Patent ID: 7266586

Claim:
A method comprising performing a machine-executed operation involving instructions for presenting a unified view of a first message sent to a first mailbox on a second client using a low cost communication channel and a high cost communication channel, a first client having a second communication channel with a second mailbox and a low cost communication channel with the second client, the second client capable of being coupled in communication with the second mailbox using the high cost communication channel, wherein the machine-executed operation is at least one of: A) sending said instructions over transmission media; B) receiving said instructions over transmission media; C) storing said instructions onto a machine-readable storage medium; and D) executing the instructions; wherein said instructions are instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: receiving the first message at the first client; generating a distinguishing identifier for the first message; sending at least a portion of the first message and the distinguishing identifier to the second mailbox using the second communication channel; responsive to an action on the first message on the first client, creating a second message including the distinguishing identifier and a description of the action; sending the second message to the second mailbox using the second communication channel; and selectably causing updating the unified view of the first message on the second client using either the high cost communication channel or the low cost communication channel.