The Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is a set of rules that allow you to use the Internet to access your email while it resides on a remote email server. The main difference between IMAP and another popular email protocol, POP, is that IMAP allows you to view your messages on the remote server, while POP requires you to download them to your machine before you can read them. The basic tradeoffs between IMAP and POP are:
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With IMAP, you use a webmail interface to access your email, so you do not need to have an email application on your computer. The downside of this is that you must remain online to view your email. Also, webmail interfaces usually have fewer functions than email applications.
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With POP, you must download your email to your local computer, which can take some time. You also need to have an email application, such as Microsoft Outlook, installed on your computer. Whenever you make changes to your email folders, you need to reconnect to your remote server to update the changes on the server. One of the advantages of POP is that you can read and prepare replies to your email without having to stay online.
(Wikipedia)
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