Activesync and POP3

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Forgive me but I am new to all this (had an iPAQ 2210 for just a week, my first PDA). Using my CF modem I can get mail on the iPAQ to the POP3 account, and I can aso happily sync my Activesync account with my PC. Question: how can I get a mail received in the POP3 account on the iPAQ to sync with the Inbox on my PC? Outlook on my PC and the POP3 account on the iPAQ are both accessing the same e-mail account, but how can I sync them? As I said, the Activesync account synchronises just fine, so mail on my PC is transferred to my iPAQ but if I receive new mail via POP3 on the iPAQ I can’t seem to get it back to my PC Inbox.

With the POP3 account open, using “manage folders” brings up a screen which says I can select folders for synchronization (i.e. I want the POP3 Inbox) but nothing happens when I select it. I’m sure the answer is smack-in-the-mouth obvious, but it’s defeated me thus far! It’s fun being a newbie

FYI, Outlook 2002 on the PC, Windows Mobile 2003 and Activesync 3.7 on the iPAQ. Synching through the cradle. Btw, I love the H2210!!

Many thanks in advance.

Bill

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Hi Bill,
I’m also fairly new with PDAs so you are not alone. I’m not sure that many loungers view this particular forum so it might be worth your while posting a modified question in the Outlook forum where there are plenty of expert loungers. I can’t help with a direct answer to your question of synching with the desktop Inbox, but I can offer a quick alternative that I use every day (recommended by Davey Wynder of PC PRO magazine in the UK). It’s a webmail service designed to run on PDAs with small screens and Pocket IE.
Have a look at this: http://mail2pda.com/%5B/url%5D. Hope I’ve used the right tags!
If you like the idea, then just add the link to your Pocket IE favourites and away you go. I’ve been using it for a few weeks and have had no problems with security issues re my password nor any sudden spam. As with other webmail services it is useful for scanning how much mail you have without having necessarily to read it there and then, safe in the knowledge that any nasty virus in an email can’t infect your PDA – until the script kiddies start attacking Pocket PC2002/2003. (BTW I guess this might already be happening as ‘Mickey Macafee Mouse’ has a ‘product’ for PocketPC on the market but I haven’t seen anything from Symantec yet).
FYI, I’m using an Axim X5 with PC2002, OL2000 and ASv3.5 and about to install the upgrade to WM2003, OL2002 and ASv3.7. What do you think of version 3.7 – presumably your iPAQ came with that already installed or are you very quick with upgrades?

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Hi Tony,

I was a bit concerned that this forum may be a bit quiet but decided to try anyway since I’m a huge fan of everything Woody does (well, he bought me a coffee once in Phuket. Nice guy). But yes, I’ll try the Outlook forum as well.

I already have access to webmail through my ISP (Thames Global) and have started using that with the PDA – but the site isn’t too PDA friendly. I’ll take a look at the one you suggest, thanks. If wavey Davey Wynder has recommended it then it can’t be rubbish!

The iPAQ came with WM2003 and Activesync 3.7 and since it’s my first PDA I can’t really comment on what 3.7 brings that 3.5 doesn’t. Having said that, apart from the problem in my question (which has just got to be a common requirement!!!) 3.7 works very well for me. It’s quick and I’ve not seen a synch problem with it yet (given that I can’t yet manage to synch my POP3 account on the iPAQ!).

Thanks for the response

Bill Casey

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I have never found a way to tell Pocket PC that my IMAP4 mail was the same as the Inbox on my PC. I think it can’t be done.

StuartR

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Hi Stuart and thanks for the response,

That doesn’t sound too hopeful then. I would have thought that this a seriously common requirement, receiving mail via the PDA and wanting it synched with the PC Inbox. I will be astonished if this is not possible somehow but, being new to the PDA game, I’m on new territory here. I would have thought that one would have the ability to perhaps move a mail from the POP3 or IMAP folder to the Activesync folder, or perhaps tell Activesync which folders you want to synch. Surely I’m not the only person on the planet to have this requirement!!!

Regards

Bill Casey

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Replying to myself for once, bit scary but what the hell… I have now found a couple of workarounds for my prob which are a bit convoluted, but they do work.

Firstly, by setting Outlook on my PC to leave a copy of new messages on the server, I can download them to the iPAQ and subsequently also download them to the PC. I’ve tested this and it seems to work ok.

Secondly, if I send a reply direct from the iPAQ using the POP3 account, I can subsequently go to the “sent” folder of the POP3 account and forward the reply to myself – but changing the account to Activesyn before hitting send. That way it syncs to the Outbox on the PC, but I can move it to “sent”.

Like I said, a bit convoluted, but they do work!

Bill

Reply | Quote

Replying to myself for once, bit scary but what the hell… I have now found a couple of workarounds for my prob which are a bit convoluted, but they do work.

Firstly, by setting Outlook on my PC to leave a copy of new messages on the server, I can download them to the iPAQ and subsequently also download them to the PC. I’ve tested this and it seems to work ok.

Secondly, if I send a reply direct from the iPAQ using the POP3 account, I can subsequently go to the “sent” folder of the POP3 account and forward the reply to myself – but changing the account to Activesyn before hitting send. That way it syncs to the Outbox on the PC, but I can move it to “sent”.

Like I said, a bit convoluted, but they do work!

Bill

Reply | Quote

Hi Stuart and thanks for the response,

That doesn’t sound too hopeful then. I would have thought that this a seriously common requirement, receiving mail via the PDA and wanting it synched with the PC Inbox. I will be astonished if this is not possible somehow but, being new to the PDA game, I’m on new territory here. I would have thought that one would have the ability to perhaps move a mail from the POP3 or IMAP folder to the Activesync folder, or perhaps tell Activesync which folders you want to synch. Surely I’m not the only person on the planet to have this requirement!!!

Regards

Bill Casey

Reply | Quote

I have never found a way to tell Pocket PC that my IMAP4 mail was the same as the Inbox on my PC. I think it can’t be done.

StuartR

Reply | Quote

Hi Tony,

I was a bit concerned that this forum may be a bit quiet but decided to try anyway since I’m a huge fan of everything Woody does (well, he bought me a coffee once in Phuket. Nice guy). But yes, I’ll try the Outlook forum as well.

I already have access to webmail through my ISP (Thames Global) and have started using that with the PDA – but the site isn’t too PDA friendly. I’ll take a look at the one you suggest, thanks. If wavey Davey Wynder has recommended it then it can’t be rubbish!

The iPAQ came with WM2003 and Activesync 3.7 and since it’s my first PDA I can’t really comment on what 3.7 brings that 3.5 doesn’t. Having said that, apart from the problem in my question (which has just got to be a common requirement!!!) 3.7 works very well for me. It’s quick and I’ve not seen a synch problem with it yet (given that I can’t yet manage to synch my POP3 account on the iPAQ!).

Thanks for the response

Bill Casey

Reply | Quote

Hi Bill,
I’m also fairly new with PDAs so you are not alone. I’m not sure that many loungers view this particular forum so it might be worth your while posting a modified question in the Outlook forum where there are plenty of expert loungers. I can’t help with a direct answer to your question of synching with the desktop Inbox, but I can offer a quick alternative that I use every day (recommended by Davey Wynder of PC PRO magazine in the UK). It’s a webmail service designed to run on PDAs with small screens and Pocket IE.
Have a look at this: http://mail2pda.com/%5B/url%5D. Hope I’ve used the right tags!
If you like the idea, then just add the link to your Pocket IE favourites and away you go. I’ve been using it for a few weeks and have had no problems with security issues re my password nor any sudden spam. As with other webmail services it is useful for scanning how much mail you have without having necessarily to read it there and then, safe in the knowledge that any nasty virus in an email can’t infect your PDA – until the script kiddies start attacking Pocket PC2002/2003. (BTW I guess this might already be happening as ‘Mickey Macafee Mouse’ has a ‘product’ for PocketPC on the market but I haven’t seen anything from Symantec yet).
FYI, I’m using an Axim X5 with PC2002, OL2000 and ASv3.5 and about to install the upgrade to WM2003, OL2002 and ASv3.7. What do you think of version 3.7 – presumably your iPAQ came with that already installed or are you very quick with upgrades?

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