[chromed]

I have recently noticed that there is no way to use an existing IMAP account (my job email) with Gmail. I tried to import or download the mail to Gmail, and it doesn't work. Gmail only supports POP accounts. So the work around they suggest is setting your IMAP account to forward all mail to your Gmail account (which i am trying now)

I figure Google will have to address this deficiency for the Chromebook, since there will be no apps, how will IMAP users access their email ?

 

[Ronaldst]

Did you try

?

IMO Gmail would be nicer if it acted like a Universal Inbox like on Smartphones mail programs.

 

[Thrakbad]

I don't think that answers the question chromed is asking. I basically have the same question about Chromebooks. If I read the announcement right, it is a beefed up Chrome browser running on the machines. Now in the Chrome browser, there is no way to fetch mails from an 3rd party IMAP account, like most businesses have for their employees. This is because GMail supports only external POP accounts. This is the only reason, why I use Opera instead of Chrome right now, because their mail client supports IMAP.
I really like the concept of Chromebooks and would like to have one, but if I can't get my mails from work in the GMail client, the whole thing becomes practically useless for me. And that's not only for me, but anyone, who relies on IMAP mails in any form (which again, are most businesses). So is there a way to fetch my mails from an existing IMAP account without spefically forwarding them from the IMAP account?

 

[thelogenator]

The web app trend

I think the trend that Google is targeting with the Chromebook is the move away from platform specific applications and infrastructure. I just started work at a development company that has totally embraced this idea. We use Google Apps for email, calendaring, document sharing and an internal wiki. We don't own a single server. We're making a web product and have outsourced the hosting of our data center. We're not paying full time IT administrators, email administrators or expensive contracts for software licencing with Microsoft and others. There are so many benefits to embracing the web app trend if you can just find a way to cut the cord.

 

[thelogenator]

Quick follow up to that idea. There is no reason why most everything can't be done in a web app. I for one welcome our new chromebook overlords. lol

 

[Thrakbad]

That's true, but until the company I work for embraces this idea, I cannot really use a Chromebook
I depend on getting IMAP mails on my mobile devices. This is such a simple feature.

 

[thelogenator]

That's true, but until the company I work for embraces this idea, I cannot really use a Chromebook
I depend on getting IMAP mails on my mobile devices. This is such a simple feature.

What is your company currently using for email? It's hard to imagine there not being some sort of web access option with your system.

 

[Musicmeister]

Have you tried using POP access to 'pull' the email? IMAP may be what the company prefers you use - or it might be the only thing they set up - but POP3 access is generally turned on by default on most email servers. Some actually 'require' pop access over IMAP.

 

[Thrakbad]

Unfortunately Pop access is explicitely disabled on our mail server, I don't know what the reason for that is. If there is a web mail interface, no one knows about it or uses it.

 

[modder]

Seems to me in this case the easiest thing to do would be to have your desktop email client at work forward a copy of the mail to your gmail account, and add the account as a "from address" account in gmail so you can respond from your work address for all appearances.

 

[alee]

If there's no web access to your email server, you could try something like Email Hosting Services | Pick Up Your Email | mail2web.com .