iPod touch iPod touch basic operation

[zen]

Apologies if this is incredibly obvious, but I've just got my very first touch and I'm a bit confused.

I assume, like the iPhone, that apps do not run in the background? So if I am in Mail or Safari, then exit by pressing the home button, these apps actually quit?

I'm just trying to work out, therefore, what the point of the unread mail indicator on the Mail icon is for, because it can't check Mail in the background if I'm on the home screen.

Or have I got that wrong?

 

[Unspoken Demise]

That depends on the email account. Gmail fetches the data from the internet to the web app that is "mail." Its not a backround process. The point is to merely let you know that there is an unread email in your inbox. Its up to you when you access it to read it. Since its on a touch though, you'll only get those alerts when near wifi. Maybe the gym has wifi?

 

[zen]

That depends on the email account. Gmail fetches the data from the internet to the web app that is "mail." Its not a backround process. The point is to merely let you know that there is an unread email in your inbox. Its up to you when you access it to read it. Since its on a touch though, you'll only get those alerts when near wifi. Maybe the gym has wifi?

I use gmail POP (although am going to change it to IMAP), and another IMAP account.

So you're saying that so long as the touch is connected via Wi-fi, data will be fetched and the unread mail icon will show on the home screen, even if the iPod is just sitting idle on the coffee table?

 

[Unspoken Demise]

I use gmail POP (although am going to change it to IMAP), and another IMAP account.

So you're saying that so long as the touch is connected via Wi-fi, data will be fetched and the unread mail icon will show on the home screen, even if the iPod is just sitting idle on the coffee table?

Correct, but it depends on the interval of fetch. Set it for 15 minutes, and every 15 minutes "mail" checks your account for new mail. It then updates your touch with the information it gathered. You can set it to other intervals as well such as an hour or 2 hours or I think 4. As long as it has access to interent it should follow the intervals it is set to. Also, I believe those icons will stay out of internet service, but you cant read the messages because the information is not saved offline.

 

[zen]

Correct, but it depends on the interval of fetch. Set it for 15 minutes, and every 15 minutes "mail" checks your account for new mail. It then updates your touch with the information it gathered. You can set it to other intervals as well such as an hour or 2 hours or I think 4. As long as it has access to interent it should follow the intervals it is set to. Also, I believe those icons will stay out of internet service, but you cant read the messages because the information is not saved offline.

Aha, so if I set the Fetch New Data option in settings to 15 mins (and both email accounts are set to use Fetch), then my icon will light up.

Great, thanks!

 

[DHarrisDBS34]

I wonder if the operations of the Mail app will change with 3.0 since there will now be push notifications.