For users having problems with Mail functionality...

Question

Hello! I have been having problems with Mail functionality as well, so, I took a few steps to see if I could solve the problem on my own.
My problems were:
Mail would freeze when sending mail, or, when I pressed quit, it would freeze.
If I toggled between inboxes too much it would freeze up.
Even after trying the many techniques others offered on this board, Mail still froze up. So.. here's what I did:
1.) Turn off the auto-retrieve mail function in the preferences/general menu. Set it to a manual check. Just check it yourself every once in awhile. It may not be as convenient, but it works, trust me.
2.) Under the fonts and colors menu, set all three fonts to the SAME font (mines Century Schoolbook, but anything works) and turn off fixed-width font. Sometimes mail has a tough time decoding and working with texts, and causes it to freeze.
3.) Clean our your main inbox! Place the emails that you want to keep, but don't need to be in your inbox in a new folder on your inbox bar (mines aptly named 'Saved Messages.' That way, when you open up Mail to your default account, it doesn't have 1,000+ messages to index. Also, try to keep the inboxes from having more than 100-200 messages per. It seems to frown on any more than that.
After trying these three easy, steps, restart mail and see if things run smoother. I have had no problems since these changes, and mail runs a ton better. Plus you don't have to worry about deleting your library/mail folder anymore. Let me know if things work out so I can see if my theory is a universally proven thing. Thanks and good luck!
iMac G5 20"   Mac OS X (10.4.5)  

Answer 1

Good question. I have worked very little with IMAP other than as a testing device, so, on a daily routine I cannot say how it would function. However, I can only expect that by having the option to download all emails for offline viewing selected, you are right in it being a lag creator. Another suggestion would be, if you are running a single-computer setup, to have the account delete emails from the server after recieving them on your computer. Thus, you reduce the risk of repeat downloads or unnecessary build-up on the server end. DO NOT select this option if you run multiple computer set ups on one AppleMail account system or you will cause some discrepancies and/or data loss from system to system. Or, if you have emails redirected from a seperate server to Mail (i.e. I redirect mail from my university email account into Mail so that I don't have to go to the web-mail site to check it--> just like Gmail or Yahoo etc etc) you won't be able to check them from the web-based email system if you have the system delete them. Ok that sounded confusing. Solution: have the system remove emails from the server after a week (or any period of time, just not immediately) so that, in the off-chance you need to use the online system, you will have access, and will give you a chance to check the emails on other systems without a threat of data corruption (by corruption i mean that frustrating feeling you get when you can't find that super important email that was in your inbox just 10 seconds ago on your desktop etc.)
I will see if I can learn anything more about IMAP Ernie. Its definitley the biggest problem source for Mail, POP and .Mac being simple and functional as long as you don't play with the settings too much. As far as the issue of Offline viewing goes, try turning it off and seeing how Mail functions.
BEFORE you turn it off, however, I recommend saving all of your emails in your inbox as a text file or something so, in case the server burps and has a brain flatuence, you don't lose anything. Been there, done that, thrown the books against the wall in a frustrated rage.
My only reserve about the Offline Viewing is whether or not Mail will, when you click "recieve mail," have to re-download the emails from the server each time. If so, then it may end up taking longer and lagging more. The issue here is obviously minimizing the amount of activity between Mail and the email server without jeapordizing information on the server or multiple Mail programs on the same account. When we can find that balance, I think Mail's potential will be realized. Keep the questions coming.