Samsung i600 Smartphone, Email
There are several options for doing email and it isn't very simple. There is ActiveSync, which duplicates Outlook objects via your desktop or an Exchange server. Also, Pocket Outlook will do POP3 or IMAP4 on it's own. Then there is Verizon Wireless Sync that works with various kinds of devices and uses a program on your desktop computer to push mail and other items to a web server, and another program on the phone that can retrieve and push the same information.
ActiveSync, Desktop Partnership
With ActiveSync 3.7.1 installed on your desktop computer and the cradle connected to USB port, docking the phone causes mail, tasks, calendar, and contacts to be synchronized. Changes to objects on either device are made to the other, and email composed on the phone is delivered.
This is fine, except why have an Internet-capable phone and have to wire it to your desktop computer to do email?
ActiveSync, Server Partnership
This mode will sync mail, contacts and/or your calendar directly with your Exchange server, over the wireless connection. You can do the sync manually, or select a time interval or pick "as new items arrive". The last setting causes Exchange to send the phone an SMS message when new items arrive, causing it to make a data connection and do a sync.
This works pretty well, except when I'm home my signal is marginal, and SMS works better than data connections. In my case I keep Outlook open on my desktop computer with the iHateSpam plug-in running all the time. This moves spam to the Junk Email folder as it arrives. But since we don't have the version that runs on the Exchange server, the server sees new mail, and sends the SMS message to my phone, which then makes a data connection, but doesn't find new mail. That's great, I don't want the spam on the phone, but it make for a lot of unnecessary data connections.
The result is the phone's battery usually doesn't last the night; it is trying too many data connections.
Verizon Wireless Sync
What It Does
This is a free service (if you have the right data plan) for the Samsung I600, Samsung I700 and Treo. It is similar to the Blackberry Desktop Redirector and the Blackberry web mail options. It is setup and controlled via web pages on Verizon's server. A Windows-based program is installed on your desktop computer, and another application on the phone. The "PC Monitor" program has no options, logs, or menus; everything is controlled via the web service. There you can change what it sends (Email, Contacts, Notes, Calendar, Tasks) but not when or how often. You can add connections to POP3 or IMAP mail servers for additional mail, but SSL is not supported. I don't know why you would do that since Pocket Outlook supports POP3 and IMAP accounts.
The PC Monitor will push mail to the server when it is received; the server then pushes it to the phone. This can happen fairly quickly (or not at all). However, deleting messages from your Inbox doesn't cause a sync.
On the phone, the Wireless Sync application will wake up when a network initiated sync is started, but it can also be initiated manually. Any messages you have "sent" are then sent to the server, then to your PC, then they are actually sent using your mail account. Messages you have moved to another folder are moved the same way.
There is a disabled checkbox labeled "ReadySync", and a corresponding time interval. I'm guessing this might be something you can pay for later. You can also send mail via the Wireless Sync web site. There can be more than one PC Monitor, and a PC Monitor can be setup for multiple users.
Problems
A sync is initiated only when you get a new mail message; deleting or moving messages doesn't initiate a sync, nor does changing the calendar, contacts or tasks.
Unless the signal is very good, the Wireless Sync program terminates with "Sync not allowed over IS95 connection", even when the radio status says "1X". Sometimes restarting the phone allows the sync to work even from the exact same location and same signal strength.