Gmail vs. MobileMe for IMAP

[badlydrawnboy]

I'm trying to decide whether to use Gmail or MobileMe for my IMAP email provider with the iPhone. For the past year or so I've been going back and forth between the two. I was first using Gmail, but had a lot of problems with their IMAP service so I switched over to MobileMe (and set up my Gmail account to forward to MM).

MM is reliable, but the web interface is still annoyingly slow - especially when compared to Gmail. I don't need all the bells and whistles. I just want to be able to go through new mails and delete them or move them very quickly. That's impossible right now with MM, even on a brand new Mac Pro with a fast internet connection. The speed has improved somewhat since the new service was introduced, but it's still much slower than email.

Just wondering if anyone here has thoughts on the pros/cons of each service. I should say that I don't really use any of the other MM features (iDisk, web server, photos, etc.) so I'm essentially paying $100/year for an email account.

 

[Small White Car]

MM is reliable, but the web interface is still annoyingly slow

I can't help you there, I think ALL web-mail is pretty terrible. Are you using other people's computers a lot? If not, can you start using an application to access mail? That would solve that problem.

I don't really use any of the other MM features (iDisk, web server, photos, etc.) so I'm essentially paying $100/year for an email account.

You also get over-the-air syncing of bookmarks, contacts, and calendars. That's worth $100 a year for me as I often go a week or two between USB syncs.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

I use Mail with my desktop Mac Pro when I'm at home. But I also use a public computer at school and work and when I travel fairly regularly. That's when webmail comes in.

 

[tsice19]

I use Gmail IMAP on my phone.

It's useful because it keeps everything in sync.... whether I'm on Mail at home, Internet Explorer at school, or on the road with my iPhone.

I would pay for MobileMe, but I don't use calendars or contacts on my Mac for it to be useful for them to always push. Not to mention, who actually needs to sync their bookmarks every 15 minutes

 

[spacecadet610]

gmail imap works great for me

 

[ksmith80209]

Well - if you want calendars and contacts synch'd (like I have to do for work), MM is the way to go. I use Fastmail.fm for IMAP mail, though.

 

[Ninja Dom]

I have both a GMail account and a Mobile Me account on my iPhone.

I use the Mobile Me account to wirelessly sync contacts & calendars and leave the GMail for emails.

It's great to use them together like that.