Email on Android - new user

[alect]

I have just moved over from a Blackberry to an HTC Desire.

So one of the primary things I am trying to figure out is email.

What I am used to on Blackberry:

• email comes instantly to my blackberry
• I read the email and either leave it or delete it (or reply)
• If I leave it it stays on my email server and when I get home and download my email it's there- if I delete it, then it's deleted and when I get home I don't have to deal with it when I download my email
• if I delete email using my home/desktop then it is also deleted off my blackberry inbox (in time once it syncs)

So I guess this sort of synching is not possible with gmail or pop email?

I set up the gmail pop3 fetcher, but when I read or delete emails in gmail it isn't reflected back on my mail server account.

I also tried setting up the Mail app on the handset - and it pulls my mail from my mail server fine, but whatever I do to the email is not reflected back on my mail server.

So is there a way to achieve what I want to do - ie when I deal with an email (either on the handset or my desktop/laptop) it flows through and is reflected on the other so I don't have to deal with the email again a second time on the other device?

I guess I could set up my email to IMAP and use the mail client and K-9? Or do I keep the gmail pop fetcher and change my desktop/laptop to downdload mail from gmail instead of my mail server?

 

[lexluthor]

I think you'd be much happier just using IMAP. The default mail app doesn't support IMAP? K9 certain does and will do all of the above that you listed.

 

[alect]

I think you'd be much happier just using IMAP. The default mail app doesn't support IMAP? K9 certain does and will do all of the above that you listed.

DOes gmail support IMAP - ie can it be run as an IMAP server version? I also assume I can confine my inbox to being sync'd via IMAP and not all of the other folders I have in my laptop email client already?

 

[lexluthor]

Yes, gmail has supported IMAP for quite a while. With K9, yes, you can choose to only sync your inbox. That's what I did.

I had the Incredible and am now waiting for an X. The Incredible's gmail app adhered more to the whole labels type thing that gmail does, but K9 (and I think the HTC Mail app) treats the labels more like folders. I prefer the later, but try both and see. Should be pretty easy to set up.

You definitely want to start using IMAP.

 

[alect]

Ok I have set up gmail as IMAP and it's fetching the POP mail from my server.

everything seems to be working fine except one thing - when I retriend my IMAP mail in my laptop client (Outlook) from gmail I get the email but a copy of it is not retained on gmail (at least not in the Inbox).

I have even specified in the outlook account settings for gmail to keep copies of email on server when retrieving - but this hasn't made a difference.

Any ideas how I can make this happen - I want to be able to retrieve IMAP mail from gmail using outlook but also leaving a copy of that email in the gmail inbox in case I have to access it from the web (away from my laptop). When I delete the email in my outlook client, I then also want that email deleted from the gmail Inbox.