Ask Rick: how can I get emails on my iPad?

I am having trouble picking up emails with my recently acquired iPad. I am a Virgin Media customer, but I also need to be able to pick up messages from my old Orange account. Orange is not a problem but I have tried everything to get it to recognise my Virgin account. I am able to access both accounts on my Windows laptop and desktop PCs and my HTC Smartphone. Is the iPad somehow incompatible with Virgin, or is there some app or tweak that can make it work? Peter Law, by email

Virginmedia and a number of other ISPs are keen to steer us towards IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) and away from the older POP3 (Post Office Protocol). To cut a long story short IMAP messages usually remain on the server so they can be viewed from multiple devices. POP3 harks back to the days when you only had the one PC and is designed for downloading messages from your mail server, to store on your computer. Problems can arise when you try to mix the two protocols, and it is compounded by the iPad, which favours the IMAP system. It can be done, though, and the trick is to start over. Delete the Virgin account on the iPad from Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendar. Next, tap Add Account > Other > Add Mail Account. Enter the name and Virgin email address as before, but put in a false password and tap Next. The verification will fail, press OK, select POP and enter your Virginmedia POP3 and SMTP server and port settings, and this time, the correct password. Press Next and this time it should work.