QUOTE | Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)
Advantages: Your messages and any changes to them stay on your server, saving local disk space. Also, you always have access to an updated mailbox, and you can get your mail from multiple locations. Performance on a modem is faster, since you initially download message headers only, and you can synchronize specific mail folders for offline use.
Disadvantages: Not all mail service provider support IMAP.
Post Office Protocol (POP3)
Advantages: Your messages are downloaded to your local computer all at once, thereby making offline reading easier. You can specify whether to keep copies of the messages on the server. Most ISPs currently support POP3.
Disadvantages: You must synchronize your local inbox with your server's mailbox. This can result in downloading new messages over and over each time you connect. If you use more than one computer, messages might reside on one or the other, but not both. POP3 doesn't work as well as IMAP over a slow link connection. Also, you can't access all mail folders from multiple locations. |
More IMAP features and advantages:
QUOTE | - Be fully compatible with Internet messaging standards, e.g. MIME. - Allow message access and management from more than one computer. - Allow access without reliance on less efficient file access protocols. - Provide support for "online", "offline", and "disconnected" access modes * - Support for concurrent access to shared mailboxes - Client software needs no knowledge about the server's file store format.
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Is XMail capable of IMAP ? Not at the moment (1.17), but it is expected for the next release!
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