[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Answer Line: How do I get POP email in Windows 8? here

[jazzy007]

Nice article and suggestions. I will like to add my 2 cents to that. This work only with Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro, not the RT device. On my copy of Windows 8, I re-install my Microsoft Office with Outlook. I then proceded to add my e-mail account that are POP and I am all set. I believe you can install any other mail program thru the Desktop of Windows 8. Just download your favorite e-mail program, follow the instructions for installation and setup your e-mail. Just make sure you have the correct settings for your mail.

[ronin7752]

You are right that POP is a a major chore on multiple machines. Due to its architecture, it always will be.

However, some people/small businesses need to archive gigabytes of email for professional reasons, Exchange Servers are vast overkill for them, and they don't wish to pay increasing annual costs for Cloud storage. For those people, local storage/backup is always the best option.

Also IMAP is "clearly superior" only if you are guaranteed to have Internet access all the time, and never need to access old email stored locally when you are out of Internet reach.

In short -- to those who read this -- IMAP is NOT clearly superior for a not-too-small minority of users. Just make sure you aren't one of them before committing to the "clearly surperior" IMAP.

[LiveBrianD]

ronin7752, on 07 January 2013 - 07:47 PM, said:

You are right that POP is a a major chore on multiple machines. Due to its architecture, it always will be.

However, some people/small businesses need to archive gigabytes of email for professional reasons, Exchange Servers are vast overkill for them, and they don't wish to pay increasing annual costs for Cloud storage. For those people, local storage/backup is always the best option.

Also IMAP is "clearly superior" only if you are guaranteed to have Internet access all the time, and never need to access old email stored locally when you are out of Internet reach.

In short -- to those who read this -- IMAP is NOT clearly superior for a not-too-small minority of users. Just make sure you aren't one of them before committing to the "clearly surperior" IMAP.

IMAP lets you access mail stored locally while offline just as well as POP3 does. The ONLY difference is that IMAP keeps everything sync'd with the server. (having gigabytes of email is probably the ONE case where pop3 has any advantage)

[StevenMunden3ilb]

WINDOWS 8 MAIL APP DOES SUPPORT POP!

I think some folks may have not updated their Windows modern UI Mail app - because POP is supported along with IMAP and ActiveSync. Go to the store, updates and make sure you have the latest versions. Then go to the mail app, settings charm, accounts, add, other account, then choose POP.

POP was not an option in the earlier releases.

[Malc0lm]

Quote

You are right that POP is a a major chore on multiple machines. Due to its architecture, it always will be.

Office 365 or google docs. pop is like having an email account without a firewall.

[kjclow]

My two issues with mail in windows 8 are:
1. How do I transfer contacts from windows 7? Primarily from a computer that is no longer on the internet.
2. How do I delete contacts? There are some preloaded contacts that lead me to believe that this computer was already setup by another person.

[KNRover]

Minor correction in the article. It mentions "Windows Mail". Windows Mail is available only in one OS: Vista. . . and it's part of Vista/cannot be downloaded separately. The separate Windows mail program is Windows LIVE Mail.

[mwagner2]

For many years I have used Mozilla Thunderbird and then MozBackup to transfer my mails to a new computer.

Will Windows 8 accept Thunderbird? And then MozBackup.
Thank you very much for your great columns

[gbrew3]

I upgraded all 3 of my computers to windows 8 before knowing the concequences of pop email. I simply downloaded Mozilla Thunderbird and added both of my emails and it works great and is very simple to do.

[nightshadel]

Why not just do what everybody else does and buy an email client? Or does Windows 8 break email clients.

[visimp]

As a consultant, I have had this question come up in Windows 7 and it is possible to get WinMail (Vista version) working in Windows 7. It is clean efficient program with an interface very much like Outlook Express. Most users dislike the Windows Live interface.

For Windows 8, I found Sylpheed at http://sylpheed.sraoss.jp/en/ and again it looks and works just like Outlook Express. Free, efficient and user friendly.

Highly recommended vs the intrusive Windows LIve mail.

[yarrum31]

I use POP on my internet server site on Win 7 PC. for mac I search internet provider, log in and get a POP mail further via short stop on favorites bar. I dont like IMAP form on MAC. as for LIVE its not bad and is good if you use SKYDRIVE cloud. also try Gmail with cloud storage. no touch screen Win 8 sucks! stick with 7!

[dwoolf]

My computer was purchased in August 2012 with 15 dollar option for 8 pro I downloaded 8 in November 2012 and unable to use my printer now I was told to download thunderbird but not sure what all will need to be changed. Suggestions ?

[glorym]

Downloaded and installed Windows 8 Pro. Could not get POP email. Contacted my internet provider Time Warner Road Runner and it told me how to get my POP email in Windows 8. It involves my using Windows Live Mail. When I click on the Live Mail app, all 3 of my email accounts with TWRR come up together on the same screen. No more signing out of 1 and signing in on another. This works great.

[jazzy007]

Quote

My computer was purchased in August 2012 with 15 dollar option for 8 pro I downloaded 8 in November 2012 and unable to use my printer now I was told to download thunderbird but not sure what all will need to be changed. Suggestions ?

dwoolf, you don't mention what computer or printer you are using, but just taking a guest, did you download or install the printer drivers in your Windows 8 PC? Also, before your upgrade to Windows 8, was the printer working fine and did you use Microsoft test to see what migth need to be upgrade or get the necessary drivers?

[jtimouri]

I am involved with several small businesses. They all use Eudora. There is a large body of computer users out there who work on the idea that if something is not broken don't fix it. It is not that they do not want to upgrade, it is just that they are busy trying to survive, that is their focus, and anything else is a distraction.

[ScottDAlessandro]

Does the mail service from essentials load in an App, or is it on the desktop?

[brainout]

ronin7752, on 07 January 2013 - 07:47 PM, said:

You are right that POP is a a major chore on multiple machines. Due to its architecture, it always will be.

However, some people/small businesses need to archive gigabytes of email for professional reasons, Exchange Servers are vast overkill for them, and they don't wish to pay increasing annual costs for Cloud storage. For those people, local storage/backup is always the best option.

Also IMAP is "clearly superior" only if you are guaranteed to have Internet access all the time, and never need to access old email stored locally when you are out of Internet reach.

In short -- to those who read this -- IMAP is NOT clearly superior for a not-too-small minority of users. Just make sure you aren't one of them before committing to the "clearly surperior" IMAP.

Agreed IMAP is NOT superior to POP: especially because synching leaves you at the mercy of the programmer. Browser synching, for example, wrecked my Chrome browser: to this day I can't reinstall it on the machine which got wrecked (because I couldn't change the synching until AFTER signing in); the sync PRECEDED the option to change it. So now I've only got Firefox. The latter's synching isn't much better, if you HAD set up a 'paired device' you no longer want paired. Too bad: when you use that other device with Firefox, automatically all your stuff is synched in the same method as before -- here that was disastrous, as the prior synch had been to download all the links etc. I had uploaded from another machine. So whatever new links I had on the second machine, were replaced. Same problem exists on Kindle for PC. I had to ask the Kindle people to completely reset all my devices and redo only one of them. I'm afraid to use it again. (Secret is to never download the books; or, once downloaded, never access them again from another machine.)

Fine, that's only browser links and books which all stay in the cloud anyway. But email? Do you want to access your email online via IMAP and have your existing email replaced in the name of synching? I bet not.

By contrast, POP mail can be easily managed across machines. In Outlook Express (and presumably in Outlook), you can specify what 'folder' to use for your email 'store'. In OE you cannot select a flash or pocket drive, but you can select a small external hard drive. (Maybe Outlook will allow pen/thumb/flash drive off-storage, I've not tested it yet). So then just unplug and take your mail with you. I do the same with my browser links, passwords, etc. Far better than IMAP, because I can access the mail without having to be online. I compose offline, too. Saves time and hassle.

Sticking with POP, and staying away from Win8, even though I now own it.

This post has been edited by brainout: 17 January 2013 - 10:33 PM

[LiveBrianD]

brainout, on 17 January 2013 - 10:25 PM, said:

ronin7752, on 07 January 2013 - 07:47 PM, said:

You are right that POP is a a major chore on multiple machines. Due to its architecture, it always will be.

However, some people/small businesses need to archive gigabytes of email for professional reasons, Exchange Servers are vast overkill for them, and they don't wish to pay increasing annual costs for Cloud storage. For those people, local storage/backup is always the best option.

Also IMAP is "clearly superior" only if you are guaranteed to have Internet access all the time, and never need to access old email stored locally when you are out of Internet reach.

In short -- to those who read this -- IMAP is NOT clearly superior for a not-too-small minority of users. Just make sure you aren't one of them before committing to the "clearly surperior" IMAP.

Agreed IMAP is NOT superior to POP: especially because synching leaves you at the mercy of the programmer. Browser synching, for example, wrecked my Chrome browser: to this day I can't reinstall it on the machine which got wrecked (because I couldn't change the synching until AFTER signing in); the sync PRECEDED the option to change it. So now I've only got Firefox. The latter's synching isn't much better, if you HAD set up a 'paired device' you no longer want paired. Too bad: when you use that other device with Firefox, automatically all your stuff is synched in the same method as before -- here that was disastrous, as the prior synch had been to download all the links etc. I had uploaded from another machine. So whatever new links I had on the second machine, were replaced. Same problem exists on Kindle for PC. I had to ask the Kindle people to completely reset all my devices and redo only one of them. I'm afraid to use it again. (Secret is to never download the books; or, once downloaded, never access them again from another machine.)

Fine, that's only browser links and books which all stay in the cloud anyway. But email? Do you want to access your email online via IMAP and have your existing email replaced in the name of synching? I bet not.

By contrast, POP mail can be easily managed across machines. In Outlook Express (and presumably in Outlook), you can specify what 'folder' to use for your email 'store'. In OE you cannot select a flash or pocket drive, but you can select a small external hard drive. (Maybe Outlook will allow pen/thumb/flash drive off-storage, I've not tested it yet). So then just unplug and take your mail with you. I do the same with my browser links, passwords, etc. Far better than IMAP, because I can access the mail without having to be online. I compose offline, too. Saves time and hassle.

Sticking with POP, and staying away from Win8, even though I now own it.

Hmm - Hotmail syncing with the Live Mail client (similar to IMAP, but more proprietary unfortunately), Xmarks (browser bookmark syncing addon), and Dropbox works fine for me. That said, Chrome's syncing HAS been an issue - one day, I deleted a bookmark intentionally, and upon syncing it, it put it back. I deleted it, sync'd it, and it put it back AGAIN. I did this about 15 times and it kept insisting on putting the same bookmark back there that I obviously didn't want. Eventually, I gave up, disabled Chrome's syncing, and switched to xmarks, which hasn't given any problems so far. Who knows?