Luminous

iTrader: (3)

For some strange reason the email clients I have tried recently just do not do the job for me. It would appear that although in my mind my demands are simple, nothing popular seems to fit the bill.

This is what I would like.
1) All my email stored on a remote server, this must include all mails that I send
2) All my email mirrored locally, so that it can be accessed with no net connection. Also, the local duplicate store serves as a backup.
3) I want to be able to make distribution lists
4) The ability to login to my email from a strange pc to access sent/received items.

So far, I have ruled out POP email and Outlook. POP email accounts do not store the mail you send on the server, and therefore you cannot access something that you have sent to someone from another machine. This for me is a fundamental flaw.

I therefore moved to an IMAP email provider. This seems to provide the type of account I need, but I need a client that can access it properly. Outlook is crap. It simply refuses to copy mail that I send to the sent folder of my IMAP account. I don't know why this is, but it just wont do it.

Thunderbird does copy all mails sent to the IMAP account. Thunderbird does everything that I need really quite well, apart from one thing. Its rubbish at distribution lists. In addition, I cannot make thunderbird automatically download attachments to my local drive. It only gets email headers. Therefore it is quite possible for me to think I have got all my mail, drop my net connection, and then find I cannot access an attachment from a recent email.

Anyone got any ideas to help me please?

DemonDave

iTrader: (13)

what about using microsoft exchange hosting? or does it have to be cost free?

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

It does not have to be cost free. What would that entail to have Microsoft Exchange hosting? I am just an end user, we don't have any PCs free that can be setup as a server 24/7.

Could you give me a quick idiots guide into how that would work? I am guessing you are thinking that I would revert back to MS Outlook for the email client. I currently have Outlook 2003, and its support for IMAP is poor. Unless 2007 supports IMAP in a better manner, than that means I would have to drop back to a POP mail account.

Just for an example how Outlook 2003 is poor. When you open your mail in Thunderbird, it polls the server and gets all the headers for all the subfolders within your inbox. Outlook does not get headers for subfolders until you go to read them. This means you don't even know if you have new messages that are in the subfolders unitl you go to open them. With 10 subfolders that in itself is a ball aching task to go and find out if any of your server based filters have moved things

Thunderbird will get all the headers for all the subfolders, and place a little number next to them to tell you that you have new mails inside the relevant folders. This sort of functionality just seems to be such a fundamental requirement that I am staggered Outlook 2003 does this so badly.

For reference I am using Fast Mail at the moment as a provider.

I really do appreciate anyone's considered input on this topic. Its just so important to be able to have access to all of my mail whereever I may be (including sent mail). All these web based services are great, but if you are without internet, then you are also without all of your email history.

Do you know how Outlook 2007 handles IMAP accounts?

Iain Young

I'd probably use Microsoft Exchange Hosting for this (there are plenty of providers out there - usually tied to a domain of your choice). The mail is stored on the exchange server so you can access it from anywhere. If you also use Outlook 2003/2007 you can run it in offline mode so that it will also download and synchronize the mail on your laptop (including sent folders). That way you can still read your existing mail without being connected to the network. Works very well

DemonDave

iTrader: (13)

Exchange with outlook should do what you have requested with regard to marking new emails. Exchange and outlook can be told to sync up the email with each other. Exchange is designed to be connected to access email or for example a laptop user with sync and then disconnect.

this might help a little

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ou...000671033.aspx

perhaps a bit more about your situation and need would help

ie is it a work need, is there a 24x7 requirement, how often is it connected\disconnected, can you connect from anywhere, do you need mobile or web access ..... etc etc

DemonDave

iTrader: (13)

and an example of hosting

1&1 Internet Ltd. - 1&1 Mail - 1&1 Microsoft Exchange

but it would depand on how many accounts and whether you have control of the domain

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for the link, I am off to read up on it.

My situation is this. I have a desktop machine that is always connected to the internet. I am about to have a laptop that I will roam with (all over the country). The laptop will have to have some sort of mobile 3G/GSM based web access. That access is likely to be expensive, and may not always be available depending one where I am.

So basically I would like to be able to run my email client on both machines, and seemlessly transfer to the other machine. Ideally it would be nice to be able to have the address book synced on both machines automatically.

It will be for work, access will be needed at any time during the day. To keep costs to a minimum I would only plan on accessing email on the laptop away from the network a few times per week.

This is all currently in the planning stage. I will be working with a few other people, but will be self employed. Money is tight so the budget is quite small to start with.

In addition it is always nice to be able to one of the other desktops on our network to access my mail. Again this is more in the planning stage, as currently all the desktops are in one local. Over time, it is likely that some of these will become located in an office.

I am to be able to breeze about between desktops located in two different locations and my laptop. I'd like the transition to be seemless (after syncing any changes). I don't want to be in the situation where a sent mail is only available on one machine, or an archive folder is only on a particular desktop. Same with contacts and calendar if possible.

DemonDave

iTrader: (13)

from that brief I would say that exhange is your best bet and that the team sharing elements may come in useful later ie contacts across all users. Exchange will work with two pc's both updating. Might be best to look for 2007 exchange hosting.

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

OK, thanks I will have to have a good look into it. It does seems like it is going to cost a lot more than the current options we looked into.

For example, I have a 3 user POP account hosted by bt.yahoo for only £1.50 per month. IMAP was running at about £25 per year. The link about was talking £6 pcm per person.

Still, it does sound like it will end the frustration of having duplicate emails when machines are reinstalled should messages be left on the POP server. That is something that has driven us nuts.

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

Right, this is all starting to make a little more sense now Thanks so much for all the help

I suppose the only last thing to do is ask if anyone knows of a good reliable service that is going to be around for a while?

Then I can run off and try things till we get a setup we like

Iain Young

I use Fasthosts for the last couple of years or so, and they've been very good...

Hosted Exchange - Exchange email - Web Hosting Company UK - Fasthosts

They have a free 30 day trial as well

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

after following that link, I get a link confused again. I thought an exchange server was an alternative replacement to POP and IMAP. It mentions an exchange account with POP and IMAP access Dammit, confusion has returned. Going for tea, will re-read again afterwards

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

OK, I think I get it again

This place is looking good for the price. Getting down to around the £50-60pa mark is nice. Also its 2007 and 3Gb! That is a serious amount, much more than I need, which is nice

SherWeb - Hosted Exchange

DemonDave

iTrader: (13)

doesnt look too bad.