I just ran a test. On my Cox.net account I was having Gmail check those accounts for me, and they were being checked like once an hour or so. So I changed the settings in my Cox accounts to automatically forward mail to my Gmail account.
I sent a test email from my work email account to my cox account. I got the email on my phone with in like 10 - 20 seconds. So Maybe Gmail checking for other accounts isnt the best and it best to forward other accounts to Gmail.
what if you leave the POP3 settings in GMAIL AND forwarded it? GMAIL should be smart enough to know what to do with the mail... and you'll still get to reply through that account.
If you leave the mail on the server then you'll get two notifications I think. The one that gets forwarded and the one Gmail pulls from your account.
I replied to the one I sent from my work email and it showed up in my work inbox as such:
user@gmail.com In Care of
user@cox.net
I love the droid. But I must say, this whole email debachle is hard to believe in this day and age. Especially with Google touting their gmail and this being a google device.
I've tried setting up email 2 different ways:
- GMAIL: First, I tried setting up and using a new gmail account. Through the gmail interface on pc, I set up both of my other (pop3) email aaccounts to come through gmail. Problems - '
1) gmail only checks when it feels like it. Sometimes, in 15 minutes, other times up to an hour or so. THEN, Droid/device won't recieve it from gmail for HOURS, sometimes 1/2 - 3/4 of the day. Can't figure it out. I mean, obviously this is not acceptable, as one of my email accounts is my work mail. totally ridiculous - especially since this email stuff is such an old concept...just ask Bberry (I came from a Bberry).
2) One of my email accounts (work, thankfully) allows me to set up to respond through gmail as if it came from my work email. The other, however, will not allow this set-up and as such my responses say
'xx@gmail.com on behalf of
xxx@starpower.net". Not the end of the world since its my personal email, but give me a break, how hokie and I don't want to confuse people.
3) I really don't like the gmail interace - especially the grouping of conversations. Sometimes I open one and the "new" email is the first thread - with all others closed; and other times, when I open the new email, the "new" email is the last thread. Weird. AND, I delete a new email, and bam, the whole thread is gone. Don't understand why they won't let you shut it off.
4) Gmail does not allow you to delete messages in your other account/mailbox as you mentioned...so I delete all my spam on my device or gmail, then I have to go to my other account and delete it all again.
Needless to say, this doesn't work for me and I'm shocked that I don't hear more of this complaint.
- Corporate MAIL (using pop3 though, not exchange).
So it sets up ok. Nice thing is I recieve directly from the other accounts and can responde directly from them with only those respective email addresses. The interface is fine. interesting that there is a "deselect all" option but not a "select all" one.
Main issue though is, as previously stated, I delete or read emails, and every time it checks for new, it gives me indicators (notificatins, and number next to email boxes indicating new emails) that I have new emails...THE SAME EMAILS IVE ALREADY DELETED OR READ are back in my inbox. So I spend the day going over, deleting, marking "read", etc...the same emails I already have...not so productive.
Good news, and likely where the problem lies though - is that I have it selected to delete messages off server when I delete on device. Again, yes, I could deselect this but it defeats the purpose of productivity and efficiency. I don't to go through the same emails on both the device and PC...
SO frustrating, as there are pros' and cons to both ways, but in this day and age, I would fully expect both to just work. These are remedial but critical tasks.
Very dissappointed to say the least.
Droid is awesome and I realize it's new, but come on - email is very important. I don't use it as just a toy.
. can't use gmail...and perhaps worse is its inconsistency. It refreshes fine for a day or few, then one day it just doesn't refresh for hours, then next for the whole day. I need to know my mail is coming in without having to check setting all through the day. 
