Different ways to look mail

POP3

Post Office Protocol - classic and in my opinion an endangered protocol, it is used by old classic mail programs (email clients).

• POP - to receive mail,
• SMTP - for sending messages.

I.e,

1. install the mail program (mail client),
2. set up an account,
3. connect to the Internet,
4. download all new messages,
5. disconnect from the Internet,
6. we work with the received mail.

This method was good for slow modem Internet.

IMAP

(Internet Message Access Protocol - Protocol for accessing e-mail of the Internet)
 - application-level protocol for accessing e-mail.
The difference between this protocol and POP3 is that you do not download all the letters, but only a list and only downloading the necessary letter download it.

1. install the mail program (mail client),
2. set up an account,
3. connect to the Internet,
4. download all HEADING letters (not the letters themselves),
5. upload only those messages we want.

In this case, you need a permanent connection to the Internet.

IMAP settings in gmail.com

Web interface or browser

We just go to the site of the mail service and go to your account.
It is very convenient if you have unlimited Internet. Why to install a computer mail program, let everything be to the site.
So we can look at mail from any place, would be the Internet. Moreover, to send letters all the same you need the Internet.

offline access

(Wireless access).

Externally it looks as if you go to the mail through the site, only your mail is stored in your computer, when you enter the mail, changes are simply downloaded. If you change something in the offline version, it changes and to the site (when the Internet is connected). All looks exactly the same. The advantage of this kind of mail usage makes sense, if you do not always have access to the Internet.

This option is provided by mail from Google.

Offline access - Google's knowhow, while only supports gmail.com.