Mail Slow, re-downloading messages

Mail has worked very well for me for quite some time---but over the last week or so I've been having a lot of problems.
Symptoms:
When I open mail I typically see only messages that came in 2 or 10 or 24 hours ago. Very slowly more recent messages will start to show up.
Often it will take a long time for the contents of a message to download when I open a message.
Sometimes all my mail for two or three months will disappear, then slowly come back.
The Mail Activity window usually shows messages downloading, often stalled.
The symptoms are similar for both machines. I've used the MacBook on different ISPs with similar symptoms.
Here's the setup:
I have a Mini and a MacBook, both running 10.5.2.
I use Sync for Mail rules, signatures, smart mailboxes--but not for the accounts themselves.
I have four email accounts---three POP accounts and a Gmail account I have set up as an IMAP account.
The POP accounts all forward to the Gmail account.
The IMAP account is the only one setup to check messages automatically. The others are only there so I can send using those account details.
Mail is set to download messages for offline viewing.
I have tried: repairing permissions, deleting mail preferences, adding DNS settings and doing an archive and install on the MacBook. Nothing has worked.
Any ideas?

I think I've figured out the problem, but haven't solved it. Gmail has a problem that will cause both the client AND web based mail to slow down dramatically if you are using an IMAP client. I have been using Apple mail to check my IMAP mail at Gmail---and that's the problem. If first developed in mid February and you can read all about it here:
http://groups.google.com/group/Gmail-Help-sending-and-receiving/browse_thread/th read/735cfc21752d2036/8251caceca093903
Message was edited by: Willy Ritch-Smith

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Mail is not downloading messages from two accounts but the messages are in the server.

Hello, I'm having this problem. Mail is not downloading messages from two accounts. I don't know why but there're two accounts working so bad. If I click with the right button on the account and click to see the account details, I can see the messages on the server but not in inbox. I made a sync with this account and my iphone and then the iphone downlad the messages with out problems. Not my imac at work or my imac at home... what can be wrong?
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For Gmail, this is normal, there is nothing you can do about it -- just type Mail AND Gmail in the search box to see threads discussing how Gmail works.
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4 Message 0x00007fff825f1f93 -[EWSRequestOperation executeOperation] + 60
5 Message 0x00007fff8269f347 -[MonitoredOperation main] + 229
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[email protected]
Something to try.
Quit Mail first and using the Finder go to Home >
Library > Mail > this POP account named folder (named
by the user name and incoming mail server for the
account) > MessageUidsAlreadyDownloaded.
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empty the Trash.
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Try AttachedIn to send large attachments!
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Message was edited by: Nick Syrett

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I have an iMac, running x10.5. My email is very slow, even opening a previously downloaded message. The computer is otherwise fast. What gives?

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Scroll to Mail folder.
Select the V2 > MailData folder.
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1. Quit Mail.
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Mail Slow, re-downloading messages

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