I feel the ease and integration of iPhoto homepage publishing and iSync to my wife's pbook, and my cell (i know available without .mac)is worth it without any of the email stuff. I really like it, and hope the "digital life" aspect of it - syncing your data and 'personality" (addresses, calendar, bookmarks, etc) will expand.
How about making it so you can log in to the apple site and play songs you have purchased on the iTunes store? Just thinking out loud...(and without music at work)...
Lee