POP vs IMAP

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iMac, iPhone, iPad - I have been using POP 3 email through my own web site hosted by an ISP / Web hosting company. Some Apple tech suggested IMAP is better. Opinions or experience with both is appreciated. It's a small business so I can't afford to lose any email.
 
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With a POP email account if you download your emails to one device, then that's it, you can't download to any others. With an IMAP account you can download emails to any number of devices. There's probably more to it than that, but that's the simple explanation.
 
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iMac, iPhone, iPad - I have been using POP 3 email through my own web site hosted by an ISP / Web hosting company. Some Apple tech suggested IMAP is better. Opinions or experience with both is appreciated. It's a small business so I can't afford to lose any email.

Hi Barry... - as already suggested, POP3 is like having a mail box @ home, i.e. once the mail is delivered to your clients, then the message(s) should be deleted from your website (unless, the option to save a copy has been setup?). IMAP as already stated will allow your clients to download their messages to one or more of their devices, but the email will remain on your website (again unless there is an option once downloaded to delete the message from your server) - THUS, you have many different choices - please provide some more information as to your exact needs - IF you cannot afford to lose an email then you need a copy if using POP3 or you need to make sure that your clients cannot have their messages deleted if using IMAP. :)
 

chscag

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Not exactly true. Depends on your ISP whether or not you can re-download from a PoP account. As long as you do not choose to remove messages from the server after they're downloaded, (Mac Mail option) they can be downloaded once more to the same device. I do it all the time with GMail.
 
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Not exactly true. Depends on your ISP whether or not you can re-download from a PoP account. As long as you do not choose to remove messages from the server after they're downloaded, (Mac Mail option) they can be downloaded once more to the same device. I do it all the time with GMail.

Well Chscag - I believe that you failed to read my post carefully - in the statement quoted in bold below, the implication was that a POP3 account could be configured to save a copy on the server (but that is not always an option) - :) Dave

as already suggested, POP3 is like having a mail box @ home, i.e. once the mail is delivered to your clients, then the message(s) should be deleted from your website (unless, the option to save a copy has been setup?).
 

chscag

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Not a problem.... I wasn't responding to you. ;)
 

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