How does iPhone mail work?

[Apple321]

Finally, tommorow I will be getting my iPhone, but I have one quick question regarding email with the iPhone. I hope I am explaining myself in a nonconfusing manner.

I use Outlook on my computer for my primary email. Loading Outlook downloads my emails onto my comp from the company's server. I assume that means that I will be unable to get these emails on my iPhone.

Does the iPhone also download emails so that I would not be able to get ones on Outlook that I opened first on my iPhone?

I would not really like my emails spread out over two different devices, so does anyone know what I would need to do so that I could get all my emails in both places? Or would this be a more specific question for the people who provide my email account?

Thanks everyone!

 

[raccoon]

You need IMAP

Your email account is probably set up using POP at the moment, solution is to switch to IMAP (provided your ISP supports it, which lots of them seem to do now).

IMAP is a mail protocol which leaves the messages on the server. This means you can view, answer, delete them etc from different devices (iPhone, PC) and the list of email will stay synchronised. Very clever.

Do a google on IMAP, it's not too tricky to set up.