What are POP and IMAP and which is better?

POP and IMAP are two different ways to set up e-mail client software to download your e-mail messages from CFU’s web-accessible servers to your home computer.

With a POP mail account, messages are removed from CFU’s web-accessible mail server and transferred to your home computer. Once a message is downloaded to your software at home, it is no longer accessible through the web. You must be at your home computer to open or forward messages you have downloaded to a POP account. How to set up your home computer software for a POP mail account

With an IMAP mail account, a copy of the message is downloaded to your home computer, and a copy is retained on CFU’s web-accessible server. This allows you to open and forward messages from EITHER your home computer or when using another computer or handheld device to access your CFU e-mail account through our Webmail portal. IMAP accounts can look confusing on your home computer, because you will see two sets of folders – one stored on your home computer, and one stored on CFU’s e-mail server. How to set up your home computer software for an IMAP mail account