I can not use Safari to log on to many free WiFi locations, I get caught in a loop of clicking on the TOS agreement. I have to use FireFox or Explorer (which I only have on the aged G3 iBook) and then I can log on and switch to Safari if I want. I think that it is some sort of Javascript problem, but I am not enough of a tech to know for sure.

So is Apple's decision based on technical limitations of older browsers?

Just spend 4,000 and they will let you in.

This article seems to be a bit unsure about what it's talking about. Is it talking about the existing .Mac iDisk? That would be the logical assumption based on the current screenshots. But then they throw in some FUD about the Mobile Me iDisk's web app, which is different.

It's obvious when you stop to think about it... the .Mac website is simply employing an outdated browser sniffer at the gateway to the iDisk web app. Why else would they allow Firefox 2, but not Firefox 3? It's probably just hard-coded to use certain UI Agent strings, and not being too flexible about the version numbers.

Now, does this mean that the new Mobile Me web app is going to have the same restrictions? If you think "yes," then I'll just put it bluntly: you're an idiot. The developers most likely just decided against updating the existing web app that's going to be replaced in a few weeks.

Please note that I'm not exactly defending Apple's decision to employ browser sniffing. And I also think it would be reasonable to expect Apple to properly maintain adequate access requirements to an app that's currently in use, no matter how soon it's going to be deprecated. However, it's absolutely ludicrous to think that Apple's going to employ the same restrictions on last year's web app in next year's app as well.

I have no problem using Firefox 3 beta and iDisk. I have part of my website in "Sites" and they open fine in Firefox 3 as of three minutes ago.

If you can change the User Agent for your browser (usually pretty easy), you can get around this. I tried iCab. It got in if I used the identity (User Agent) of Firefox 2. It did not if I chose some others, including Opera 9. One other thing: be sure to clear your cache after changing the User Agent if you have received the "unsupported browser" page.

That supports the guess that it's a browser sniffer. That's hardly unusual.

I was able to find out this in less than a minute. I would have expected the author to do a little personal research before posting the article.