Possible to set up Apple mail/Gmail without downloading messages?

[StratoMAC]

Hello. I am new to the mac and have yet to set up my Apple mail account. I have a lot of large picture files that I like to attach to emails now and then, and I like that Apple's mail program has a resizing option so the receiver doesn't receive a HUGE picture file where they can only see a small portion of it. I would love to use Apple mail for sending these emails through my Gmail account, but I do not care to have my Gmail inbox messages downloaded to my hard drive. I have no need to work in email when I am not connected to the internet and I don't want to take up valuable hard drive space.

Does anyone know if it is possible to set up Apple Mail with my Gmail (and my Yahoo!) account in such a way that I can send messages through Apple mail but not have to have my inbox downloaded to my computer?

Thanks!!
D

 

[clevin]

thats exactly what IMAP is for.

 

[StratoMAC]

Really? I totally misunderstood. I thought a main point behind Apple mail was that it downloaded copies of your email to your hard drive so that you could work on them while offline. Not true?

 

[pjrobertson]

Not true. Mail doesn't have to download all the mael. Someone else recently asked this, and I PMed them.

I'll send the same PM to you then

EDIT:
It was you I PMed! Read your PMs!