A few things that may be helpful for people considering making the switch:
- If FastMail's IMAP import doesn't work for you, this might (it worked for me): http://protips.maxmasnick.com/export-gmail-to-fastmail-or-an...
- If you want to try FastMail "risk free" so you can switch back to Gmail if you don't like it: http://protips.maxmasnick.com/how-to-test-fastmail-risk-free...
- My own writeup about my experience switching to FastMail from Gmail: http://www.maxmasnick.com/2013/07/19/fastmail/ (discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6069944)
I also use the included DNS server for a couple of domains that had been lying around and the static file host for some http placeholder pages and stuff.
I'd never go back to Google at this point.
3rd party apps with push support do not drain battery. They keep a connection open on their servers, and use regular push notifications when something arrives.
Has huge privacy concerns though.
One of the best tool-related decisions I ever did.
Of all the tech changes I've made in the last few years, moving from Google Apps mail to Fastmail is the one that's made me the happiest, every day.
The webmail is absolutely amazing. So fast, rock-sold, clean, minimal, focused.
Having your webmail experience be completely ad-free and snoop-free, and, well, Google-free is priceless.
Choose the Business email option - https://www.fastmail.fm/signup/business.html - if you want them to keep an automatic archive of the emails you download via POP. When I signed up under the Personal Email option I found they didn't have this archive option, but they switched me over to the business account on request.
It's so worth the measly $15/year, considering the importance a good email/webmail experience, and how much it affects your every-day life.
I've helped a few friends switch over, and they've all been thrilled with it.