Filed under: Internet Tools, Apple, MobileMe
Apple making nice with MobileMe customers
After a less than stellar debut last year, Apple is doing a better job of communication with MobileMe customers who need to decide if they want to stay on as paid users or try other options.In an email to subscribers, Apple says it has been working hard on getting MobileMe up to spec. The email details these improvements:
- Easy File Sharing. It's especially nice to have the large file sharing turned on and working. It was supposed to be available months ago, and while one could quibble about how it is only available from the web client, at least it has been delivered
- Faster Syncing with Mac and PC. The speed of updates between computers and the iPhone have been increased. My own experience confirms that this is now working very well. Your mileage may vary, but most reports are positive
- Improved notifications and sync on iPhone. Apple says the reliability of new email notices and syncing of contacts and numbers with MobileMe have been improved. Apple suggests you run iPhone software version 2.2 or later for optimal notifications.
- Better web app performance. Apple wants customers to know that the web app is faster, particularly with regard to start time for Calendar and Contacts search. I can't confirm this. Loading my Calendar took more than a minute this morning using Safari 4 beta. Later in the day, it came up instantly. I don't see anything dramatically faster in searching for contacts. You may do better, or, perish the thought, worse.
For more information keep on top of MobileMe news. Leave your comments on this story to help give us a picture how, or if, MobileMe has improved for you.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Eric said 4:28PM on 2-27-2009
I have a Macbook Pro, iPhone, and iPod Touch and have seen MobileMe syncing steadily improve. Once in a while I'll see an update not take effect within a few minutes, but overall I'm happy with the service now. It's just working.
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Fred O said 4:28PM on 2-27-2009
Too little too late. I left in January and haven't missed it. Most of the features never worked at my office due to their security. I sync my iPhone at my computer at night to charge it. It's great that they fixed it, but it'll have to do more before I consider returning. I feel foolish for the money I spent for 4 years just to have a Mac email address.
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Chris G. said 4:34PM on 2-27-2009
I just don't have a need for MobileMe. I have 1 Mac and an iPhone. Gmail covers my e-mail needs and calendar/contacts sync can just happen when I get home.
I do think it is great idea for those with several computers.
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Chedstone said 4:47PM on 2-27-2009
And too freakin expensive! I would pay $25, maybe $50 bucks, a year, but not $100, *BARF*
Irving Isler said 4:53PM on 2-27-2009
@Chedstone: I'm no appologist, but when you add up the services compared to the pay-for-play Picasa, the new You-Send-It like functionality with auto-expiring links and the instant syncing across all macs (I have 4 accounts on our companies various machines) my $10 a month is worth it.
I don't think it's worth it for everyone but $10 a month for those services isn't totally ridiculous if you use them all. Value ultimately is in the eye of the beholder though, so fair enough if anyone thinks it's a waste of money.
I appreciate the discussion.
Hobbes said 5:41PM on 2-27-2009
I don't find less than $10 a month that much, plus it's awesome to have all my 3 computers + iPhone in sync without any hassle. I'm still waiting for Back To My Mac to work and also for them to fix an issue with syncing Contacts via MobileMe, where it just resets the custom ringtones back to the default on my iPhone, which is pretty annoying (I'm syncing Contacts via iTunes right now to avoid the issue).
Apple support has been really awesome in trying to get my issues resolved. I can't really complain, but I'm hopeful that they will get the remaining issues fixed pretty soon.
Avinash Vakil said 6:02PM on 2-27-2009
I also want to point out that you can get a MobileMe 1 Year Box from Amazon for ~68 bucks, which is a 32 dollar discount. It even goes down to 60 if you buy from "Amazon Marketplace".
Patriks7 said 6:01PM on 2-28-2009
I find that MobileMe is a great service, but like others, I don't have a need for it as I currently have a MBP and iPhone only. But I am planning to get a MBA soon for my travels, so I will probably get it then to keep my most important files synced. Also, the price is more than good, as long as it works the way it should. Sure you can get similar things for free, but they will never be as hassle free.
sandrino.toomuchtoolate said 5:03PM on 2-27-2009
The cloud now support Google Chrome!
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Look said 4:46PM on 2-27-2009
i Love mobile me! Most underrated Email client!
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iGO said 4:51PM on 2-27-2009
MobileMe has been more than excellent for me. I paid $55.00 for a new license on eBay. I will ALWAYS continue to renew this way.
I have an IPhone, an iPod Touch, two iMacs and a Mackbook. Syncing is flawless. I love knowing that a change on any machine/device is populated everywhere. I use all of it, including the MobileMe Gallery, the sending of large files to friends, family & clients AND the use of iDisk.
The sole remaining feature I hope Apple will provide some day, is what I get from MicroSofts Live Mesh. > Folder-level syncing, WITHOUT syncing to the cloud and back. That would make MobileMe the cheese.
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Hobbes said 5:42PM on 2-27-2009
$55 is awesome. Thanks for the tip. Great way to renew it. :-)
Tristan said 6:15PM on 2-27-2009
Thanks for this! I just ordered a family pack on ebay for $74. Hopefully the code will make it to my email before my membership renews tomorrow!
Yikes.
tv junkie said 9:07PM on 2-27-2009
i've been doing this for years as well
modok said 5:08PM on 2-27-2009
get rid of the allotted web space and this service should be free. it's sad that a company i truly support is trying to jam us up for owning so many of their products. not being able to transfer files from my iphone to my macs and vice versa with bluetooh is a joke. it's a cheap shot at us and i just don't appreciate it. after my 60 day trial is over, i just don't know...
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Hobbes said 5:43PM on 2-27-2009
I can't see how a company can offer these kind of services for free and still sustain any kind of business model. Sure, do like Google does, add tons of ads to the pages and there you have it.
I like my ad free service and all the added on benefits. Like it's been commented above, less than $10 a month is far from being expensive.
lucas said 10:12PM on 2-27-2009
that webspace is the biggest part of the program. they have it set up to go with their ilife services. the file sharing and I think even the iwork.com program. and at 8.25 a month it is cheaper than a lot of services out there.
Dan Warne said 5:38PM on 2-27-2009
Too little too late.. and especially now that Google has calendar/contacts sync for iPhone, making it a perfect intermediary for calendar/contacts on your Mac. Also, the real killer for me is Apple forcing everyone to use their "Me" email address. How lame and proprietary is that? At very least they should allow people to choose a different reply-to address for emails sent through the Me.com address.
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John said 5:41PM on 2-27-2009
Unfortunately it is too late. I will not be renewing my subscription. Now even Microsoft gives Windows Live users 25GB of storage space for files, and this is all for free. I could care less about syncing with my iPhone. To pay $109 CAD/yr for these features simply is just not worth it anymore. Transfers to iDisk take too long, well for the ones that don't time out that is. Webspace is nice but there are free options out there or pay $9.99/yr for a domain and included webspace.
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airmanchairman said 5:45PM on 2-27-2009
My setup is pretty simple right now (Windows XP Media Center with Outlook, MobileMe and iTunes, iPhone 3G with MobileFiles Pro) and I have not had any problems at all with syncing Contacts, Photos and emails across the Apple cloud. Haven't tried out iDisk using MobileFiles Pro yet, waiting for a sound and practical reason so to do...
Will soon be adding a 17" Unibody MacBook Pro to the mix and see how things pan out.
And I'm feeling good...
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