Web-based e-mail is great for accessing your messages anywhere, but sometimes you might want to download your inbox with a more traditional desktop client like Microsoft Outlook/Outlook Express. Tech support site Zolved illustrates setting up Microsoft’s popular e-mail client with GMail.
One reason to download your GMail messages to a desktop client like Outlook is to back up your saved messages. Google’s GMail service is promoted as being quite reliable, but it never hurts to be safe.
