SMTP vs mail retrieval

SMTP is a delivery protocol only. It cannot pull messages from a remote server on demand. Other protocols, such as the Post Office Protocol (POP) and the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) are specifically designed for retrieving messages and managing mail boxes. However, SMTP has a feature to initiate mail queue processing on a remote server so that the requesting system may receive any messages destined for it (see Remote Message Queue Starting below). POP and IMAP are preferred protocols when a user's personal computer is only intermittently powered up, or Internet connectivity is only transient and hosts cannot receive message during off-line periods
(pronounced as separate letters) Short for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, a protocol for sending e-mail messages between servers. Most e-mail systems that send mail over the Internet use SMTP to send messages from one server to another; the messages can then be retrieved with an e-mail client using either POP or IMAP. In addition, SMTP is generally used to send messages from a mail client to a mail server. This is why you need to specify both the POP or IMAP server and the SMTP server when you configure your e-mail application.