IMAP and never look back

49 Comments
by on July 30, 2008  •  Permalink
Posted in Marketing.fm, Software, Technology

In part of my posting about the importance of backups and restoring my own machine I have come across a few tips, some obvious, that I wanted to share. I now use IMAP for all my email addresses and server settings on email clients. I do not think I could handle moving back to POP3. I made this changeover about 8 months ago and was reminded of it recently when I had to reinstall Thunderbird this week (my email client).

Why is it better than POP3?

When using POP3, clients typically connect to the e-mail server briefly, only as long as it takes to download new messages. When using IMAP4, clients often stay connected as long as the user interface is active and download message content on demand. For users with many or large messages, this IMAP4 usage pattern can result in faster response times.

Now I just wish Gmail had support for IMAP. Routing emails through gmail is great – except when you have an address that does not get a lot of email the gmail system checks less frequently. I know this system of checks works well for spidering SERPS but I think it is a poor practice in use with email. I find myself going into the account settings and demanding a email check quite often. I wish there was a way to tell gmail to “check every 60 seconds” or something similar like most mail clients. The alternative of course would be to support IMAP ;)

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Posted by Eric Friedman on July 30, 2008

http://www.ericgfriedman.com/2008/07/30/imap-and-never-look-back/

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  • http://www.razorshine.com Riaz Kanani

    Hey Eric – am I missing something or does gmail not already support IMAP?

    http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl…

  • http://www.riazkanani.com Riaz Kanani

    Hey Eric – am I missing something or does gmail not already support IMAP?

    http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl…

  • Bjorn

    Gmail already supports IMAP — I use it all the time; on my PC, Mac, and iPhone.

    Go to Settings (upper right corner), click Forwarding and POP/IMAP (tab #5 in the settings pane) and then enable IMAP in the bottom.

  • Bjorn

    Gmail already supports IMAP — I use it all the time; on my PC, Mac, and iPhone.

    Go to Settings (upper right corner), click Forwarding and POP/IMAP (tab #5 in the settings pane) and then enable IMAP in the bottom.

  • http://www.riazkanani.com Riaz Kanani

    Hey Eric – am I missing something or does gmail not already support IMAP?

    http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl…

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    You are correct in that IMAP works for OUTGOING gmail – but it has no
    support for INCOMING mail. Gmail goes out and “checks” for new mail ever
    10,20,30, or 40 minutes depending on how much mail traffic I get. The more
    frequent the mail, the more freuquent the checks. Outbound is great – but I
    want to check all my email online :)

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    You are correct in that IMAP works for OUTGOING gmail – but it has no
    support for INCOMING mail. Gmail goes out and “checks” for new mail ever
    10,20,30, or 40 minutes depending on how much mail traffic I get. The more
    frequent the mail, the more freuquent the checks. Outbound is great – but I
    want to check all my email online :)

  • http://www.razorshine.com Riaz Kanani

    Figured I missed something there ;) I want the sameor at least “push gmail” – especially with support on the iphone <grins>

  • http://www.riazkanani.com Riaz Kanani

    Figured I missed something there ;) I want the sameor at least “push gmail” – especially with support on the iphone <grins>

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    That would be a great feature. I hope they are working on something and
    hopefully read posts and comments like these.

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    That would be a great feature. I hope they are working on something and
    hopefully read posts and comments like these.

  • Bjorn

    Gmail already supports IMAP — I use it all the time; on my PC, Mac, and iPhone.

    Go to Settings (upper right corner), click Forwarding and POP/IMAP (tab #5 in the settings pane) and then enable IMAP in the bottom.

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    It certainly does. Unfortunately it does not support IMAP INCOMING emails.

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    It certainly does. Unfortunately it does not support IMAP INCOMING emails.

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    You are correct in that IMAP works for OUTGOING gmail – but it has no
    support for INCOMING mail. Gmail goes out and “checks” for new mail ever
    10,20,30, or 40 minutes depending on how much mail traffic I get. The more
    frequent the mail, the more freuquent the checks. Outbound is great – but I
    want to check all my email online :)

  • http://www.riazkanani.com Riaz Kanani

    Figured I missed something there ;) I want the sameor at least “push gmail” – especially with support on the iphone <grins>

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    That would be a great feature. I hope they are working on something and
    hopefully read posts and comments like these.

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    It certainly does. Unfortunately it does not support IMAP INCOMING emails.

  • sympatica

    I agree, IMAP is critical. Also important is secure IMAP and SMTP, if you work from public wifi like I often do… and for that matter, being able to send/receive large attachments. You wrote about Zimbra Desktop recently, we've been using Zimbra server which provides all that, plus shared/delegated calendars, contacts, etc… how did we live with POP, much less without syncing our iPhones over-the-air?

  • sympatica

    I agree, IMAP is critical. Also important is secure IMAP and SMTP, if you work from public wifi like I often do… and for that matter, being able to send/receive large attachments. You wrote about Zimbra Desktop recently, we've been using Zimbra server which provides all that, plus shared/delegated calendars, contacts, etc… how did we live with POP, much less without syncing our iPhones over-the-air?

  • sympatica

    I agree, IMAP is critical. Also important is secure IMAP and SMTP, if you work from public wifi like I often do… and for that matter, being able to send/receive large attachments. You wrote about Zimbra Desktop recently, we've been using Zimbra server which provides all that, plus shared/delegated calendars, contacts, etc… how did we live with POP, much less without syncing our iPhones over-the-air?

  • http://qtp.blogspot.com Sachin

    Clear cut distinction between the two ..love that

  • http://multiple-choice-questions.blogspot.com/ sachxn

    Clear cut distinction between the two ..love that

  • http://multiple-choice-questions.blogspot.com/ sachxn

    Clear cut distinction between the two ..love that

  • http://www.marketing.fm Lee

    Do you ever find that IMAP times out annoyingly often? Gmail with POP3 is especially annoying given the conversation layout that they have. For a while, I was receiving a cabon copy of every reply I sent automatically (w/out bcc'ng).

  • http://www.marketing.fm Lee

    Do you ever find that IMAP times out annoyingly often? Gmail with POP3 is especially annoying given the conversation layout that they have. For a while, I was receiving a cabon copy of every reply I sent automatically (w/out bcc'ng).

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    I agree and I am not sure how we lived without them.

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    I agree and I am not sure how we lived without them.

  • http://www.marketing.fm Lee

    Do you ever find that IMAP times out annoyingly often? Gmail with POP3 is especially annoying given the conversation layout that they have. For a while, I was receiving a cabon copy of every reply I sent automatically (w/out bcc'ng).

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    Yes, but I find that its faster than POP3. You can turn off the CC of every reply (if you are talking about on your blackberry) by setting up a filter to not capture emails SENT by you in your carrier login screen. Its a pain to setup but saves all those CC duplicate emails.

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    Yes, but I find that its faster than POP3. You can turn off the CC of every reply (if you are talking about on your blackberry) by setting up a filter to not capture emails SENT by you in your carrier login screen. Its a pain to setup but saves all those CC duplicate emails.

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    I agree and I am not sure how we lived without them.

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    Yes, but I find that its faster than POP3. You can turn off the CC of every reply (if you are talking about on your blackberry) by setting up a filter to not capture emails SENT by you in your carrier login screen. Its a pain to setup but saves all those CC duplicate emails.

  • http://www.sheshagirirao.com/blog/ Shesh

    Gmail does support IMAP. Check out http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl…

  • http://www.sheshagirirao.com/blog/ Shesh

    Gmail does support IMAP. Check out http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl…

  • http://www.sheshagirirao.com/blog/ Shesh

    Gmail does support IMAP. Check out http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl…

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    True. But this is IMAP for Gmail outside Gmail. I want IMAP inside Gmail -
    so I can view other email addresses in real time.

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    True. But this is IMAP for Gmail outside Gmail. I want IMAP inside Gmail -
    so I can view other email addresses in real time.

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    True. But this is IMAP for Gmail outside Gmail. I want IMAP inside Gmail -
    so I can view other email addresses in real time.

  • http://www.johnjones.me.uk johnjones

    GMail does infact have a IMAP option you have to enable it

    regards

    John Jones
    http://www.johnjones.me.uk

  • http://www.johnjones.me.uk johnjones

    GMail does infact have a IMAP option you have to enable it

    regards

    John Jones
    http://www.johnjones.me.uk

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    John,

    What I want is gmail to have IMAP support within it for other email addresses. As you can see from the discussion thread I am not referring to external IMAP support. That is built in now and active. Checking other emails via gmail is slowed by the fact that you cannot control the frequency of new email checks.

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    John,

    What I want is gmail to have IMAP support within it for other email addresses. As you can see from the discussion thread I am not referring to external IMAP support. That is built in now and active. Checking other emails via gmail is slowed by the fact that you cannot control the frequency of new email checks.

  • http://www.johnjones.me.uk johnjones

    GMail does infact have a IMAP option you have to enable it

    regards

    John Jones
    http://www.johnjones.me.uk

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    John,

    What I want is gmail to have IMAP support within it for other email addresses. As you can see from the discussion thread I am not referring to external IMAP support. That is built in now and active. Checking other emails via gmail is slowed by the fact that you cannot control the frequency of new email checks.

  • http://www.johnjones.me.uk johnjones

    GMail does infact have a IMAP option you have to enable it

    regards

    John Jones
    http://www.johnjones.me.uk

  • http://www.marketing.fm EricFriedman

    John,

    What I want is gmail to have IMAP support within it for other email addresses. As you can see from the discussion thread I am not referring to external IMAP support. That is built in now and active. Checking other emails via gmail is slowed by the fact that you cannot control the frequency of new email checks.

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