[JerryButtons]

Why is it that the native messaging/email app only seems to allow me to view the past 20 or so e-mails from my gmail account. It would make sense that, since it is synced up, I should be able to go back to an e-mail sent a year back 1000 emails back. I was unable to find a setting to change this.

Anyone else having problem, know how to fix it or know a work around?

[VerryBestr]

Why is it that the native messaging/email app only seems to allow me to view the past 20 or so e-mails from my gmail account. ... Anyone else having problem, know how to fix it or know a work around?

Your account is probably configured as an EAS (= Exchange ActiveSync = Google Sync) account. The PlayBook provides a "window" into the most recent activity. Email is deleted from the PlayBook when it ages and falls outside the window. There is no option for consulting/loading older email from outside the window.

The EAS "window" can be configured: from a day to a maximum of 30 days. On the PlayBook, in the gmail account's "Advanced Settings," change the option named "Messages Sync Timeframe."

It is also possible to set up gmail accounts as POP or IMAP accounts. Both have weaknesses or unusual behavior on the PlayBook (no access to IMAP folders, people report IMAP sync problems, ...). Many IMAP clients allow you to look at older email, but the PlayBook IMAP client is "feature-poor" and does not. RIM put most of their PlayBook email effort into handling EAS accounts.

With POP it is possible to download all inbox email to the PlayBook (although, somewhat unusually, the PlayBook will subsequently try to synchronize the PlayBook POP account with the server, deleting email in both directions).

As far as I know, there is no way to back up email on the Playbook, so it would be unwise to keep important email only in local PlayBook folders.

For POP and IMAP access to gmail, Google provides some options which determine what gmail does with a message when it is downloaded by POP (mark gmail's copy as read, delete gmail's copy, archive, ...) and which messages are available via POP (all email, only new email, only email not already downloaded via POP, ...). Also, IMAP access must be enabled there, if you use it. These options are in the menu named "Forwarding and IMAP/POP" in the gmail account management.

I don't know if it is possible to set up the same gmail account in two ways on the PlayBook (e.g., POP for email archival and EAS for current usage and calendar/contact sync). If so, that could be a work-around for those who want to keep older email on the PlayBook.