Hi all, I've been a Nokia user for a few years, but am now considering getting a Blackberry Curve 8900, and have some questions on email:

how good is the HTML email viewing functionality?
is it true that the 8900 can read HTML emails but only replies in plain text emails?
can the 8900 send and receive emails when connected to a wifi network and not to the operator's network?
if I delete an email from the 8900, will it be deleted from the email server as well (Imap or pop server, not Exchange)?
can the 8900 upload sent messages to the sent folder of an Imap mail server?

Thanks!

Html is great.
Yes, all BB's can only READ html and COMPOSE in plain text.
Yes it can.
If you chose it to be, yes.
Not sure about that last one.

A bit of clarification:

Q3 concerning email and WiFi. You must have a BB data plan to have email on the BB via BIS. If you have that, then then yes you could get mail using WiFi, but email is automatically pushed anyway.

If you are asking about webmail, then you can do that as long as you have an Internet connection and a browser - mobile data or WiFi date.

Q4 concerning deletion. If you use BIS, then email does not sync (read/delete on one mark read/delete on the other). RIM has agreements with specific providers, Gmail being one that can do this, but for most ISP providers the answer is no. Now, if you read mail on your BB and delete it from server and handheld before it is downloaded to your PC email client, then it would be deleted from the server. Once on the email client (i.e. Outlook) then it is there and the BB can't touch it.

In addition, I don't think you are able to move mail into folders on your email client either. I don't use folders as such, so have no experience in it, only what I have read. Maybe someone with experience in that will respond.

How is email pushed over wifi? Does the Blackberry server send a 'hidden' sms message prompting the device to connect to the mail server?
Specifically, I am interested in receiving emails in places (e.g. houses in the middle of nowhere) where there's a wifi connection but no operator signal. Or, alternatively, in buying an unlocked Blackberry, use a foreign sim (with no data plan) when on holiday abroad, and receive emails when connected to a wifi (e.g. a hotel's wireless network). Would these two things be possible, as far as you know?

As for deletion, the scenario would be that I delete an email from my Blackberry before opening it on a PC. In that case, would the Blackberry delete it from the mail server, too? My mail server supports imap and pop but is not an Exchange server.

As for folders, I am interested in a way to store on my mail server the emails I send from the Blackberry. On my Nokia I do this with Profimail, which connects to my mailbox via Imap idle. If I understand correctly, you don't sync folders with your email client, but do you save the emails you send from the Blackberry anywhere other than on the Blackberry itself?

Thank you all for your insights!

wi-fi will connect to BIS taking over from mobile network connected to BIS, and so the emails are pushed.

recieving emails in places of no signal, when wi-fi is available is possible. as mentioned, wi-fi will connect to the BIS to download email.
you will not get emails via wi-fi on a different sim card.

If when you click delete on an email, it should pop up saying DELETE ON: and then MAILBOX AND HANDHELD, HANDHELD ONLY.
if you select delete on mailbox and handheld, it will delete from the server.
if you select handheld only, obv. it will delete only from the BB.

No, sent emails are on the BB only if sent from the BB. mails sent from a pc email client are only on the pc email client and not on the BB.

Mmm, it seems like Nokia E71 + Profimail are a better combination for my needs than a Blackberry, then. Plus, I've just realized that the 8900 doesn't support 3G: disappointing :(

Well, thank you all for your replies!