FAQ:

Why would I want to switch to IMAP?

Answer:

IMAP is newer and offers more advanced features. For example, your email remains consistent no matter where you read your mail. With POP3, if you remove your email from the server while you are at work and then read your mail at home, you don’t have access to the mail that now exists only on your workstation at work. You can provide workarounds by leaving all the mail on the server but then you are storing the same information in three locations (the server, your workstation, and your home pc). By default, some email software leaves messages on the server and users are often surprised to find out that every message ever received is also on the server never to be deleted unless he or she knows how to change the settings within the client to delete the message from the server.

With POP3 there is only one-way communication. The server sends your email and you can elect to delete it from the server when you receive it or leave it on the server. By default, IMAP stores the messages on the server and initially transfers headers to your email client. When you close the application, only the message headers remain within your email client. Additionally, when you delete messages from within your client, the messages are also removed from the server so that you are only keeping the messages you want not everything ever received. In the long run, IMAP is more efficient and consistent.

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-- RdSmith - 28 Mar 2005