Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, MobileMe
A month later, it's still Mobile 'Meh'
Yesterday, Mobile Me was down again, underscoring how little the service has improved since its introduction last month. Pockets of users have been affected regularly by outages and slowness since the service first came online. MacRumors calculates that Mobile Me has been up 96 percent of the time (that is, down for 13.5 hours) over the last two weeks.
As a Mobile Me subscriber, I wonder if the opening-day trial subscriptions will matter in yet another month: that's when, for many (but not all) the 60-day trial period expires. If those disappointed with the service choose to flee, then perhaps the server load will decrease, and performance will improve for the rest of us.
Of course, we all read Steve Jobs' leaked email, and surmised that he gave many more expletive-laden tirades before the memo was released. We have a promise from the top that service will improve by December, and that's some solace, but what of the meantime?
And what of the blog? Your friend and mine, David G., hasn't posted a thing since July 29, promising an update post that never arrived.
Until then, I suppose all we can do is watch the support page, keep calm, and carry on.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Christopher Kalanderopoulos said 12:14PM on 8-12-2008
Hey everyone!! As of last night, I noticed my MobileMe is actually working as push. I tested out calendars and mail and everything updated quickly. I sent a few emails from another account to myself (including attachments) and I received them in less than a minute - everyone should check their account. I'm pretty sure the service is back up and running the way it should be for most.
I also haven't noticed many browser slow downs and crashes as much as they occurred just after launch.
Many people will have 120 days to fully test the service (60 trial + 30 days for lack of push + 30 days to UK/Canada, etc. residents for the credit card overcharge thing).
Also, if people do decide to flee, the service will still be growing. As people flee, the system gets better, and more people hear about it and start coming back/new people join. Either way, Apple has to keep upgrading its services to make sure it is not under such burden again, although I doubt that it is due to such volumes and volumes of users that the slowdowns occur. Apple's systems clearly still have some work to be undergone but sheer volume is not the worry of the big company.
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Slobi said 12:59PM on 8-12-2008
You can't POSSIBLY claim that having people fleeing a service makes the service - BETTER! What a silly (insert your own word) thing to say. By that logic, a mass-murderer is a friend to all those that didn't get killed by him. Or something equally dumb.
lordjedijoe said 1:08PM on 8-12-2008
Christopher,
have you used iDisk?
I can't seem to access my account remotely by granting a guest password. So others can share my files without having my login address.
Does this feature work?
Josh said 1:10PM on 8-12-2008
Slobi, check your logic.
People leaving = less load = better service.
Christopher Kalanderopoulos said 1:48PM on 8-12-2008
I have used iDisk, but that was back when the service wasn't so reliable. I have since been using Time Machine as my backup and burning some DVDs of my mission critical files as a secondary backup, so I don't really have the need for trying out iDisk again (plus uploading large files isn't my cup of tea - I'm not so patient).
@ Slobi: I wasn't making the claim that it would make the service better. The original article said that the service's performance might improve, I just stated why in fact that would not last.
mapin said 2:39PM on 8-12-2008
People leaving = less load = less revenue = less money devoted to make it work = worse service.
Christopher Kalanderopoulos said 2:58PM on 8-12-2008
Apple's cash worth is above $20 Billion and they have already obviously invested in MobileMe, they know the potential of their software.
They don't need to have people in there to have a reason to invest more money. They obviously invested in upgrading MobileMe from .Mac without any real increase in users, but rather because it is what they do - increase their software development to be able to rake in more money.
Don't think of it as they want more users and then they'll spend the money. It is more like they will spend the money to bring in more users.
yubo said 5:44PM on 8-12-2008
Yipeee!!!
Your service just got better. Just canceled my MobileMe account. Expect big things now!!
lordjedijoe said 12:15PM on 8-12-2008
does the calender function work for anyone?
Every time I enter a meeting time in the calender on me.com, it doesn't up date it.
Also, every time, I enter a meeting time on my iPhone, it keeps it there until I open me.com
Any solutions?
Many thanks.
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Tony said 1:09PM on 8-12-2008
Same here.. except when I sync the iphone it frequently deletes the entries I've just entered. Just looking I realize *another* entry has gone missing and must be reentered.
Just not good enough.
PistolPeet said 2:50PM on 8-12-2008
Yeah, I'm noticing the same sort of thing. I've had to turn off OTA sync and go back to USB sync'ing, just because I can't risk always having to check that entries I've added have stayed where they should do. My memory is useless, that's why I use my phone for all my appointments/contacts. I need to be able to rely on it!
If it works, and if they let my use my own domain on the email then I'll definitely sign up but at the moment it's useless to me. (88 days left on my trial...)
yubo said 12:20PM on 8-12-2008
Yesterday my MobileMe account was canceled with no 30 day extension. Also, 10 days prior I had upgraded to a Family Plan and was charged for it but it was never received.
I love Apple products and have a $10K Macpro setup and 3 iPhones but this service sucks plain and simple.
Steve Jobs says that by the end of the year MobileMe will be something that we can all be proud of. Check back then. Because right now - its something to be ashamed of.
STILL not recommended.
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lordjedijoe said 12:22PM on 8-12-2008
i hardly ever post comments, but thank you Christopher. My calender actually worked when I just tested it this morning.
I have one other question - is there an App or other solution that will show me my appointments without going through these steps:
1. unlock phone
2. click on caleneder
On other phones - appointments show on the home screen - I would like that functionality.
Many thanks.
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Christopher Kalanderopoulos said 12:39PM on 8-12-2008
No problem - I never post either, but I noticed that I got an email through MobileMe without fetching it myself and tested it and it worked great, so I was very happy!
Anyways, the only way I know of right now to do that is to open calendar before you turn off your iphone and that way, when you unlock it, it'll be there for you, saving you one step (well, not really, just moving the step around and doing it earlier).
There should be an option to set an app to open up whenever you turn on the iphone, but alas, no such option. Maybe in 2.1.0? Ahh, who am I kidding... 3.0?
riley9576 said 12:23PM on 8-12-2008
This service has never worked for me. I continue to experience issues with syncing my mac with MobileMe (could not sync due to inconsistent data). I've been promised an email response from a MobileMe specialist for over three weeks now. And, even today when I "chatted" with a support representative in the hopes of securing an updated timeline on when I should expect a response (not even resolution) ... I was told "at least another week."
The kick in the pants is that I just renewed for another 150 bucks.
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MacGeek Pro said 12:23PM on 8-12-2008
My guess is that David G. might have been beheaded by Jobs.
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riley9576 said 12:24PM on 8-12-2008
This service has never worked for me. I continue to experience issues with syncing my mac with MobileMe (could not sync due to inconsistent data). I've been promised an email response from a MobileMe specialist for over three weeks now. And, even today when I "chatted" with a support representative in the hopes of securing an updated timeline on when I should expect a response (not even resolution) ... I was told "at least another week."
The kick in the pants is that I just renewed for another 150 bucks.
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Brian said 1:44PM on 1-10-2009
I "chatted" with someone more than a week ago. It took almost an hour to get to the front of the line (the little "time till talk" indicator kept jumping from 30 minutes to 1 minute and back). The person I was chatting with kept asking me to "wait a minute", "wait a moment", and eventually "wait a second". Finally I asked (three times) to have an email response to my question (the chatter couldn't figure it out). I was told I would receive an email in 15 days then when pushed, "within 48 hours". When I asked for compensation, I was linked to the 30-day extension. Meh.
Kevin G said 12:38PM on 8-12-2008
Calendar application still barely functions for me. This service is TERRIBLE. New subscribers please be warned. THIS IS NOT WORTH YOUR MONEY. Shame on Apple. I now despise the company and will continue to spread the word about how horrible MobileMe is. Apple is the new Microsoft.
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Frank the Tank said 12:41PM on 8-12-2008
exactly why I am not resubsribing next month...
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