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WWDC 08 - Apple Announces MobileMe, Will Replace .Mac

by , 3:00 PM EDT, June 9th, 2008

Apple is giving it's .Mac service a major overhaul and rebranding it as MobileMe. The service will support live pushing emails, contacts, and calendar events from your computer to an iPhone or iPod touch, and will also include 20GB of online storage.


Goodbye .Mac, hello MobileMe

MobileMe will also sport a set of Web-based applications at me.com for managing personal information, photos and documents online. It will include the MobileMe Gallery for sharing photos online, and MobileMe iDisk for online document storage.

The service will be compatible with Mac OS X 10.4.11 and higher, and Windows XP Home or Professional SP2 or later. It will also require iPhone or iPod touch 2.0 software, which will be available in early July.

Current .Mac subscribers will automatically be upgraded to MobileMe for free.

MobileMe will be available in July for US$99 a year.

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:WetcoastBob Posts: 83 Joined: 17 Aug 2006
Subject:

Dot Mac sounds more tech than "Mobile Me", but what's in a name? After all, I am a member of the "Me" generation.

I am looking forward to exploring this, having been a member of .mac for 2 years.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: heck no

im sorry, but if its no longer @mac.com im getting out and going to google.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Me, me, me.....

Nice coup getting the PC's on board. I assume the me@mac.com addresses will remain functional and simply forward to me@mobileme.com

And more storage is nice too. Still I hope speed will be increased significantly, because at the moment that's nothing to write home about. Lack of speed is holding .Mac seriously back methinks.

Close Name:MacNano Posts: 8 Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Subject: Still $99 PER YEAR?

I was hoping for something like $49 per year.

Maybe I can wait until it goes on sale!!!!

Close Name:burreyeann Posts: 1144 Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Subject:

Whew, can still keep @mac.com.

MobileMe, what a retarded name. Sounds like a service of Windows Me, or some product from M$.

As Mr. Horse would say: "No sir, I don't like it."

Close Name:linnefaulk Posts: 10 Joined: 19 Nov 2005
Subject:

It's a step in the right direction and has made me think about actually buying an iPhone (though I wish I could read my eBooks on it). But I hate the cloud analogy. What's next, rainbows and unicorns?

Close Name:Tristan Posts: 1 Joined: 09 Jun 2008
Subject:

I wonder if some of this change isn't to cache in on the family friendly persona of Wii. It is definitely a step toward moving the service away from the tech centric coolness factor of having .mac.

That being said, I do think that Me has enough other possible meanings as a brand that this might not get the traction that something more unique might otherwise get. I am also more than a little surprised at the continued $99 per year service rate.

Close Name:spudgeek Posts: 6 Joined: 18 Mar 2008
Subject: Why not support personal email domains

iWeb supports personal web domains albeit one per .mac (me) account. If Apple would just support personal email domains, or just alias them, then I would be very pleased indeed; multiple domains per account would even be better.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: Online Backup

On the subject of file backup, sharing and storage ...

Online backup is becoming common these days. It is estimated that 70-75% of all PC's will be connected to online backup services with in the next decade.

Thousands of online backup companies exist, from one guy operating in his apartment to fortune 500 companies.

Choosing the best online backup company will be very confusing and difficult. One website I find very helpful in making a decision to pick an online backup company is:

http://www.BackupReview.info

This site lists more than 400 online backup companies in its directory and ranks the top 25 on a monthly basis.

Close Name:macinnerd Posts: 1748 Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Subject:

Quote
burreyeann wrote:
Whew, can still keep @mac.com.

MobileMe, what a retarded name. Sounds like a service of Windows Me, or some product from M$.

As Mr. Horse would say: "No sir, I don't like it."


Yeah... they even used the same font as Windows Me. Looks familiar, doesn't it?

Close Name:Partsmutt Posts: 28 Joined: 16 Nov 2004
Subject: More Windows lovin' from Apple?

Quote
macinnerd wrote:

Yeah... they even used the same font as Windows Me. Looks familiar, doesn't it?


What's with all the sucking up to Windows users? Apple makes it look and sound like ME, then they support WinXP of all things while shunning Tiger users. Between this and their disregard for anything Mac in favor of anything iPhone (gag), I'm starting to wonder about their direction.

They still make the best computers around, no doubt. But for how long? I can easily see them headed for "Apple Electronics and Gadget Company. Proudly supporting all versions of Windows, and only the latest Mac OS... if you're lucky." If my next Mac comes with a "Designed for Microsoft Windows" sticker on it, it'll be time to quit.

Close Name:gslusher Posts: 2088 Joined: 13 Nov 2002
Subject: Will work on Tiger

Quote
Partsmutt wrote:


What's with all the sucking up to Windows users? Apple makes it look and sound like ME, then they support WinXP of all things while shunning Tiger users.


Perhaps MobileMe will include remedial reading lessons. Check the article and the Apple site. MobileMe will require OS 10.4.11 or later. The last time I checked, that was "Tiger." Panther users are left out, but, then, they can't work with the iPhone, iPod touch (or any new iPod), Airport Extreme, etc.

Close Name:Guest
Subject: MobileMe

The reduced feature service will be called MobileMiniMe.

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