What is this "IMAP" that Gmail offers?

[abcdefGARY]

Post deleted.

 

[swiftaw]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAP

IMAP is better than POP, because it allows messages to remain on the server and accessed through multiple portals, which all see the same thing. Any changes made to your mailbox through any of these portals are reflected back to the server.

 

[abcdefGARY]

Post deleted.

 

[Optimus Rhyme]

I find it so helpful. I check my mail on my iPhone while I'm out I don't have to get the same emails on my Macbook when I get home as I've already checked them. Same thing for when I go into work and check my mail there.

 

[richard.mac]

a couple of tips for using IMAP Gmail in Mail:

- type "[Gmail]" in "IMAP Path Prefix" under Advanced in Accounts preferences to prevent the Gmail folder hierarchy from showing in Mail's sidebar

- make sure your Gmail account's mailbox behaviours in Mail's preferences are set as per this page

 

[stomer]

Are you saying that it syncs the way an iPod does? But how come whenever I move mail out of the "All Mail" on Gmail's folder and onto my mac, it always seems to remain on the server?

This is a behaviour specific to Gmail. The All Mail folder acts somewhat like how a smart mailbox does in Mail.app. Its rules are something like: show all mail, except for junk and trash. So the only way to stop a particular mail from being shown in the All Mail folder is to move it to either the junk folder or the trash folder.

 

[Queso]

Having multiple Macs and a 3G phone, I pipe all my email via GMail and synch through IMAP. Not only does it mean I always have every mail I've sent on each device as a reference, something which POP can't do, but it's also more secure when you're picking e-mails up across the open Internet because GMail sends the authentication credentials in SSL.

The only downside is that my default address isn't my GMail address, yet on certain versions of Outlook my e-mails will show as coming from "Gmail Address on behalf of Default Address". If anyone knows a way to turn that off can they let me know?