Apple issues MobileMe calendar beta

Apple needs to add reminders on the web, and duplicate functionality on iOS devices AND the web. Otherwise it's useless. What if I'm at work? I can't add reminders because my iPhone has to sit outside my work area, off. What if I'm out and about and want to add an appointment and invite someone? I have to wait until I'm home. Ridiculous.

It IS bit buggy, and it DOES need additional features:1) ability to set appt alarms when u add a calendar item on your pc; 2) ability to copy a calendar item on pc and paste it in different, non-sequential days (in the same and/or different weeks); 3) ability to stretch sideways an appt from one day at a particular time to several adjacent days at the same time in the same week; 4) an easier way to navigate to other weeks, months, to add calendar items (e.g., the monthly 30 day calendar representation that Outlook uses ; and 5) fix the confusion generated by using multiple PCs that sync thru the cloud when contact items are changed (calendar seems to sync effortlessly regardless of number of PCs--I work in 3 different offices). THANKS

Last week I got an email from Apple inviting me to try MobileMe Calendar Beta. Like a schmuck, I tried it. It screwed up everything. Then a support advisor told me, during a support chat, to downgrade back to the original, and sent me instructions for how to do it.

That completely messed up all of my data, which disappeared from all my devices. I spent more than 6 hours on chats and phone calls with support yesterday, and another 7 hours today until the problem was resolved. That's 13 hours out of my life. An entire Friday evening - from 4:30 PM till 10:30 PM, and all of a beautiful, sunny Saturday - from 10:30 AM till 5:00 PM.

I WANT MY 13 HOURS BACK. THIS TOTALLY SUCKS. I AM FURIOUS. WHY SHOULD I HAVE THE BETTER PART OF TWO DAYS OF MY LIFE TAKEN AWAY JUST SO I CAN BE A GUNNIE PIG FOR APPLE'S DAMN BETA TEST OF SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T FRIGGING WORK????????????????????

I bill my time out at anywhere from $175 to $250/hr - more on evenings and weekends. I think Apple owes me $3,250!

I never had such a terrible experience with Microsoft in all the years I used PCs.

The idea that iCal on the Mac under 10.5 and 10.6 will be a different interface is a legit concern. Updating this most likely won't happen until 10.7, like others have said.

I'll be curious to see how the sharing of the calendars works. I don't use Google's due to the issues I have trying to keep everything (all of my devices like iPhone, Palm Pre and iPad) synced up properly (not willing to switch to the Google Calendar as my main calendar)

Exactly my thoughts. I'd be happy if AddressBook had those alphabetical separator the iPhone has. First I thought they only use that book like layout on the iPad to make it feel more real, but now that they're doing it for MobileMe they definitely have to do it for the desktop apps too.
Not before 10.7 though. They won't update the apps for Snow Leopard, that's for sure.

I'd prefer the option of an iAd-supported free Mobile Me, so I wouldn't have to worry about losing/having to transfer my stuff if I can no longer afford it.

Too little too late. I've been waiting for this for a long time, but it's not enough to stop me letting my MobileMe lapse *today*, having used it for the last few years.

My Apple ID will remain, but I've changed the associated email address, and hardly used the email anyway except for Apple purchases. My calendar syncs perfectly between iCal, Google Calendar and iPad/iPhone thanks to CalenGoo. The thoroughly unreliable iDisk has long been relegated thanks to Dropbox, and I'm using Simplenote instead of Notes. Only thing missing for me is over-the-air contact syncing, but I can make do, as I don't make that many changes that often.

So long MobileMe, I wish I could say it had been a pleasure...

Calendar sharing is the one element where they're so far behind Google as to be useless. I would love to use MobileMe instead, but I need to be able to share my calendars with everyone, and for the people I choose to be able to edit selected calendars as well. I'm glad to see them making improvements, but they have a long way to go.

Restricting it to MobileMe members is not going to make this feature useful in the way that Google Calendar is, unless they also intend to do away with the subscription cost.

Combine Apples looks with Google functionality and you'd have one unstoppable beast.

Looks great so far. Hope they go and sync the alerts between iPhone and Mac. When I come home there's a long list with alerts I got on my iPhone. They should close em on the Mac when you silence the alarm on the iPhone and vice versa.