Outlook, Desktop, Laptop, iphone, ipad - Synchronization

By the way, if the answer is a later version of Outlook I would happily do that!!

My real desire is to have all the accounts attached to ATT.NET using the
ATT services that I pay so much for rather than gmail, etc.

Does ATT.NET now fully support imap? In the past it was specific that you
had to use POP3.

Thanks for your response.

I will try to get everything together today. We have about a foot of snow
at near zero temps so a good day to do this kind of stuff!!

*David [edited for privacy-please do not post personal or unique information such as but not limited to full names, employee ID numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, account numbers, etc.]

I tried to do as was suggested and it seemed to work for the email.

However, I really want and need the email, contacts, and calendars coordinated like the Outlook program does.  I couldn't figure out how to get that done.

Is there a "here's how you do it post somewhere that I can follow?

I am currently tinkering with Apple's icloud that allows you to use Outlook and an alias instead of the icloud userid.  I am not sure if it will work but it seems closer than anything else so far.  It also allows you to DELETE emails not to fill GMail's data mine with all my emails and communications.  Remember Big Brother isn't necessarily the government but more dangerous are the inquisitive data miners who sell information to vendors!!!

Sync-ing email: easy, use IMAP

Sync-ing contacts, calendars: you can choose easy/expensive or complicated/inexpensive. 

Easy: Microsoft's Exchange product will sync Outlook mail, contacts, calendars across multiple devices.  The last time I looked the minimum Exchange configuration was about $1100.  I don't know how well it works with iOS devices.

Complicated: I have sync-ed Outlook mail, calendars and contacts across Windows and iOS devices using a combination of products from CodeTwo (www.codetwo.com) and iCloud.  It is not a task for the fainthearted but it can be done.

Gmail does it all for free if you can stand the marketing and mining of your data. 

My gripe is that if GMail can do it, why can't ATT????? Whom I pay for internet services already along with TV, phone and cell phones.  Single provider was my intent with the fantasy hope that they would have an integrated set of products to simplify my life not be a pain in the ankle..  

I looked into Windows 365 with Outlook - $110/month. Not worth the cost to me.  $1100 for Exchange server - same story.

Apple claims to be able to do it.  I am working my way through the icloud fog now.  I don't really want to change email addresses either.  Icloud uses alias accounts like Gmail does so it might work.  It is my best hope this far. 

ATT webmail says it can do it but looks just like Gmail to me with the same issues.  Att also works with Yahoo which has the same issues.

Outlook.com says it can do it but - same problem. 

ATT doesn't really like Imap too much, they are stuck the pop paradigm.

short answer to the question:

DID I get a solution to the problem that I posed?

NO!

I thank those of you who gave me input and suggestions but they don't really work.

Have I found an answer ?  Not really!

I tried ATT-Yahoo with some success except that my inbox was always immediately dumped to the trash can.  I assume there is a solution to that somewhere - or is it an editorial comment on my mail!!!

I am now tracking through outlook.com to see if I can use it as a base provider.  It looks encouraging at first blush.  Lots of things to try and test before I declare victory or defeat.  

The one thing I find very attractive thus far is the possibility of paying them a small amount $20 per year ! for an advertisement-free version.  

This is complicated so hang on. 

I use a desktop, a laptop, 2 ipads, and an iphone.  GMAIL allows me to synchronize all and keep them straight.  I DON'T LIKE GMAIL so would prefer to use ATT for all my ISP needs (long-term customer - decades!!) Recently, I needed to upgrade from Outlook 2007 to 2013 because I couldn't get 2007 for a new computer.  My Outlook 2007 implementation used POP3 so no reliable synchronization to my iphone.  Went to IMAP for that.  Laptop & Desktop synchronize ok - although slowly? Found the only way to get Imap to work on iphone & ipad is through ATT-Yahoo!.  Seemed to work OK so thought I was going to be done and happy (the above took about 3 weeks of concentrated effort to get together.) Laptop & desktop are on Win7.

NOW:  emails arriving in my IMAP-based system disappear into the Trash almost immediately.  Sometimes instantly, sometimes up to 3 hours, sometimes when I hit any key on the keyboard, all mysteriously.  Also, I sometimes get the email in inbox with a duplicate copy immediately in the trash bin.

Spent the last three days with Microsoft 3rd level support trying to get this sorted.  They suggested that I remove ALL accounts (imap & pop) and then log into ATT-Yahoo! web email client to see if the problem was with Outlook or ATT.  I did so.  

The email disappeared from the Yahoo inbox just as quickly if not more so.  So think the problem is in ATT settings or implementation of IMAP. 

By the way, the implementation of ATT-Yahoo screens is very primitive.  I can't change column widths or fonts to make them easier to read.  (A minor annoyance but real)

My level of frustation is growing by the minute.  If ATT wants to keep me as a customer, I NEED HELP!!!!!

Did you ever find a solution? I am looking for the same solution.