The Skinny on IMAP vs POP Email and work arounds

Question

     It took me a while to figure out email so I figured I'd share what I've learned so far.  Do feel free to reply with more useful tips for us all if anyone has some.
First email accounts are either IMAP or POP and the first step was figuring out the difference:
IMAP
   Mirror of the server
What is done one place is done everywhere because you are looking at the server.
       Advantage: can access email from multiple devices/locations
       Disadvantage: May have to mark as read individually when adding to a new device
POP
   Independent of the server
What is done one place stays that place because you have moved it from the server.
        Advantage: once it's delivered the mail can be viewed offline
        Disadvantage: where ever it is delivered once, the other divices do no have access to the mail
Think of the server as a huge mailbox as big as a room!
   IMAP
With IMAP the mail stays in the mailbox until you delete it permenently,
    but once it is deleted it has moved out of the main part of the huge mailbox into the trash can in the room of the huge mailbox (the trash folder settings decide when the trash gets taken out and deleted permenently) when deleted permenently it is no longer in the trash can in the huge mailbox it has been taken out the the dump.
If you read it then it's like opening the mail but leaving it in the huge mailbox.
If you move it to another folder then it's like moving it to the desk in the room but still in the mailbox.
   POP
With POP the mail is taken out of the mailbox and moved to the computer (in the other room)
Once you request/download your mail it is taken off of the server and whatever is done with the mail the server no longer has access to it
If you read it (or move it to a folder) it is the same thing as Mom taking the mail out of the huge mailbox and putting it in the car, if Dad checks the mailbox the mail may have been delivered by Dad is not going to find it because it is no longer in the mailbox it is with Mom in the car.
Here a link that helped me figure it out:
http://www.office.mvps.org/glossary/pop_imap.html
So after you decide wether you want to use IMAP or POP which email carrier is which?
Microsoft Exchange is IMAP
MobileMe is IMAP
Yahoo! mail is IMAP
Hotmail is IMAP
Gmail is IMAP can be set up as POP
     see here for that:  https://discussions.apple.com/message/8149520#8149520
~Most web-based email is IMAP (if it is designed to be accessed via the web by ANY computer it's likely IMAP)
     settings for incomming/outgoing servers:   http://www.emailaddressmanager.com/tips/mail-settings.html
AOL is POP can be set up as IMAP (origanally intended to be used with only one computer via the ISP)
      see here for that: http://email.about.com/od/aoltips/qt/Access_an_AOL_Email_Account_with_any_POP_IM AP_Email_Program.htm
Comcast is POP
Qwest is POP
Earthlink is POP
~Most ISP (internet service providers) email from a cable/internet company of a business specific email is a POP account
Use this chart HT1277 ( http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1277 ) for contacting your service provider or IT department to acquire the proper settings for your email account!
Finally, as promised, work around for your email:
    If you only have access to a POP email account and it won't work on your iPhone or want it to act like an IMAP account, then follow these steps~
1)   Get a free IMAP email account (using Gmail for this example)
2)  Sign in to your Gmail account
3)  Click the gear icon in the upper-right
4)  Select Gmail settings
5)  Select the Accounts and Import tab
6)  Under Send mail as, click Add another email address
7)  In the 'Email address' field, Enter your name and alternate email address (ie the POP address)
8)  Choose use Gmail's servers to send your mail
9)  Click Next Step>>
10) Click Send Verification
             (Gmail will send a verification message to your alternate email address to confirm that you own it)
11) Open your other account and click the link in the message Gmail sent
12) Add your new Gmail account to your iphone
You will be able to send, receive, reply, forward, delete, and manage folders of your other address through your Gmail address on your phone and it will appear to the recipients as though it came from your other address.

Answer 1

Allan, I have run into questions in this area recently since I got my iPhone. I have a long time Charter ISP POP email account which I've accessed with Apple Mail. This has worked fine. I also have a Yahoo web based account which I've also used separately.
Now when I set up my Yahoo account on my iPhone it worked great. But when I set up the Charter account it resulted in an IMAP account with incoming and outgoing servers being mobile.charter.net. Charter website implies that all email accounts on all mobile devices must be set up like this. My question is whether I can, or should, try to set up the account manually as a POP on my iPhone so it will behave similarly to the Charter POP account in my iMac?
I've run into some conflicts after using my iPhone to access my Charter email. My inbox on my desktop iMac in Apple Mail will give me the message that another client is accessing the email account when I try to get new mail soon after my iPhone has been accessing the Charter account. I've wondered whether this is a conflict between IMAP and POP?
Confusing. Thanks.
Steve M.