I tried the 999kb technique and did not work.

There is a sure, more legitimate fix available. In the user name section of GMAIL account setup on the PDA, type username as "recent:username@gmail.com. "
Adding the recent tells Gmail not to reset emails on subsiquent send/receives. Beware that adding the recent will only keep messages for 30 days. messages that hit the 30 day mark will be deleted. if you want to keep a message for longer than 30 days, I suggest moving it to a different folder as the 30 day limit approaches.

Appearently this needs to be done with all Windows Mobile OS out there. G-mail will automatically recognize a blackberry, but for any other device add the "recent:" before username.

Oh yeah make sure your Gmail is activated for POP access.

hope this helps. worked great for my T-Mobile MDA.
Let me know if it doesnt.