email program suggestion

I am using the native Mac email program.
While I'm happy with it, it's starting to give me problems.

Any good suggestions on a program that will log into my internet account, retrieve my mail and save it to my hard drive.
I would also like a good way to archice the mail I decide to save.

Cheers,
Wayne

I am using the Mail application as well and really like it. What's what you don't like/gives you problems?

It goes into a "writing changes to disc" mode

It goes into a "writing changes to disc" mode and will sometimes take minutes to delete an email.
I posted a request for help regarding this on this site with no results.

Reading a few emails can now take minutes just to cycle.

Cheers,
Wayne

wow, sorry to hear that it's so slow. what are your specs?

I didn't even had any problems with my iBook before I got the MBP. and I had a huuuuuge mail folder, sent big pictures, aso...

Specs

G4 MD 2 Gigs Memory 500Gig HD

The mail problem is recent and sudden.

Cheers

Are you by any chance running that add on Spam filter called JunkMatcher are you? My Mail all of a sudden did exactly what yours is doing and it was Junkmatcher slowing down the whole Mail application. It worked great for over a year than bam. Other than that Mail has never given me a bit of trouble.

Also try both these URL's.

http://danwarne.com/is-apple-mail-running-slow-speed-it-up/

http://help.sps.lane.edu/quickTips/pdfDocs/Mail_folder_sort.pdf