POP3 Vs. IMAP - Page 4

4 Mar 2003, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by anj
I think Edwin and others were saying that an IMAP message takes up more space than a POP message. Is this so? or did I misunderstand?

IMAP does take up more space then POP because you leave your messages on the fastmail server, as well as downloading them to your PC. POP downloads the message then deletes it from the server, which free's up space on your email account. But IMAP definately has advantages over POP.

-Stormcrow-

FMRocks · 4 Mar 2003, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by anj
I think Edwin and others were saying that an IMAP message takes up more space than a POP message. Is this so?

No, but they can take a little more in bandwidth if you don't download the entire message in your computer and read it 2 or 3 times.

I think that Edwin was trying to point out that he has a huge storage of emails that is easier to access using POP since they are all sitting on his computer. What I pointed out was that you could just as easily archive messages using IMAP by moving/copying messages to a local folder in a client. That way, it won't take up server space, and you have a permanent record of the emails that you want to keep on your hard drive.

FMRocks · 4 Mar 2003, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Stormcrow
IMAP does take up more space then POP because you leave your messages on the fastmail server, as well as downloading them to your PC. POP downloads the message then deletes it from the server, which free's up space on your email account. But IMAP definately has advantages over POP.

-Stormcrow-

Well I guess, total space (server+computer), if you count it that way. But one can also choose to save emails on the server even when downloading it using POP.

4 Mar 2003, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FMRocks
No, but they can take a little more in bandwidth if you don't download the entire message in your computer and read it 2 or 3 times.

I thought that it would take up space because you have all your messages on the fastmail server as well as your computer. Maybe I don't understand IMAP as well as I thought I did.
Also with IMAP, each time you open your email client does it download all your messages again? Say you downloaded your email on Monday, then on Tuesday and there were say 5 new messages on Tuesday- does this mean you would have to download your entire inbox again, or only the new messages?

-Stormcrow-

Shazzer · 4 Mar 2003, 04:47 PM

While I think IMAP is hands-down superior to POP3, I suspect a lot of people may just be more comfortable with the one they happened to use first. My first non-web-based e-mail account was provided by my employer at the time...a major university that prided itself on its use of cutting-edge technology. At that time (MANY years ago) I had the option of choosing POP3 or IMAP...and when I told the office's computer guy (affectionately known as Alpha Geek) I wanted to be able to read and respond to messages from home as well as the office he set me up with IMAP. I later had an occasion to try POP3 with an ISP I was test-driving and I hated it...my mail was never where I needed it to be! Since I'd never used POP3 before...it's limitations were painfully obvious to me. But I can also understand why someone whose e-mail usage is tailored to POP3 might be really loyal to it.

Jeremy Howard · 4 Mar 2003, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Stormcrow
Say you downloaded your email on Monday, then on Tuesday and there were say 5 new messages on Tuesday- does this mean you would have to download your entire inbox again, or only the new messages?

Just the new ones (except for some less smart IMAP clients).

FMRocks · 4 Mar 2003, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Stormcrow
I thought that it would take up space because you have all your messages on the fastmail server as well as your computer.

That is correct. Total space taken = space taken on server + space taken on computer may indeed be more.

Quote:

Also with IMAP, each time you open your email client does it download all your messages again? Say you downloaded your email on Monday, then on Tuesday and there were say 5 new messages on Tuesday- does this mean you would have to download your entire inbox again, or only the new messages?

Well, actually, what happens is that by default, IMAP only downloads, on your mail client, the header of each message only. When you click to read it, the message is downloaded into memory, so you can read. Modern IMAP clients like Mozilla do not keep the IMAP message itself in the hard drive, unless you specifically tell it to. So, each time you read the message, you are using the bandwidth to have the message downloaded to memory from the server and read it. That's why I have the option for downloading to my computer any IMAP message on FM turned on, to save bandwidth.

You don't download entire mailboxes everyday, nor entire new messages, just the new message headers. And when you read each message, you use bandwidth.

Jeremy Howard · 4 Mar 2003, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Edwin
There is no combination of IMAP boxes that could even begin to store that much email for me! Ok, I can see somebody is going to say "Hey, you could get an enhanced account and pay for 2.5GB of additional storage" but then I would simply have to go back and insert the word "feasibly" into the first sentence of this paragraph.

We have users with more space in use than that. It is entirely feasible.

Personally however, I archive stuff after a year or two into zip files on my PC - it's still available if I need it, but I don't find much need to keep it in my IMAP mailbox any longer.

The premise that using IMAP means you can't choose to keep some stuff locally is not correct.

4 Mar 2003, 05:21 PM

Does anyone know a good website that explains how IMAP works? Is there a link on Fastmail which explains IMAP?

-Stormcrow-

FMRocks · 4 Mar 2003, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Does anyone know a good website that explains how IMAP works? Is there a link on Fastmail which explains IMAP?

FM FAQ seems like a good place to start. Also, I just did a quick google search and this site came up: http://www.imap.org/ , try it, and let us know if it's any good.

Oh, and btw, Stormcrow, Congrats on becoming a "Senior Member"

.

sjk · 4 Mar 2003, 05:52 PM

A few reasons why I prefer IMAP:

IMAP supports multiple mailboxes per server account; POP3 supports one mailbox (inbox) per server account.

IMAP is bidirectional (server<->client); POP3 is primarily unidirectional (server->client).

IMAP is still evolving; POP3 is essentially static. Corollary: IMAP solutions to certain e-mail problems are more "elegant" than equivalent POP3 "hacks".

4 Mar 2003, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FMRocks
Oh, and btw, Stormcrow, Congrats on becoming a "Senior Member" .

Thanks

Quote:

Originally posted by FMRocks
FM FAQ seems like a good place to start. Also, I just did a quick google search and this site came up: http://www.imap.org/ , try it, and let us know if it's any good.

That site had some useful info, I also found this link http://www.ii.com/internet/messaging/imap/isps/ from lukask's website http://www.commonplace.net/email/

**psalzer** · 4 Mar 2003, 07:47 PM

I prefer IMAP and wouldn't change from it but there are a few instances when it's not so feasible to keep messages on the server. I do one website for a small business. It's small but they have 20 something e-mail accounts and expect to have double that by the end of this year. To them, it only makes sense to use the webhost's POP. There's no way they're going to pay for additional e-mail service for everyone. I just noticed that the webhost has now got the option of using a Horde interface as well as Neomail for checking your mail via the web which is very nice anc complete, but they're not going to want to pay for the extra space for everyone's mailboxes either. It's too bad because a number of these people would benefit from being able to manage their mail from any computer, but overall it wouldn't be cost effective for the business at this point, even though it wouldn't cost THAT much. What would be nice is if someday companies like Messagingengine partner up with good webhosts to offer an e-mail upgrade as part of a webhosting package, with a single price for a whole package up to a given number of addresses with so much total space, etc. so their users can use the web and/or IMAP. When a company is looking at something like that, they're more likely to go for it than to buy a service account by account.

shenton · 4 Mar 2003, 10:41 PM

OK folks, been watching the IMAP debate for a year or so, and have so far been satisfied with POP3. I tried IMAP with my full Fastmail a/c about a year ago, for a couple of days and found myself irritated, mainly by my inability to delete things permanently through my client (Outlook XP).

Now find it would be useful to use IMAP again, and would like some recommendations.... Firstly, as I can easily live w/o IMAP I think I will quickly become irritated, so I would like to use a client that will be intuitive!

Secondly, I need a Client where I can delete emails with one simple action.

Recommendations, please! Plus, where is there a link for the settings I need to switch my client over to IMAP?

Regards

Steve

David · 5 Mar 2003, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by shenton
OK folks, been watching the IMAP debate for a year or so, and have so far been satisfied with POP3. I tried IMAP with my full Fastmail a/c about a year ago, for a couple of days and found myself irritated, mainly by my inability to delete things permanently through my client (Outlook XP).

Now find it would be useful to use IMAP again, and would like some recommendations.... Firstly, as I can easily live w/o IMAP I think I will quickly become irritated, so I would like to use a client that will be intuitive!

Secondly, I need a Client where I can delete emails with one simple action.

Recommendations, please! Plus, where is there a link for the settings I need to switch my client over to IMAP?

Regards

Steve

Hi Steve.

I did not like using IMAP after using pop for many years. But imap grew on me after a while; I finally realized that it is very useful to have my mail and folders set up in an identical fashion on my laptop. Especially if I am out of town and need my mail with me when I am away from an internet connection. The delete/purge routine is fairly standard from what I have seen but I have only tried a few imap clients. Its an added level of safety and I think that is a good safety option; it is easy to delete mail using imap if you are not careful. You never delete mail from server (except from inbox) when you download with pop. My favourite imap client is Mulberry. But if I had to choose I would stay with the fastmail web interface which is awsome.

Their is help setting up imap clients here.

http://www.fastmail.fm/docs/faqparts...ExternalAccess

View Poll Results: Which do you prefer
pop3	31	26.05%
IMAP	88	73.95%
Voters: 119. You may not vote on this poll

4 Mar 2003, 04:47 PM	#50
Shazzer Essential Contributor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Malmö, Sweden Posts: 204	While I think IMAP is hands-down superior to POP3, I suspect a lot of people may just be more comfortable with the one they happened to use first. My first non-web-based e-mail account was provided by my employer at the time...a major university that prided itself on its use of cutting-edge technology. At that time (MANY years ago) I had the option of choosing POP3 or IMAP...and when I told the office's computer guy (affectionately known as Alpha Geek) I wanted to be able to read and respond to messages from home as well as the office he set me up with IMAP. I later had an occasion to try POP3 with an ISP I was test-driving and I hated it...my mail was never where I needed it to be! Since I'd never used POP3 before...it's limitations were painfully obvious to me. But I can also understand why someone whose e-mail usage is tailored to POP3 might be really loyal to it.

4 Mar 2003, 05:21 PM	#54
Guest Posts: n/a	Does anyone know a good website that explains how IMAP works? Is there a link on Fastmail which explains IMAP? -Stormcrow-

4 Mar 2003, 05:52 PM	#56
sjk Master of the @ Join Date: May 2002 Location: Eugene Posts: 1,975	A few reasons why I prefer IMAP: IMAP supports multiple mailboxes per server account; POP3 supports one mailbox (inbox) per server account. IMAP is bidirectional (server<->client); POP3 is primarily unidirectional (server->client). IMAP is still evolving; POP3 is essentially static. Corollary: IMAP solutions to certain e-mail problems are more "elegant" than equivalent POP3 "hacks".

4 Mar 2003, 07:47 PM	#58
psalzer Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 2,654	I prefer IMAP and wouldn't change from it but there are a few instances when it's not so feasible to keep messages on the server. I do one website for a small business. It's small but they have 20 something e-mail accounts and expect to have double that by the end of this year. To them, it only makes sense to use the webhost's POP. There's no way they're going to pay for additional e-mail service for everyone. I just noticed that the webhost has now got the option of using a Horde interface as well as Neomail for checking your mail via the web which is very nice anc complete, but they're not going to want to pay for the extra space for everyone's mailboxes either. It's too bad because a number of these people would benefit from being able to manage their mail from any computer, but overall it wouldn't be cost effective for the business at this point, even though it wouldn't cost THAT much. What would be nice is if someday companies like Messagingengine partner up with good webhosts to offer an e-mail upgrade as part of a webhosting package, with a single price for a whole package up to a given number of addresses with so much total space, etc. so their users can use the web and/or IMAP. When a company is looking at something like that, they're more likely to go for it than to buy a service account by account.

4 Mar 2003, 10:41 PM	#59
shenton Essential Contributor Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Wigan, Lancashire! Posts: 379	OK folks, been watching the IMAP debate for a year or so, and have so far been satisfied with POP3. I tried IMAP with my full Fastmail a/c about a year ago, for a couple of days and found myself irritated, mainly by my inability to delete things permanently through my client (Outlook XP). Now find it would be useful to use IMAP again, and would like some recommendations.... Firstly, as I can easily live w/o IMAP I think I will quickly become irritated, so I would like to use a client that will be intuitive! Secondly, I need a Client where I can delete emails with one simple action. Recommendations, please! Plus, where is there a link for the settings I need to switch my client over to IMAP? Regards Steve