>>> I need to optimize web browsing for a slow cell phone data >>> connection. >>> I'd like to browse faster and use less data ($). I've installed >>> ImgLikeOpera for Firefox which is great at selectively blocking >>> images, and I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do? >>> >>> - Grant >> >> Can anyone offer advice for IMAP? I'm using Thunderbird and it's slow >> and data-heavy. > > I believe that the nature of IMAP is to be fairly network intensive. > > When I use my laptop for mail, it usually takes some time to sync > messages that have appeared in the last couple of days since I last > did so (on my laptop). Typically contents of the inbox appear within a > minute or two, but I would guess that clicking on any of my mailing > list folders may cause a delay of several minutes. > > It's not the raw number of minutes that's the problem, but how the > mail client just tends to feel sluggish unless you leave it alone for > a few minutes to sync up with the IMAP server. One _knows_ there are > new messages there, one knows that there should be messages in the > gentoo-users folder newer than 4 days old, but they don't appear when > you click on it. > > In my case I'm always on broadband when I use my laptop away from > home, my mailserver is at my house, and the bandwidth bottleneck is > the upstream of my home ADSL line at 288k. I would dread to think what > it would be like at dial-up speeds (i.e. slow cell phone data > connection), although to be fair my mobile does ok syncing inboxes > only. The solution with that, too, is to leave the phone alone, > downloading for some minutes, and then come back to it when it's > finished. > > I use Mail.app on a Mac as my mail client, but I can't imagine > Thunderbird to be much worse. > > Stroller.
OK, no compression options or anything? By the way, if anyone finds themself in Tanzania and in need of a prepaid cell data line, I found the ultimate: http://www.vodacom.co.tz/docs/docredir.asp?docid=3530 Good speed too. Tigo is almost as cheap but incredibly slow. Zain/Celtel is as fast, but at nearly 5 times the price of the 250MB Vodacom bundle. The only option I didn't try was Zanzibar Telecom. - Grant
