Q: Why has Apple dropped POP support for iCloud email? Is this an attempt to force Gmail users away from their Apple iCloud email accounts?

1) Calling something names is not a legitimate criticism.

2) If a program works, it works. And it works until it doesn't. I haven't used an actual email client since 2005, as I found Gmail's web-based email interface to be much more convenient and worked well across the multiple computers and platforms I had and used at the time, and complied with all employers policies about adding or altering software on their computers, which was important because I often didn't know where I was going to end up the next week. (When I started using Gmail, I found myself almost immediately moving away from all email programs to use the Gmail web-app near exclusively, and frankly I've got to say that I was honestly SHOCKED by that. Up until that time EVERY web app I tried, or was forced to use SUCKED. They were slow, unreliable, and liable to crash at any time for no discernible reason. Gmail was not only the first GOOD web app that I ever saw [and continued to be the best for many years] but it was also the FIRST web-based app that was BETTER than most email programs. And the near infinite storage was really the cherry on the top. It allowed me to store my most used software tools on the web as binary attachments, and download them anywhere I had a sufficient connection, letting me access software I didn't anticipate needing. Well before web-storage caught on in other forms. To this day, I leave copies of most of my most important software in my Gmail account [encrypted, of course].)

3) I still find Gmail's web-based email interface the most convenient and reliable email client especially when compared to programs or apps that require installation on a hardware platform.

4) IMAP was created 29 years ago, which makes it a "dinosaur" and "archaic" too, so don't take an attitude if you're spout irrelevant nonsense. It makes you look like an ignorat jerk. That's right, IMAP will be 30 years old within the year.

5) Assuming that you don't speak for Apple (and even if you do) you don't have the right to tell me how to set my stuff up. It's my technology, I should be able to use it the way I (not you) want. So until you can get a law passed that makes you the Technology Tsar, zip it. Your opinion is just that, YOUR opinion.

Apple: Taking away features is supposed to be a Microsoft thing. Congratulations on acting (more and more) like Microsoft.

Thank you.

I started with the Apple ][+, but felt so betrayed by the //e and //c that I haven't owned an Apple product again until last month when I got an iPhone.