It might not be immediately obvious to the beginner; but there are actually three primary ways for retrieving your Email on a Windows Mobile 5.0 MSFP device. Depending on your data plan, preference and requirements, this flexibility is actually pretty useful.

(a) Manually

This method gives you maximum control over your data traffic and only checks your mail when you manually click on “Sync” in the ActiveSync application on your Pocket PC.

(b) Automated (interval) polling

This method is actually recommended for users who experiences heavy mail traffic but is not on an unlimited data plan due to company claims policy or lack of such data plan offered by your local telco. Rather than perform 20 different ActiveSyncs (with the associated data overheads) in an hour because of 20 different mails that come in separately in that period of time, setting it to poll every 15 or 30 minutes will probably result in a lower data consumption. By downloading more mails at a lower frequency (than the mails coming in), you are basically allowing the built-in data-compression inherent to WM 5.0 to work to your maximum benefit.

(c) When new items arrive

Ditto. Direct Push in its fully glory – you receive Email as they arrive on your server. Additionally, for any of the above other than manual synchronization, you can define your preferred Email retrieval method by “peak” or “off-peak” periods. For example, if you do not care to be disturbed by Emails when you are in bed between 11pm to 7am, then you can put it under “Manual” synchronization and opt only for “When new items arrive” for the rest of your waking hours. Peak periods can also be further defined by the day of the week.

It is not perfect of course – while you can define your peak or off-peak periods down to the day and hour, you cannot create additional groupings. But hey, lets be contented with what we already have yeah? So what does it mean for you? With this variety of flexibility, here are a few possible modes of treating your Email depending on your personality type.

So how shall it be, are you more into nudge-mail or shove-mail? To help you make up your mind, below are some totally un-researched personality-types that might surface. Next page please…

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