GMail - Widget vs Sync & Many Other Questions

[VentureForth]

OK - I'm sure (because of the similar threads that popped up when I typed the subject for this one) that this is answered somewhere. But I need help.

I like the Email icon on Eclair, and know that I can compose from my contacts list and sync with multiple gmail accounts. But it was driving me crazy. It would bring in messages from months ago, and it would only show new messages on a sync - not pushed.

So I pulled up the GMail icon. Ooooo - very nice. Can access both of my gmail accounts, and the messages are pushed to my phone (very important!) BUT I cant view sent email, and I can't compose to someone from my phone's contact list - gotta put EVERY email in manually every time.

There's gotta be a simple, one stop shopping way of getting push GMail with full access to my contact list, access to sent emails without using multiple applications.

Any good answers out there?

 

[VentureForth]

OK - After playing around for a bit, I discovered that you can email via the widget from the contacts page. Very nice.

That cropped up a new problem. How do I pick which Gmail account will it send my email from?

Then I played around more. I discovered that the email account you last had open on the Gmail widget is the one from which an email is sent from your contacts list.

Now, the last problem I have is trying to figure out (without going to the web) how to see my sent folder.

Another irritation is that hyperlinks don't work on my incoming emails - like the ones that I get from androidforums.com telling me that my subscribed thread has a reply.

Any ideas?