IMAP or POP?

       "You may not have ever wondered, or even cared, what is the difference between IMAP and POP protocols for your email system. But, if you really want to know, here is a lengthy article explaining the nuances of both systems," Jim Hamm informs us.
       "I'm now using IMAP in my email programs and, overall, like it, after I got used to it. It seems Apple now automatically uses IMAP for any mobile devices, or a Mac, you purchase from them when setting up an email program. That's why/how I switched from POP to IMAP some time ago after purchasing an iPad 2. After switching, I noticed on my Mac that it takes a longer time to shut down the Mail program than it does other programs, and I wondered why. Here is a quote from the article that explains why: 'It's not uncommon for Mail to take a long time to quit. It looks like nothing is happening, but in fact it's trying (clearly, not hard enough) to log out of certain accounts, finish syncing mailboxes, or do other last-minute cleanup tasks such as deleting old messages.'
       "If, like me, your eyes tend to glaze over towards the end of the article, I'll understand why. But, you'll be so much better informed," grins Jim.