POP or IMAP?

[Buckman]

My email client is only used for personal email and not any business. However I am now looking for a new email client to replace Outlook 365 as my current subscription for MS 365 finishes in about 2 weeks. For the past 35 years I have always used POP as thought it was easier to use. My understanding is that emails remain on the email client server rather than on your computer? Is this correct? I am now using Libreoffice for Word & Excel applications instead of MS Word & Excel.

It seems that most of the email clients I am looking at are IMAP orientated, but Thunderbird accepts POP. However Thunderbird looks to be dated and not as easy to use as Outlook, but that is probably because I have Outlook ingrained into me? LOL!

Is IMAP now the way forward or is POP just as good? Thanks.

 

[JTQ]

Begs the question, "why not keep Outlook" ?
The "New Outlook" is made available for free if you don't renew MS 356.

 

[Buckman]

Begs the question, "why not keep Outlook" ?
The "New Outlook" is made available for free if you don't renew MS 356.

Thanks as that was my first thought. I have tried downloading the New Outlook previously, but it will not download for some reason. I am not sure if the subscription to 365 is preventing the download? It gets to the sign in part and then states it does not recognise my email address?

 

[otherclive]

Thanks as that was my first thought. I have tried downloading the New Outlook previously, but it will not download for some reason. I am not sure if the subscription to 365 is preventing the download? It gets to the sign in part and then states it does not recognise my email address?

I use both Google mail and Yahoo mail. Neither seem to attract junk that my Hotmail does despite filtering.

 

[Buckman]

I use both Google mail and Yahoo mail. Neither seem to attract junk that my Hotmail does despite filtering.

I have never used Hotmail so that it not an issue? I would like to carry on using Outlook if possible.

 

[JTQ]

Thanks as that was my first thought. I have tried downloading the New Outlook previously, but it will not download for some reason. I am not sure if the subscription to 365 is preventing the download? It gets to the sign in part and then states it does not recognise my email address?

Possibly but I can't readily see why it does not recognise your email, if it had with 365.
Mine simply moved over all my email account login info automatically from Outlook to New Outlook.
I have a more security focused email provider and that never was accepted by the old or new Outlook.
I would try two things; install a MS email first, hotmail, livemail etc. as Outlook seems to want you to have one to be happy, even if like me a dormant one.
Then try setting up your required email address.

 

[JTQ]

I have never used Hotmail so that it not an issue? I would like to carry on using Outlook if possible.

That could well be your problem, maybe to have New Outlook free MS require you to have one of their email addresses? As said it does not have to be used from then on.
I have as it makes dealing with MS easier not to baulk their system.

Did you not use or create one during the Welcome set up of Win 11?
I know you don't have to, but playing with a lot of this stuff, I found life with MS is easier going their preferred route.

 

[otherclive]

I have never used Hotmail so that it not an issue? I would like to carry on using Outlook if possible.

Hotmail morphed in to Outlook that’s why I mentioned it.

 

[Sam Vimes]

The problem with the new or even old free Outlook is that it will send you ADs that you don't ask for.

I still use Outlook 2019 which is non subscription and you can still buy Office 2021 which is also non subscription.

The problem with my Outlook 2019 is that it doesn't use the latest OAuth security protocol and so may not be compatible with all your email service - Outlook.com for one.

To get the latest security protocols I use Thunderbird which is good but looks different from Outlook. Its free.

In respect of POP vs IMAP. I use both.

POP doesn't really keep your email on the mail server and they are downloaded to your PC. This means they are not accessible from another machine.

IMAP is predominantly server based and thats where your emails are stored, which means you can get to them from any device. PC, phone, tablet etc.

I set my phone, laptop and tablet to use IMAP - mostly because I can travel with these. When I'm home and fire up the PC, that uses POP and will download all my emails to the PC. From that point on they are not on the email server and not available to any other device.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Hotmail.com as an email service still exists but its really been superceeded by Outlook.com

 

[otherclive]

The problem with the new or even old free Outlook is that it will send you ADs that you don't ask for.

I still use Outlook 2019 which is non subscription and you can still buy Office 2021 which is also non subscription.

The problem with my Outlook 2019 is that it doesn't use the latest OAuth security protocol and so may not be compatible with all your email service - Outlook.com for one.

To get the latest security protocols I use Thunderbird which is good but looks different from Outlook. Its free.

In respect of POP vs IMAP. I use both.

POP doesn't really keep your email on the mail server and they are downloaded to your PC. This means they are not accessible from another machine.

IMAP is predominantly server based and thats where your emails are stored, which means you can get to them from any device. PC, phone, tablet etc.

I set my phone, laptop and tablet to use IMAP - mostly because I can travel with these. When I'm home and fire up the PC, that uses POP and will download all my emails to the PC. From that point on they are not on the email server and not available to any other device.

My Hotmail POP email. are accessible on all devices via Apple mail.

 

[Sam Vimes]

My Hotmail POP email. are accessible on all devices via Apple mail.

There is often an option to store messages on the server as well when using POP but I prefer not to do that.

 

[RogerL]

I thought the whole point of email was that non-tech users didn't need to get involved with anything techy - I've used Outlook for decades and never needed to know what POP or IMAP are.

 

[Buckman]

The problem with the new or even old free Outlook is that it will send you ADs that you don't ask for.

I still use Outlook 2019 which is non subscription and you can still buy Office 2021 which is also non subscription.

The problem with my Outlook 2019 is that it doesn't use the latest OAuth security protocol and so may not be compatible with all your email service - Outlook.com for one.

To get the latest security protocols I use Thunderbird which is good but looks different from Outlook. Its free.

In respect of POP vs IMAP. I use both.

POP doesn't really keep your email on the mail server and they are downloaded to your PC. This means they are not accessible from another machine.

IMAP is predominantly server based and thats where your emails are stored, which means you can get to them from any device. PC, phone, tablet etc.

I set my phone, laptop and tablet to use IMAP - mostly because I can travel with these. When I'm home and fire up the PC, that uses POP and will download all my emails to the PC. From that point on they are not on the email server and not available to any other device.

Thanks. I do not want to access my normal email on my phone or any other device as prefer to keep it on my laptop only. If my phone gets stolen, they cannot access personal information. We do not have any banking details on our phones either.

Possibly but I can't readily see why it does not recognise your email, if it had with 365.
Mine simply moved over all my email account login info automatically from Outlook to New Outlook.
I have a more security focused email provider and that never was accepted by the old or new Outlook.
I would try two things; install a MS email first, hotmail, livemail etc. as Outlook seems to want you to have one to be happy, even if like me a dormant one.
Then try setting up your required email address.

Thanks. Although i have an account with MS for the 365 subs, as it would not recognise the email address I created an Outlook email address. Now it states that it needs to be a work account account and not a personal account? I am just going around in circles with this New Outlook.

 

[JTQ]

Why not simply create a new MS mail account just to move forward and break your endless circles, must be worth a try?

Just feel you would find Thunderbird would bring you issues that are related to it being not familiar, I use it on my various Linux machines and find no problems but its "different".

 

[Buckman]

Why not simply create a new MS mail account just to move forward and break your endless circles, must be worth a try?

Just feel you would find Thunderbird would bring you issues that are related to it being not familiar, I use it on my various Linux machines and find no problems but its "different".

I did create a new outlook account i.e. x...........@outlook.com and it tells me that I cannot used a personal account?

 

[JTQ]

I did create a new outlook account i.e. x...........@outlook.com and it tells me that I cannot used a personal account?

Novel, in that there has to be countless thousands of Outlook user having personal email accounts running on it; makes me wonder what you have, or are doing differently.

 

[Sam Vimes]

I have at least two personal accounts that work ok.

 

[Buckman]

Given up on Thunderbird as cannot export calendar from Outlook to Thunderbird. When importing contacts, it completed "All address books" and then duplicated the same in "Personal contacts list" plus.

After launching Thunderbird it automatically downloaded over 800 emails, but I had not requested or action it. I only have about 70 emails in my inbox as did a big clear out the other day? It looks like I will be paying MS for another year! 😡

 

[JTQ]

Has it actually "imported" them into your PC or merely given you a readout listing of what emails there are and access to them on the email servers you have?

Also many "deleted" emails are only transferred from your "inbox" to your "deleted" folder, where depending on what else you do they can exist for 30 or even more days. With "outlook" you need to open "deleted" folder and delete for ever to get them off the servers.

 

[otherclive]

Has it actually "imported" them into your PC or merely given you a readout listing of what emails there are and access to them on the email servers you have?

Also many "deleted" emails are only transferred from your "inbox" to your "deleted" folder, where depending on what else you do they can exist for 30 or even more days. With "outlook" you need to open "deleted" folder and delete for ever to get them off the servers.

One benefit of Outlook/Hotmail is its ability to allow me to recover old deleted emails, when I may have been too quick to hit the dustbin button.

 

[Buckman]

Has it actually "imported" them into your PC or merely given you a readout listing of what emails there are and access to them on the email servers you have?

Also many "deleted" emails are only transferred from your "inbox" to your "deleted" folder, where depending on what else you do they can exist for 30 or even more days. With "outlook" you need to open "deleted" folder and delete for ever to get them off the servers.

It imported the 800 probably off the severs as they are all within the past month. Managed to do the import Calendar for Thunderbird by ignoring the advice from the Google AI!

 

[Woodentop]

POP stores the mails on your machine and you can also set set it to auto delete at whatever timescale you want.
IMAP stores your mail on a server and updates all of your kit as it goes along. I.e. Any incoming mail is sent to all of you locations - phone, desktop, laptop, work machine etc. If you send an email it also forwards that to all of your kit, which means that whatever access you use it will be up to date with all incoming and outgoing mails.

Thunderbird might look a bit aging but it really does work and is very flexible. I have been using it for getting on for 15(?) years and had no issues using PoP3 format with auto delete set to off. This means that if I loose a mail or it has apparently never arrived I can go to may ISP's webmail (VM) and look for it there.

Point of interest, I think I saw last week that Hotmail will be the name for the new free version of Outlook - but I could be wrong!

 

[otherclive]

Quote:

Point of interest, I think I saw last week that Hotmail will be the name for the new free version of Outlook - but I could be wrong!



What goes around, comes around. I may be up to date once again with my “ hotmail.co.uk” address.

 

[cencerrita]

Gave up on Thunderbird due to problems and went back to Outlook (NOT 365). When they updated this year I had a few problems but switched back to Classic Outlook. This gets my private mail from gmail and also from my website email.
Why anyone uses paid subscription 365 I do not know as I like to have everything on my computer (power cuts / network outrages all solved). Classic this year in a great site and not even a phone signal suitable for data! If you worry about any files when away just leave a copy on one of the free back up online aps available for small qantities.