iTools Becomes Pay Service, Renamed To .Mac

by , 11:15 AM EDT, July 17th, 2002

In today's MACWORLD NY Keynote, Apple introduced a number of changes to the iTools service we've been familiar with for some years now. Along with several new features and a name change, the new .Mac service has been switched to a pay-service. According to Apple's press release shortly after the Keynote:

Available immediately, .Mac’s powerful set of sharing, protection and communication tools include:

• Mac.com email, a robust email service that includes 15MB of IMAP/POP mail storage, secure access to mail, virus protection and a brand new web-based interface;
• iDisk, 100MB of Internet storage that is built into the Mac OS X Finder and also accessible from Windows or Linux machines;
• HomePage, Apple’s easy-to-use web site creation tool that allows users to publish an elegant web site in minutes;
• McAfee's award-winning Virex anti-virus software to help users minimize the risk of viruses; and
• Backup, a personal back-up solution that allows users to archive data to their iDisk, CD or DVD.

Along with Jaguar, .Mac users will also be able to publish and update schedules and events with iCal, the new calendar and organiser application, as well as Mac Slides, a screensaver that other Jaguar users can access.

.Mac is available as a subscription-based service for $99.95 a year. If you already have iTools , you'll have a free trial period of .Mac until September 30th, and are eligible for a reduced subscription of $49.95. You can also sign up for a 60-day free trial from Mac.com.

You can read the PR in full at Apple's Web site.

The Mac Observer Spin:

Steve Jobs talked about changing realities before breaking the news that .Mac will be a per-year pay service. We are surprised to see that Apple won't be leaving some of the old services for free, but we also see the new services being offered in .Mac as well worth the value. Apple's yearly price of US$99 works out to US$8.25 per month, which is very competitive with most of the vaguely similar services being offered elsewhere. In our opinion, it's worth it for many Mac consumers.

It's also a great addition to Apple's revenue stream. From the standpoint of Apple's financials, this could lead to a significant boost to Apple's bottom line, and it is our thought that this will be a very high-margin service for Apple. Wall Street should like that.

Apple: Apple Launches .Mac