Gmail: Looking for a desktop version

[wreckedcarzz]

Hi everybody,

A couple of days ago we got some mail saying that our TV/phone/ISP is changing our internet and TV service - we will get 7MBPS instead of 3, but they are changing the email addresses from @qwest.net to @q.com - apparently some Microsoft hosted thing. My dad and I are annoyed at the forced change, however I have chosen to use my Google account and long-dormant Gmail email to be my new main address.

Problem is, I am used to the old POP3 system - open up your email app of choice, wait for incoming messages, wait for outgoing messages, read 4 messages, delete 67 spam messages, and be done. I have used the account gradually over the last 2 days (home sick) and I like how it works and how it looks, but I *really* need a desktop application version of it. Does Google offer anything like that yet, or will I have to make a small program to do it for me?

Also, I have heard that Gmail is supposed to be really powerful and all - I've messed with the options, it used to forward the occasional email to my main address, but I'm curious what it can do. I'm not a fan of Google's software, but I'm willing to try

[Deozaan]

You can forward all your Gmail to your pop3 account or just download it all via pop3. It's in the settings menu and there have been discussions about it here in the past warning to use this method to backup your e-mail due to Gmail accounts mysteriously disappearing.

[Deozaan]

Here's one of the previous discussions that I mentioned:

Downloading your Gmail Account

[wreckedcarzz]

But I am going the opposite way - leaving POP3 and going to Gmail. That's (Gmail -> POP3) what I used to do - now I am using it as my primary email.

*Reading linked topic now*

[4wd]

But I am going the opposite way - leaving POP3 and going to Gmail. That's (Gmail -> POP3) what I used to do - now I am using it as my primary email.

-wreckedcarzz (December 01, 2008, 08:48 PM)

Why not turn on GMail's IMAP and use your email app of choice, (assuming it supports IMAP) ?

Personally, I can't think of something more annoying than not being able to read your email offline.  Assuming you always have an internet connection to access your old emails is just plain silly.

I have 6 GMail accounts and for 5 of them I use Thunderbird to download all emails via POP3, the last is used to register on crap sites and I use Thunderbird in IMAP mode for it because I'm not concerned about saving anything from it.

[city_zen]

Personally, I can't think of something more annoying than not being able to read your email offline.  Assuming you always have an internet connection to access your old emails is just plain silly.

-4wd (December 01, 2008, 09:47 PM)

I agree 100%

wreckedcarzz, as 4wd said, you can keep using the same POP3 system with GMail if you want to. No need to change anything and you can keep using the same email app. See: GMail Help - Enabling POP for instructions
Essentially it's:
1) Enable POP3 in your GMail account
2) Set up your email program to use GMail as POP and SMTP server
3) Enjoy! 

[wreckedcarzz]

I was kind of hoping Google would have their own client (I like my Shiny theme ), but I'm more than happy to use Thunderbird for it - I'm getting tired of using Windows Live Mail anyways. Should have stayed with TB in the first place.

[Shades]

Deozaan and all the others are right, just use your normal email client software, but configure it to use the Gmail servers (POP3 & SMTP) so you put your ISP's mail server 'out of business'.

Sorry for shooting under your wing, wreckedcarzz...but can anybody explain me how it is possible that POP3 messages from Gmail are not downloaded by Thunderbird (version 2.x+)?

Logging in using my TB goes ok, Gmail also responds by showing me the amount of new messages in its balloon and I know that my configuration is set to download messages. It even initializes the connection for the download to commence and but it never finishes downloading the first message.

Already tried starting with an completely empty gmail inbox and putting in a new message using one other mail account, but the same thing keeps happening.

Other mail clients can retrieve the messages from there, but I don't want to use anything else than TB.
<rant>
Do not mention Outlook in any incarnation as an alternative, because it is something to despise. How anyone can work efficiently with that software is beyond me. Communicating with the MAPI/CAPI implementation from Outlook (mail and crypto) is just as painful as dropping a 3-pound hammer on the same little toe...five times in a row!). The amount of misinformation that is fed to you at MSDN is unbelievable. Those guys should start a spy school or something.

What I think is that the developers of Outlook are not allowed to use C++, but that company policy dictates the use of Voodoo++
</rant>

[wreckedcarzz]

Actually I have Thunderbird (Portable Edition, via PortableApps.com) downloading my Gmail now via POP3 - no issues. You enabled POP3 for all messages and disabled IMAP, right?

[SKA]

Maybe offtopic but a new "gmail on desktop" gadget released a day ago :

http://desktop.googl...s/i/gmailgadget.html

SKA

[4wd]

Actually I have Thunderbird (Portable Edition, via PortableApps.com) downloading my Gmail now via POP3 - no issues. You enabled POP3 for all messages and disabled IMAP, right?

-wreckedcarzz (December 02, 2008, 09:40 PM)

I also use Portable Thunderbird, (currently 2.0.0.17 - I should update), with no issues.  You can have both POP3 and IMAP enabled in GMail, it won't cause a problem - well it hasn't yet for me.

I have one account that's set for both, in Thunderbird I have two accounts for it, a POP3 and an IMAP.  The POP3 is not set to automatically check and download but will do it manually.  This is a hangover from when I was trialing IMAP, I've since found I prefer POP3 so one of these days I'll get around to deleting that particular IMAP account out of Thunderbird........no hurry.......

Thinking back, I do recall encountering a problem like yours Shades.  My sister was having the same problem with Thunderbird and her new GMail account, it would connect OK, show there were messages but wouldn't download them.

No matter what settings we tried in Thunderbird it just wouldn't do it, tried deleting and creating the account - it only worked after uninstalling and reinstalling Thunderbird and then setting up the account from scratch again.

[wreckedcarzz]

I also use Portable Thunderbird, (currently 2.0.0.17 - I should update)...

-4wd (December 02, 2008, 10:36 PM)

A bit off-topic, but the beta (in development) PortableApps Updater helps immensely ...
</off topic>

I second the thought that it might be some weird configuration setting that got messed up, so a reinstall would probably be the best route.

[Carol Haynes]

Sorry for shooting under your wing, wreckedcarzz...but can anybody explain me how it is possible that POP3 messages from Gmail are not downloaded by Thunderbird (version 2.x+)?

-Shades (December 02, 2008, 09:07 PM)

Have you checked you have changed to the right ports and security settings? GMail doesn't send mail to POP3 at the normal ports etc.

See: http://mail.google.c...ail&answer=12103

[4wd]

I also use Portable Thunderbird, (currently 2.0.0.17 - I should update)...

-4wd (December 02, 2008, 10:36 PM)

A bit off-topic, but the beta (in development) PortableApps Updater helps immensely ...
</off topic>

-wreckedcarzz (December 03, 2008, 12:20 AM)

I prefer to download the latest version, extract somewhere else, copy my data into the relevant directory and then see if it works for a week before I delete the old version - rather than a straight new for old replacement.

[f0dder]

1) iirc GMail supports IMAP, which rocks compared to POP3.
2) see this thread - imho doesn't only apply to ISPs, but also other services... like gmail. Go buy your own domain+hosting, it's cheap.