Difference between IMAP, Push, and POP email
Friday, March 7, 2008 by Praveen
Pop is the oldest type of email protocol. Essentially, your computer contacts the server, downloads everything after authentication and stores it locally. It also marks everything as "read" and depending on your settings, deletes them.
Imap is a newer system that integrates servers and clients in a different way. Messages can be downloaded, stored and interacted with by a variety of offline clients, but everything occurs universally, (ie: if you delete it from one of the clients, it's deleted on the server as well). It's MUCH better if you have multiple devices accessing the same accounts. All the email and the various states of email are stored on the server.
PUSH is essentially IMAP4 usings the IDLE feature, where there's more constant communication with the server.The Iphone Supports pop, imap and kinda supports PUSH, but not very well.
Imap is a newer system that integrates servers and clients in a different way. Messages can be downloaded, stored and interacted with by a variety of offline clients, but everything occurs universally, (ie: if you delete it from one of the clients, it's deleted on the server as well). It's MUCH better if you have multiple devices accessing the same accounts. All the email and the various states of email are stored on the server.
PUSH is essentially IMAP4 usings the IDLE feature, where there's more constant communication with the server.The Iphone Supports pop, imap and kinda supports PUSH, but not very well.
