No, the very point of Google mail...for me, anyway....is that Google gives me promises that they save it, it is available from anywhere I can access a computer, and I don't need to use my HD...one way to keep spam & viruses away.

Of course, if I WANT a copy, I can forward it to my local email address.

(I actually uses GMail very little, as I don't travel much, and have a spam avoidance system that works fine (mostly deleting it online thru a POP checker program..) It is nice for getting confirmations of logins and throwaway registrations,,,etc.)

No, I don't really know how the filters work if you run mail thru Gmail and into a local folder...but I'd assume that the settings on the local program..(OE, Eudora, Thunderbird, Pegasus...whatever...)are the final determining factor.