need a replacement. Twice a day is kinda nuts.

I think most 4S owners have to top up during the day as well as recharge overnight. It's definitely the weak point in an otherwise great phone.

 

[dontwalkhand]

UGH POP3, What a disgraceful way to obtain your email. IMAP is the best way no matter what your needs are. I have yet to see an advantage POP has over IMAP.