What's the main difference between POP3 and IMAP and which one do I pick?

Question

I'm configuring Outlook for the first time. What I'm trying to do is configure Outlook so that it uses my ISP for outgoing and my school's server for incoming. I understand how to input the incoming and SMTP servers, but I don't know which option to pick for incoming - POP3 or IMAP?

Answer 1

pop3 downloads your emails from the email server to your computer and then erases them off of the email server

imap is different. the email client used for this leaves the emails on the server and views them like web pages. this is especially good for mobile devices because of their low memory capbilities.

Answer 2

POP downloads the emails to your computer, then deletes them off the server. IMAP on the other hand leaves the mail on the server.

This Message board is an example of IMAP. You can see what you have written and what people have sent you using any computer anywhere on the net. Yahoo Mail is another example.

POP downloads the messages to your computer and you would have to figure out another way to access the emails at your home computer while you are away.

I am not sure what option your school allows. You may want to try both and see if both work. Sometimes IMAP is not supported.

REF: http://www.imap.org

Answer 3

You should probebly pick IMAP.

IMAP is: Internet Message Access Protocol. A protocol allowing a client to access and manipulate electronic mail messages on a server. It permits manipulation of remote message folders (mailboxes), in a way that is functionally equivalent to local mailboxes.
IMAP includes operations for creating, deleting, and renaming mailboxes; checking for new messages; permanently removing messages; searching; and selective fetching of message attributes, texts, and portions thereof. It does not specify a means of posting mail; this function is handled by a mail transfer protocol such as SMTP.

POP3 is: Version 3 of the Post Office Protocol. POP3 is defined in RFC 1081, written in November 1988 by Marshall Rose, which is based on RFC 918 (since revised as RFC 937). POP3 allows a client computer to retrieve electronic mail from a POP3 server via a (temporary) TCP/IP or other[?] connection. It does not provide for sending mail, which is assumed to be done via SMTP or some other method.
POP is useful for computers, e.g. mobile or home computers, without a permanent network connection which therefore require a "post office" (the POP server) to hold their mail until they can retrieve it.
Although similar in form to the original POP proposed for the Internet community, POP3 is similar in spirit to the ideas investigated by the MZnet project at the University of California, Irvine, and is incompatible with earlier versions of POP.
Substantial work was done on examining POP in a PC-based environment. This work, which resulted in additional functionality in this protocol, was performed by the ACIS Networking Systems Group at Stanford University.

Answer 4

POP3 is an e-mail service that allows you to view e-mails on multiple computers rather then being able to look at it only on one. These consist of Yahoo! Mail, and others like Hotmail.

IMAP is an e-mail service that allows you to view e-mails on only one computer unlike POP3 where you can view from an unlimited amount of computers.These consist of most ISP (Internet Service Provider's) e-mail services like Verzion Online Mail, or Adelphia Mail.

It would be up yo you to decide. If you want to only be able to view from one computer then go with IMAP if you want to be able to log into your e-mail from anywhere at anytime then go with POP3. Hope this helps, Brodster