[TETENAL]

I'm underwhelmed by MobileMe. Yes, you get double the storage space, a calendar and an updated address book, but everything else is pretty much the same. Including, unfortunately, the price. At 99$ a year it's pretty steep.

Somehow I expected more from this update.

[@pplejaxkz]

I don't like the name. I would rather they stick with ".Mac" Mobile Me sounds like Windows Mobile and that makes me cringe. =/

[Kerrigan]

Is that an automated post generated from the standard post-keynote-whining template?

(Seriously though, I agree. $99/year is too steep for what you get)

[jokell82]

I'm tempted to find a .Mac box on the cheap to try it out for a year. But my guess is I'll just pass altogether.

[Mastrap]

Considering nobody has actually tried the service, which includes a number of web apps to rival google's offering, I am tempted to reserve judgment.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

It isn't bad but I'd think they could do more.

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by TETENAL 

I'm underwhelmed by MobileMe. Yes, you get double the storage space, a calendar and an updated address book, but everything else is pretty much the same. Including, unfortunately, the price. At 99$ a year it's pretty steep.

Somehow I expected more from this update.

Agreed. The name is pretty damn lousy as well IMO, but not out of character with MacBookPro. MobileMe is just rebranded dotmac and dotmac wasn't all that great to begin with.

Their features are mediocre, their price is very high and their service is constantly down. Will rebranding change any of that? No.

Dotmac just doesn't inspire me and it certainly doesn't justify paying for atop the mobile monthly charge.

Bottom line for dotmac 2.0: meh

[analogue SPRINKLES]

So what features would you guys like to make it worth it? I really like the idea of having it show the location of your friends in a map and notify you when you are nearby.

[64stang06]

Apple should have bundled the first year of Mobile Me with a new iPhone/iPod touch.

Also, it appears the price of a Family Pack is down $50 to $149.

[Luca Rescigno]

Originally Posted by voodoo 

Bottom line for iTools 3.0: meh

fixt

[voodoo]

Originally Posted by Luca Rescigno 

fixt

hehe indeed

(although I found iTools 1.0 to be a very neat service, unlike 2.0 and 3.0)

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Mastrap 

Considering nobody has actually tried the service, which includes a number of expensive web apps to rival google's free offering, I am tempted to reserve judgment.

Fixed. It's not that MobileMe is terrible (aside from the name) — it's just that it seems underwhelming considering what you pay. There's no way you can make a Webmail interface worth $99 a year to many people.

[MacosNerd]

From what I gather, we at least get to keep the .mac account as opposed to being forced to use a .me email address. If that was the case, I would have dropped the .mac/about me account in a heart beat. I like .mac but I only really use it for the email address. Too much work moving my stuff off of it, and even if I do, my account name for itunes stays the same and that's my .mac email address.

I'm hoping the calendar is something I can update via a web page because that's just what I was looking for.

If I were to get an iphone, I'd say that the about me is definitely worth it. I'm with the OP and I'm a bit underwhelmed.

[BRussell]

No one has mentioned over-the-air syncing (with push) for the iPhone. It seems to me that's the big deal with it.

What I'd also like to see, but doesn't seem to be part of this yet, is over-the-air syncing and using files with the iphone. Contacts, emails, and calendar syncing is nice, but it would be nice to put 15-20 GB of music or other files on Apple's server and have access from your phone.

[Art Vandelay]

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

I'm hoping the calendar is something I can update via a web page because that's just what I was looking for.

It is. That's one of the big features of MobileMe. The web versions of Mail, Address Book, and iCal are almost identical to the desktop versions.

[ATLMacUser]

I'll agree with the consensus of this thread that the name change seems a bit odd... But alot of the apps usage seems more seamless between your machines... All and all it's just an update, and you do get MORE for the same price. But mainly I want to see the finished product before I complain.
I've never had a problem with the 100 dollar annual... it's less than 8-9 bucks a mo. (what two combo meals at mcyd's?)
I've always compared .mac with yahoo or gmail like XBOX Live and the "free" system used on the Sony PS3- you get A LOT more when you pay for it...

[k2director]

Looks like it doesn't sync your To Dos. What a stupid omission, Apple.

[mindwaves]

I much prefer Mobile Me to .Mac. They only renamed iTools to .Mac because of the resemblance to .NET and also because of Tenon's iTools.

[kman42]

It's obviously not JUST an update. I think to add the push features, they probably had to redo much of the infrastructure. The reason we could never edit .mac calendars on the web is because the .mac infrastructure was really just a way to move static data around. That's also why it wasn't pushed. MobileMe is different in that regard.

.mac was always about syncing a few computers. MobileMe is about instant access to data from anywhere. They are very different beasts. The fact that they both deal with calendars and contacts is simply a coincidence: people wanted to sync this data between two computers five years ago and now they want that data available from everywhere. Apple is positioning MobileMe as a solution for iPhone/Touch users.

.mac was ahead of its time and poorly implemented. MobileMe is exactly what iPhone users want now and I bet they have spent considerable time making the back end much better than .mac was. Steve was willing to let .mac wither on the vine, but MobileMe is part of his iPhone vision and it will get a lot of attention.

And I bet it is only a short while before we can access all those iDisk files from our iPhones. And even use Back to My Mac with it. Quick Look from an iPhone to files stored on my computer?! You bet.

[Salty]

OK honestly I hate to admit it, but I think I might finally buy .mac... the question is, can I do this right before the switch to mobile me? Because frankly who the heck wants to be [email protected] laaame. Now the question is can I tie it in for push email from my gmail account? That'd be great! If not then I dono. Either way now push really shouldn't be had for Apple to do with this push server they're doing, all it would mean is that mail would find out that their server has new mail.

Really what should happen is Apple should be offering push email to the iPhone sans all the syncing, on at least the level of a BlackBerry come september. If not Google should have no problem releasing their own Gmail client. Actually when GoogleTalk goes on the iPhone I could easily see that incoroprating email in one client.

[lpkmckenna]

dotMac was always a silly name, but mobileme isn't any better. Why not just mac.com? That was always the email address anyways.

I think mobileme is finally worth the $99 a year. Think about it: your 8GB phone has access to another 20GB worth of stuff, and all the push/sync services finally makes dotMac + iPhone seem incredible.

[Stogieman]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Fixed. It's not that MobileMe is terrible (aside from the name) — it's just that it seems underwhelming considering what you pay. There's no way you can make a Webmail interface worth $99 a year to many people.

Waaah! All you whiners keep bitching about the $99 price tag.

I've never paid more than $69 to renew my .mac subscription. You just have to know where to shop.

[moep]

Too little, too late, too expensive.

Basic OTA syncing should be a standard feature of every iPhone.
For email and calendar there's ical with google apps, I don't care about the gallery (could use flickr though) and don't make me compare iDisk to dropbox with a native iPhone client (which is bound to happen sooner or later).

[Don Pickett]

Just watched the keynote, and it's clear to me that MobileMe is exactly what Apple says it is: Exchange for the rest of us. It's perfect for smaller and midsize companies which don't want to shell out for Exchange. The only question I have is whether Apple will have some kind of corporate pricing discount.

[angelmb]

.mac was a way better name than .me if you are not a native speaker of english.

- dot mac?, what's Mac?
- your new & friendly computer
- ha, nice

- dot me?, what's me?
- english for 'yo'
- oh, it's english… doesn't come in spanish?

[analogika]

Originally Posted by k2director 

Looks like it doesn't sync your To Dos. What a stupid omission, Apple.

I find this difficult to believe, considering that ToDos are just a designated IMAP mail folder. I'm sure they'll be synched.

AFAIC, this is EXCELLENT.

I'm a .Mac subscriber, and web-editable calendars and a web-browsable iDisk are two features I've *really* been missing.

Coupled with push synching to (and from) iPhone, and the iPhone's new price point and global availability, MobileMe is going to sell like CRAZY (compared to before), and it's actually going to help sell iPhones, as well.

[Stogieman]

Originally Posted by 64stang06 

Also, it appears the price of a Family Pack is down $50 to $149.

Amazon has it for $125. That's a steal. If anyone is going to sign up for MobileMe, do it before July 11th. You don't want to get stuck with a me.com email address. (Yuck!)

[Randman]

Originally Posted by red rocket 

Me, as well. It’s not just the ‘mobile’ part, it’s also the ‘Me’ bit.

Reminds me of Windows ‘Millennium Edition’, and ‘Mini Me’ from the Austin Powers films.

Meh.

Agreed.

[red rocket]

Originally Posted by @pplejaxkz

Mobile Me sounds like Windows Mobile and that makes me cringe. =/

Me, as well. It’s not just the ‘mobile’ part, it’s also the ‘Me’ bit.

Reminds me of Windows ‘Millennium Edition’, and ‘Mini Me’ from the Austin Powers films.

Meh.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay 

It is. That's one of the big features of MobileMe. The web versions of Mail, Address Book, and iCal are almost identical to the desktop versions.

Cool, then mobile me is for me

Getting information was sketchy at best yesterday afternoon. I can see this trying to compete with the google apps. They seem to be better suited for that then MS does.

[driven]

For me the sync functionality alone is worth that. This is especially true given that it can sync outlook on my PCs as well.

Hosted Exchange which ONLY does sync (and ONLY with Outlook) and doesn't have any of the other functionality (such as photos, BTTM, etc) sells for over $20 per month. If this sync stuff works then this is a bargain. (Even with the goofy name!)

[TETENAL]

Remember, that this is "for the rest of us". It's not marketed towards big corporations.

So yes, sync is useful, but all my Macs are on a local network. I feel ripped off by Apple, because I think that sync should work without their service on the Internet. Sync with my cell phone already works fine without .Mac/mobileme.

"The rest of us" can collect "the rest of the services" for free somewhere else. Addresses and e-mail from Google mail or Yahoo, image sharing from Flickr, online storage space is often already provided by your ISP, you can get it from Microsoft SkyDrive, Yahoo Briefcase or that other service that was recently discussed here. Google also has a calendar, and it has a word processor which you could get from Adobe as well. Adobe also offers more than crop and rotate in its online image editor.

So you get everything and more than in mobileme for free already, if you are willing to look around a little bit. Basically you pay $99 for the integration of all those services. I think that's a steep price.

[Mastrap]

For people who know what they're doing online this is true. I run google apps for my domains and I am unlikely to change that anytime soon. However, for my parents for example this would be perfect. Zero setup, 100% convenience. Perfect.

However, I have a .mac account, primarily for the convenience of iDisk, so I'll see what all the fuss is about soon enough.

[cwosigns]

I'm totally psyched about it. Looking forward to push email on my iPhone, synchronization of all of my calendars and contacts without having to change my email address or jump through a bunch of hoops.

Worth every penny to me.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Originally Posted by TETENAL 

I'm underwhelmed by MobileMe.
Somehow I expected more from this update.

Of course you are and of course you did.

Originally Posted by Mastrap 

Considering nobody has actually tried the service, which includes a number of web apps to rival google's offering, I am tempted to reserve judgment.

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

It isn't bad but I'd think they could do more.

Really, have you used it?

Originally Posted by voodoo 

Their features are mediocre, their price is very high and their service is constantly down. Will rebranding change any of that? No.

Really, have you used it? In fact, have you used .Mac, because .Mac is not "constantly down" as you put it.

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

So what features would you guys like to make it worth it? I really like the idea of having it show the location of your friends in a map and notify you when you are nearby.

That's a feature of iPhone GPS I think.

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Fixed. It's not that MobileMe is terrible (aside from the name) — it's just that it seems underwhelming considering what you pay. There's no way you can make a Webmail interface worth $99 a year to many people.

Really, have you tried it?

[Jawbone54]

I would much rather keep .mac at the end of my addy.

.me just looks ridiculous, to be honest. I guess they might be doing that so iPhone users who prefer PCs can subscribe to the service without attaching themselves to the Mac brand (?).

MobileMe looks like it's really only worth the investment for iPhone users who don't use Exchange. Honestly, it's enough for me to continue my .mac account, which I was going to let expire. And that indicates that a Sony Ericsson K550i will be eBayed within the coming weeks so I can make room for my brand-spankin' new iPhone July 11.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by MRTrauffer 

The continued use of mac.com email addresses and iweb links is indefinite once MobileMe is launched. Also, new MobileMe members will have the option of using either.

Apple - Support - Discussions - Use of mac.com addresses is indefinite ...

Thank God for that.

[MRTrauffer]

The continued use of mac.com email addresses and iweb links is indefinite once MobileMe is launched. Also, new MobileMe members will have the option of using either.

Apple - Support - Discussions - Use of mac.com addresses is indefinite ...

[rickey939]

So I'm used to still being able to access .Mac Homepage templates and update them as needed. I assume that is all going bye bye with MobileMe, right? The page will always be accessible though? I'm confused.

[MRTrauffer]

Not sure about Homepage access.

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

And that indicates that a Sony Ericsson K550i will be eBayed within the coming weeks so I can make room for my brand-spankin' new iPhone July 11.

You and me both.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Mrjinglesusa 

Really, have you tried it?

No. I also haven't tried watching paint dry, but I'm pretty sure I know how it goes.

[rickey939]

Originally Posted by MRTrauffer 

Not sure about Homepage access.

Yeah, this is very odd....I don't see any transition notes on Apple's site about HomePage or the on-line Bookmarks feature.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by Mastrap 

You and me both.

*high five*

8GB or 16GB?

[Jawbone54]

The only thing keeping me away from the 16GB is the white back. Meh...

I'll still probably relent. The drop from a 30GB iPod (also for sale soon) to 8GB is steep.

[Jawbone54]

The only thing keeping me away from the 16GB is the white back. Meh...

I'll still probably relent. The drop from a 30GB iPod (also for sale soon) to 8GB is steep.

[EDIT] Why am I time-traveling today?

[SECOND EDIT]And my edit was treated as a separate post.

[Mastrap]

16 for sure. Just to have the space available.

[Art Vandelay]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

The only thing keeping me away from the 16GB is the white back. Meh...

You do know that the 16GB model is available in both white and black, right?

[Art Vandelay]

Originally Posted by rickey939 

Yeah, this is very odd....I don't see any transition notes on Apple's site about HomePage or the on-line Bookmarks feature.

Online bookmarks are dead according to the FAQ. No mention of HomePage though, but it's not mentioned in the list of discontinued services.

.Mac to MobileMe transition FAQ

As part of this transition to MobileMe, some features are being discontinued: Web access to bookmarks (bookmark sync between your Macs and/or PCs is still supported), iCards, .Mac slides, and support for Mac OS X 10.3 Panther sync.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay 

You do know that the 16GB model is available in both white and black, right?

.................

*shame*

Had no idea. I misread the Engadget feed, I guess.