The real .mac opens up with new regulations

"the change to Mobile Me wasn't so much about domain names as it was about just getting away from the Apple brand, and creating a service that both Mac and PC users would be interested in. "

If Apple really wants PC users to be more interested, they need to make the PC versions of the desktops apps NOT look like they are Mac applications. I hate the fact that iTunes on Windows looks like a Mac app. I don't want that any more than I want apps on Macs to look like they are running on Windows....

Umm, I'm pretty sure a lot of us here are interested in where this information comes from...I mean, who says it's true? When does it take effect? How will we be able to register domains like this? Or will it be available only for a hefty fee, or large corporations and such?

Everything I've read about these new TLDs says that trademarked names won't be allowed. Hell, the article linked in this post says it in the bulleted "story highlights" at the top of the page.

So, no. No .mac.

Are you kidding? I bet Apple knew about this. How alliterative is: Mobile.Me.Mac

Watch.

This seems like a really bad idea. I bet spammers are beaming right now. Expect a rush on names close to high profile banks, vendors, and retailers.

For one thing, no one company would be able to own an entire top-level domain. Apple could register apple.mac, mac.mac, dot.mac, and several other names, but they couldn't just "own" all of it.

Also, I think maybe you meant that, with MobileMe, Apple was trying to get away from"the Mac brand" rather than from "the Apple brand"?

Don't be silly, you can bet Apple will be first in line to own .mac top-level-domain.

What they do with it, if anything, is pure speculation, but there's no way they're going to let some competitor grab the name that's been associated with them for 25 years.

They may want the iPhone to be "platform neutral", but the same feelings don't apply to their computer business.

Getting away from the Apple brand? Since when has Apple EVER wanted to do this? That's like saying that they should rename the iPhone to PhoneMe and iTunes to TuneMeIn, so that PC users would be more likely to use them!

Not that I wouldn't use it (I'm not stopping my subscription), but really, MobileMe sounds like something some OTHER company would come up with; something that took all of 5 minutes in a meeting to decide upon.

Sounds like Apple is saying "Sorry, we made a complete mess of .Mac and we're ashamed of the Mac brand, so we're changing it and hoping nobody will realize that it's the same .Mac service we're building upon."

Or maybe Microsoft and Apple are in a legal battle over DOT NET vs. DOT MAC, who knows?!

Ok, I got that off my chest. Thanks!

.me is for montenegro and apple already owns it ;-)

I don't think Apple changed from .Mac to MobileMe to get away from the Apple brand. It was to look a little more neutral to all iPhone users whether they are on Windows or a Mac. So they were just getting away from the "Mac" brand since the services now are available to Windows and Mac users - and anyone I guess although Linux people can't take advantage of the sync capabilities. So not the Apple brand just the Mac name.