IMAP/Gmail Query

Makhaira · 20 Oct 2009 at 21:58

Evening all,

I currently use Outlook connecting via POP3 to my Live mail account. This is all well and good (and most importantly, free), but it's a bit of a pain with regards to multiple workstations. To cut a long story short, I'd like to be able to access my email from either my laptop OR my desktop, and have them automatically sync with my mailbox so they are both always up to date.

I realise I have just described MS Exchange to a T, but can someone confirm please whether Outlook will do this via IMAP on a Gmail account?

Thanks in advance.

marc2003 · 20 Oct 2009 at 22:04

so you know gmail supports imap? doesn't that answer the question for you?

(it works fine just to be absolutely clear)

Makhaira · 20 Oct 2009 at 22:07

Thanks marc. My understanding of IMAP made me think there's no reason why it wouldn't keep sync across two devices, I was just unsure of the practicalities regarding the syncing, and whether it was limited to one device to the mailbox. Like I said, POP3 and Exchange all my life, I'm afraid IMAP has been the unloved child sat in the corner of my life!

rctneil · 20 Oct 2009 at 22:22

I ahve an aol email address I ahve used all my life and use IMAP to connect to it from multiple devices and it stays in sync perfeclt across all devices. If I mark something as read on one then it is marked as read on another. Also, If I wish to format my pc and start again, then I don;t have to worry about backing email up as you install your client (thunderbird in my case) and enter your details and all the email is viewed from the server!

Works great!

Skeeter · 20 Oct 2009 at 23:25

GMail in Outlook with IMAP will work fine. Ive done it with multiple PCs, and also used IMAP for other email suppliers in the same way. Its how IMAP works (keeping messages on the server, 'viewing them' though the client) as oppised to POP3 and the way it download the emails to your machine.

And you can download Google Calendar Sync to sync the Outlook Calendar to your Google Calendar, and then sync Outlook calendar with your phone, and use IMAP to setup Gmail on your phone too.