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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Applications > Is .Mac worth it anymore?

Is .Mac worth it anymore?
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99RedSi
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Feb 9, 2007, 09:54 AM
 
I've had .Mac for 2 full years now and am up for renewal by March 6th. However, I am torn since I hardly use the email address - I only use the iDisk feature and I'm sure I could get that elsewhere, possibly for free.

I tried to do a search but it's not working at all for me (2 differents machiens too .. very odd).

Any recommendations?
Mac Mini C2D 1.83/1/80/10.5.5
iMac G4 20" Superdrive 1.25/1.25/80/10.4.9
iBook G4 12" 1.33/512/40/10.4.9
iPod Video 30GB / Shure e4c Earbuds
     
JKT
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Feb 9, 2007, 10:45 AM
 
IMO, definitely no, not at the moment. I'm really disappointed with how little Apple has offered .Mac users this time around (basically nothing more than an upgrade to the Webmail interface which, while OK, hardly justifies how much is being charged). Unless they are waiting for Leopard to enable them to provide more features, I'm seriously considering ditching it the next time my renewal comes up. Other software is arriving on the scene to take over the synching features (which is currently the biggest plus that .Mac has, together with an IMAP e-mail account). However, I haven't yet heard of an e-mail service to replace it other than one you set up yourself with a hosting service, and that's not cheap.
     
Philip J. Fry
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Feb 9, 2007, 11:47 AM
 
With Time Machine due with Leopard, I wonder how useful .Mac Backup will be.
     
besson3c
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Feb 9, 2007, 12:01 PM
 
I believe Yahoo offers IMAP access, and Google offers POP access. Running email is expensive though, your best bets are going to be the email offered by your ISP or paying for your own service.
     
Severed Hand of Skywalker
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Feb 9, 2007, 04:37 PM
 
It hasn't been worth it for years. Every year .Mac members keep thinking there will be some major change just around the corner that makes it worth the outrageous price but 5 years later that still hasn't come.

Plus if you cancel you get to keep your .Mac name for iChat forever for free.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
     
Big Mac
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Feb 9, 2007, 07:11 PM
 
It's worth it to me to have my mac.com email address, and iDisk is nice at times.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
DuckRacer1
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Feb 9, 2007, 09:06 PM
 
Gmail + Firefox + Gmail Space Extension (all FREE) > .Mac ($100 per year).
     
torifile
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Feb 9, 2007, 10:49 PM
 
There is no syncing solution comparable to what iSync offers. The ONLY reason I've kept .mac all these years is because of syncing my multiple macs. Without that, I would have dropped .mac long ago. IMHO, if you don't use the syncing, you're paying way more than you should.

Mark/Space has put out an app recently that syncs multiple Macs without using .mac, but I think it costs like $50. The rest of .mac, for me, is worth $50/year.
     
arng1
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Feb 9, 2007, 10:59 PM
 
xdrive is similar to idisk and its free. All you need is an aol screen name or an aim account to log in. Heres a LINK
     
rickey939
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Feb 10, 2007, 02:21 AM
 
Yes.
     
Mr Heliums
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Feb 10, 2007, 03:36 AM
 
The syncing alone makes it worthwhile for me, although I'm sure I could wean myself off it if I tried.

And .Mac webmail is very nice.
     
Mr Heliums
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Feb 10, 2007, 03:39 AM
 
Originally Posted by arng1 View Post
xdrive is similar to idisk and its free. All you need is an aol screen name or an aim account to log in. Heres a LINK
Similar apart from the fact that in its free mode it offers a twentieth of iDisk's space.
     
slider
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Feb 10, 2007, 11:21 AM
 
I have had my .Mac account for quite a while now, and I have the extra storage.

While I think you can definitely find cheaper or free alternatives, the I like my .Mac account because it doesn't require any additional effort on my part. I don't need to look for those alternatives, keep up with what's changing year to year in those alternatives to make sure that it keeps working or remains free. I use to post on Macnn forums a lot, but in the last 2-3 years I doubt I've posted more than twenty times, I just have other things that take up my time these days, so .Mac allows me to post pictures, share files, check my email remotely, build a quick website or whatever. Yes, it's definitely worth it for me, I'm paying for the connivence.
     
Timo
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Feb 10, 2007, 11:45 AM
 
Originally Posted by torifile View Post
There is no syncing solution comparable to what iSync offers. The ONLY reason I've kept .mac all these years is because of syncing my multiple macs. Without that, I would have dropped .mac long ago. IMHO, if you don't use the syncing, you're paying way more than you should.

Mark/Space has put out an app recently that syncs multiple Macs without using .mac, but I think it costs like $50. The rest of .mac, for me, is worth $50/year.
This is the only reason why I keep it too -- synching is worth it to me. I don't even use the e.mail address.
     
Old Toad
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Feb 10, 2007, 03:52 PM
 
I like the .Mac account for the email and the alias you can create with it. If the alias I use for online shopping starts to get spam I can delete it and create a new one. In that respect it's very worthwhile.
     
   
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