Email On Both the Desktop and the Laptop?

RapterOfParadox asks: "I recently purchased a new laptop and have everything configured except for my e-mail. I've always liked having a single location where I know my e-mail is safe, secure and gets backed up automatically. If I've needed access to new messages then I use webmail, since I close down the email client when I leave the house. I'm currently using Outlook XP for my desktop and was thinking about using the same for my laptop. My only issue is that I'm a little weary about using only my laptop for storing e-mail, since it's a lot more likely to fail. I've been thinking about just synchronizing my Outlook data directories at login, or even using IMAP. Has anyone seen/bought/built an e-mail client that will allow me to have my main e-mail client on my desktop and then update my laptop e-mail client when ever I'm in range, or through a personal IMAP Server?"

Comments

Laptops don't have to be more likely to fail

[Glonoinha]

Just a random note I will bury at the bottom of the page - your laptop doesn't have to be 'more likely to fail.'

Assuming it survives the infant mortality period (first 30 days or so) there is going to be a single point of failure : hard drive. Granted the CPU fan could fail and smoke your CPU, but that is about as likely on a laptop as on a desktop - but I'm concentrating on the 'more likely' aspects.

So your laptop is going to last until the hard drive fails. Want the laptop to last longer, figure out why the hard drives fail, and address it.
What is the key difference between the use pattern in hard drives between laptops and desktops? People don't move desktops around while they are running, but don't think twice about yaw'ing a laptop all around while it is on. A hard drive is little more than an expensive gyroscope spinning at 7,200rpm. Gyroscopes resist yaw'ing, and this resistance manifests itself in the form of pressure at the load bearing points. Aww hell, I have a headache and don't feel like going into the physics, but safe it to say that if you put your laptop on a firm surface before turning it on and leave it there unmoved until you turn it off (not picking it up and moving it around, or resting it on your legs in bed) it will last a LOT longer.