iPad and accessing PN emails?

Hi All

I bought an iPad mini for SWMBO for Xmas and hit a stumbling block when helping her set up the email???

Seeing Outlook I surmised it was "MS Outlook" as used on her PC and tried to use the PN password and [email protected] (i.e the username) but now it seems it is Outlook.com that is needed................so a tad perplexed :lol:

Is it possible for her to access her PN mailbox and if so how to do it???

So, any iPad users with feedback as to what is possible and how to set it up plus any feedback as to what to do/what you have done if not possible?

TIA

over at PN Portal ~ doh! http://www.plus.net/support/email/setup/ios-setup.shtml

On the surmise all works what do I choose in regard to POP3 or IMAP??? The reason I ask is that she uses a mailbox setup on my account and that in her MS Outlook is using POP3.................so for the purposes of the iPad it seems IMAP is best but can the iPad use IMAP and other devices like the PC with it's MS Outlook use POP3 or will there be a conflict??? Or is the choice of POP3 vs IMAP device independent?

Many thanks in advance for any insights on making sure the setup is done correctly

Generally POP3 will download your email and delete from the server.
This would mean that it wouldn't exist anymore to be accessed by your other devices.

Looks like Outlook will let you leave a copy on the server however:
Link

If this is the case you could just set up the Ipad to use IMAP and make sure that Outlook is configured to leave a copy on the server when it retrieves mail.

Even better in my view would be to switch to IMAP in Outlook if possible. That way you have one email database that you can edit and access from both devices.

Much tidier. Especially if you are going to throw a smartphone into the mix as well

In reply to a post by gmoorc:

Generally POP3 will download your email and delete from the server.
This would mean that it wouldn't exist anymore to be accessed by your other devices.

Looks like Outlook will let you leave a copy on the server however:
Link

If this is the case you could just set up the Ipad to use IMAP and make sure that Outlook is configured to leave a copy on the server when it retrieves mail.

Even better in my view would be to switch to IMAP in Outlook if possible. That way you have one email database that you can edit and access from both devices.

Much tidier. Especially if you are going to throw a smartphone into the mix as well

Hi

Many thanks for the reply

I have setup all the mailboxes to leave emails on the server for a set number of days this was my way of 'insuring' against PC crashes??? But IMAP does look more bullet proof..............but I have numerous mailboxes setup and as such if/when I make them over en masse over to IMAP I would need to be sure that making changes to all of them would be as smooth as possible ideally keeping/copying the passwords etc. Also I ma not clear in such an IMAP multi mailbox setup whether the individually addressed emails are as now easily identifiable in MS Outlook based on the received address(es)???

So thinking about this current situation can individual mailboxes on the same account be either POP3 or IMAP and as such based on your feedback by making sure the "save on server" in Outlook is set for enough days such that if the iPad is configured to IMAP not POP3 that there will be no losses! And as such would creating the iPad email access convert the Outlook POP3 accessed same account into an IMAP type or leave alone but have other unforeseen consequences???

Think of your mail host as A. The bosses existing Outlook uses POP3, call it B. If you use IMAP on the iPad we'll call that C.

B can delete from A as soon as deleted, which I think is common. Or, the parameters in B can be set not to delete from A for "n" days, which is how you have wisely set it.

If you delete from B, it doesn't actually delete. It moves it to the Deleted folder. That again can be emptied in different ways, as I expect you know, but if something in that deleted folder is "deleted" from there, it is deleted from A whether or not the expiry time has been reached.

C never deletes from A on the grounds of a time limit expiring, but similarly to B it deletes from A when the item is finally deleted from C.

Only two nasties that spring to mind. If something is first downloaded (i.e. copied) to C, then completely deleted from C before being downloaded to B, it never gets to B. So can be lost. And when something is deleted from A by B, the next refresh or reread of C doesn't see it either.

Whereas if C could use POP3, then once something is downloaded a deletion on B or C, although it may delete it on A, does not affect the other downloaded version.

That gives you a number of permutations regarding the prevention of the loss of important emails. Each of us may desire a different permutation and it is hard to advise.

I'm not sure how clear that is, but it may help. The subject is a little complex. Sometimes I feel my move completely to IMAP on all clients was wise, other times I curse it.

With 2 x IMAP it is easier and more convenient to control A from either device, but the change on A is reflected to the other device which can be a mini-disaster. With 2 x POP3 it can be clunky to maintain but is safer. With 1 x POP2 and 1 x IMAP I used to get confused, as on POP3 I used to have it set to check every 10 minutes.

I'm not sure the best option isn't to use webmail to access A from the iPad.

Hi Roberto

Many thanks for the view/insight/explanation ~ phew!

This subject needs carefull thought and maybe best to stick to POP3 but before doing so (try) to find out how an iPad handles deletions??? Plus had not thought of "webmail" as an option! Hmmmm?

Obviously need it to be safe, secure and as little risk as possible or conflicts between devices accessing the same emails.

If you can get POP3 on the iPad that is safest but clunky. I only recently got an iPad and use it with IMAP, but sparingly. Mainly to read, maybe send, but not delete. IIRC I didn't find a satisfactory POP3 client, but I'm sure there will be one when the Apple eaters see this.

Another thing. That I just sort of got in a mess with.

When you say Outlook, are you referring to the posh Outlook; Outlook Express; or Outlook.com. Outlook.com is the most idiotic Microsoft naming ever - it is a rename of Hotmail . So when you meet Apps referring to Outlook, make sure which it is. An email client, or webmail/Hotmail. The latter of course doesn't have anything to do with what we are discussing.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

If you can get POP3 on the iPad that is safest but clunky. I only recently got an iPad and use it with IMAP, but sparingly. Mainly to read, maybe send, but not delete. IIRC I didn't find a satisfactory POP3 client, but I'm sure there will be one when the Apple eaters see this.

In respect or POP3 on the iPad according to a PN guide it is possible to use POP3 or IMAP and that is what got me reading/asking about best methodology. Especially bearing in mind your A, B,C scenario potentially causing issues if C using POP3 downloads an email and it is deleted on C which if it does not have default or settable controls to leave emails on the server and only(?) delete locally before the same email is viewed or kept on B?

Edit ~ the PN guide page is here http://www.plus.net/support/email/setup/ios-setup.shtml

Edited by deleted (Thu 26-Dec-13 00:36:22)

In reply to a post by Routefinder:

And as such would creating the iPad email access convert the Outlook POP3 accessed same account into an IMAP type or leave alone but have other unforeseen consequences???

POP3 and IMAP are merely alternate transfer protocols for downloading emails from the the same email server. Using them does not affect the email server at all. Think of it as choosing to take a bus or underground from Victoria Station to Paddington Station. Whichever you chose, both stations remain standing as they have for over 100 years .

Not all email servers provide IMAP access, so your various mailboxes may or may not be accessed by both POP3 or IMAP depending on what protocols the email servers offer.

I would prefer using the iPad's email client than using Webmail. It is probably cleanest to consider the PC's access as the master holding the emails you want to keep for some time and use the iPad just to read the latest emails, discarding those that are of no further interest and holding off deleting the important ones until the PC has had a chance to read them. (or vica versa but the PC has more storage?).