Puzzlegal, I really want to use K9 or Kaiten for all of the reasons you've listed above. However, here are my challenges with both programs and maybe you can help me.
1. If I scroll down to the middle of my inbox to read a few messages
then switch to a different app; when I switch back to K9/Kaiten, the inbox automatically scrolls back to the top. Therefore, I lose my place EVERY TIME and have to remember how far down I was in the inbox. Any fix for this?
I use Perfect Task Switcher, set to be active on a long press of the "search" button. The chief reason I use it is that it gets around this problem. It alwasy shows two different icons for K9 (the same icon twice) and the one to the left in the list will bring me to where I was. Note that with these settings, Perfect Task Switcher isn't always available, as some applications seem to disable the long-press of the search button. But it mostly works.
2. When reading an email in Kaiten, is it possible to make the LEFT navigational arrow bring up the next NEWEST email (going UP in the inbox) instead of the next oldest (down) email? (This works perfectly in K9)
I'm not sure what navigational buttons you are talking about, and have never used Kaiten, so can't help you here.
3. When reading an email, if I switch to another app then return to the email, none of the navigational buttons work (ie. the arrows or volume buttons) to allow me to move on to another email. I must hit the back arrow to get to the email list which of course automatically scrolls all the way back to the top of my inbox and loses my place. ARGH!!!! (see #1)
Again, I'm not sure what navigational buttons you have. But if I am in an email, then go to another application (with Perfect Task Switcher) then return to the email (same) I can still swipe left or right to move to the next or previous email. I like that feature.
4. Is it possible to change the font color in the signature and when
composing new emails?
I don't think so. I have my default set to "plain text", not HTML, so this isn't anything I've ever looked for, but I can't think where it would be hidden. I do get the sense that K9 is written for for the techie, and thus it supports "Pine" format and plain text.
5. Is it possible to change the font type (ie. Times New Roman,
Courier, etc.) in the signature and when composing new emails?
ditto above
Is there another IMAP client out there that does NOT have these issues? In addition to K9 and Kaiten, I've tried Enhanced Mail, Touchdown, MailDroid, Moxier Mail, and the stock app of course. They all seem to have various issues. Maybe I'm expecting too much out of an app. The stock email app on my Palm Pre worked well for me!
Dunno. I've been pretty happy with K9 so I haven't shopped. I had trouble with the Pre email because
1) It didn't do plain text. This was a problem for some of my correspondents.
2) It sometimes messed up forwarded HTML and introduced weird control characters into what I intended to type. This dissaded me from using it at all in certain situations, when I was afraid it would make my post look bizarre or distracting.
I also had trouble getting the Pre to use multiple "from" addresses that went through the same internet client. Since I am subscribed to different mailing lists with different addresses (from my own domain) this was a nuisance. I was very happy to learn that K9 handles this cleanly.
I agree that K9 isn't perfect, and in some ways I preferred the 3rd party email app I had on my Treo. But I'm pretty happy with it.