MobileMe and IE compatability

[iMacZealot]

It seems like a ridiculous complaint, but I wish MobileMe supported Internet Explorer better. Whenever I can't print an essay for school, I would simply e-mail it to myself at Mac.com and print it from the computers at school using their default browser (IE6, don't laugh), but now I can't with MobileMe. Some newer computers have IE7, but MobileMe still doesn't even work well with that, and I certainly can't find Firefox anywhere on campus. So I've joined the GMail bandwagon just for this problem.

Is there any way I can make it work better with IE6 or 7?

 

[gadgetdad]

From everything I have seen, we IE6 users (ex. my workplace) are out of luck. Bad Apple.

I have all apple products at my home, but for whatever reason it seems they are bashing the old IE that is unfortunately the infrastructure everywhere else.

I hope this changes, but am not holding my breath.

 

[Dmac77]

Yes, it is a very annoying issue. I have to use Gmail to email my projects to my High School and back. I hate that I'm paying $99 a year and I'm not able to do this very simple thing. Why can't Apple make a "low-tech" version, that only supports mail and iDisk? I don't see why they can't resurrect the old .Mac site for IE6 users.

Don

 

[ggersch]

What I really want is what Jobs said, "Exchange for the rest of us."

That means the web access works with mainstream browsers, like IE6. (Yeah, I'm another one stuck with IE6 at work. If I had known ahead of time, it would have been a deal breaker.)

All I really want is online access to calendars, email w/ push, and contacts. So I can more easily access/create/modify these, with a real keyboard, when I'm at a computer.

All the rest of it is NOT Exchange, and I don't need it. And frankly, as an Exchange 'clone', it's not that great.

 

[gadgetdad]

I certainly will be re-thinking around renewal time. Sad thing is, I just dont think they give a rip about us on IE6.

 

[arclight]

The fix to IE6 v Mobileme compatablility

I am one of those stuck with ie6 at work just figured a work around. Here is the process:
- Find a PC with firefox or download firefox to any PC.
- Find the the file "Mozilla Firefox" in program files.
- Copy entire file to a USB Flash drive.
- Create shortcut to firefox executable outside "Mozilla Firefox" but still on your USB drive for ease of use.
- Plug your USB Flash Drive into any PC, open the drive, click on the executable firefox shortcut and viole', you are now running firefox from your USB drive on your work computer without downloading firefox to their systems!

You now have full access to mobileme's features since ie7 does still have compatibility issues.


What do you all think!

 

[smooth]

I am one of those stuck with ie6 at work just figured a work around. Here is the process:
- Find a PC with firefox or download firefox to any PC.
- Find the the file "Mozilla Firefox" in program files.
- Copy entire file to a USB Flash drive.
- Create shortcut to firefox executable outside "Mozilla Firefox" but still on your USB drive for ease of use.
- Plug your USB Flash Drive into any PC, open the drive, click on the executable firefox shortcut and viole', you are now running firefox from your USB drive on your work computer without downloading firefox to their systems!

You now have full access to mobileme's features since ie7 does still have compatibility issues.


What do you all think!

There's a bit of a simpler process using Firefox Portable and a thumb drive. I have to do that at work and it's been working alright.

 

[Sebby]

That's what I do - I use Firefox Portable on my work PC. I'm a PC user but I don't think is Apple's fault. Internet Explorer is a rubbish browser at the end of the day...

 

[dylanbrown]

This is a problem for many people, as at work and school, the only browser many people have access to is Internet Explorer.

The IE issue with MobileMe is not because of Apple, but because of Microsoft. IE7 has not been updated in months, and patches to the browser are non existent. IE7 suffers from many security issues, and is not compatible with new web standards.

Years ago, Internet Explorer was the standard, now browsers like FireFox and Safari have become more popular, and IE has become a piece of crap.

 

[paulsalter]

The IE issue with MobileMe is not because of Apple, but because of Microsoft. IE has not been updated in months, and patches to the browser are non existent. IE suffers from many security issues, and is not compatible with new web standards.

Years ago, Internet Explorer was the standard, now browsers like FireFox and Safari have become more popular, and IE has become a piece of crap.

Dont agree, this is Apple not designing the system for older tecnology, not quite sure why you expect MS to update IE6 when newer versiosn are available, Apple should atleast provide a basic email service for older browsers to use, are then any other webmail providers that restrict the usage so much ?

Do Firefox 1 and 2 still get updates, what about older versions of Safari ?

Are Safari/Firefox really more popular than IE ?

As for it being a piece of crap, well thats your opinion, I think Firefox is awful and Safari on a PC is crap

 

[dylanbrown]

I was talking about IE7 not getting updates etc.

Its partly Microsoft's fault for not updating IE7 to cope with industry standard websites.

IE is still the most popular browser, but Safari and Firefox are catching up, an IE's market share is falling.

Thanks for your reply!

 

[Sebby]

Dont agree, this is Apple not designing the system for older tecnology, not quite sure why you expect MS to update IE6 when newer versiosn are available, Apple should atleast provide a basic email service for older browsers to use, are then any other webmail providers that restrict the usage so much ?

Do Firefox 1 and 2 still get updates, what about older versions of Safari ?

Are Safari/Firefox really more popular than IE ?

As for it being a piece of crap, well thats your opinion, I think Firefox is awful and Safari on a PC is crap

Except it's not just IE6, it's IE7 too. What's Microsoft's excuse there?

 

[yoak]

I just ran into this problem staying in a hotel in Berlin.
I have lost my iPhone so I was going to use the PC in the reception to check my emails.
Then I was told the browser was not supported, I couldn´t even just check my emails?
This is ridiculous as you can´t download anything to PC like that to install.
This is unacceptable, why can´t they fix it?

 

[Sebby]

I agree with you in some ways, but then again, why is anyone still running IE6?

 

[southerndoc]

I agree with you in some ways, but then again, why is anyone still running IE6?

Because companies have no reason to upgrade. They won't upgrade just so we can access our MobileMe emails.

As much as I like MobileMe, I probably will not renew since I cannot access email from work. My hospital will not upgrade IE, and I'm unable to install Firefox. Hopefully Apple will allow older versions of IE to access basic email functions before my MobileMe renewal date nears.

 

[iMacZealot]

^^^

I've been thinking about leaving MobileMe/Mac.com for a few years now, but I feel as if I'm locked in with our Family Plan since we don't want to trash the e-mail addresses we've been using for five years now. Once you go down the road of MobileMe, you're trapped. I should've listened to everyone and just gotten a GMail account.

 

[Sebby]

I think Apple should create a basic version that works in IE6, but that aside, there are reasons to upgrade from IE6 other than to use MobileMe!

 

[TLewis]

I should've listened to everyone and just gotten a GMail account.

Well, you could still get a gmail account, and just autoforward all MobileMe email to gmail. Then, you can pass out your new address, but your old one will still work.

 

[TLewis]

My hospital will not upgrade IE, and I'm unable to install Firefox.

You don't need to be able to install Firefox in order to use it. You just need the ability to download files, to any location on the PC. The previously-mentioned Portable Firefox will work nicely. However, if you use gmail, I'd recommend FoxGlove, instead, which is based upon Portable Firefox:

http://lifehacker.com/5097728/foxglove-standalone-google-apps-portal​

Of course, this won't work if your IT department doesn't even allow you to download files...

 

[southerndoc]

Of course, this won't work if your IT department doesn't even allow you to download files...

Nope, can't download. Well, you can download, but you can't save.

 

[Digital Skunk]

^^^

I've been thinking about leaving MobileMe/Mac.com for a few years now, but I feel as if I'm locked in with our Family Plan since we don't want to trash the e-mail addresses we've been using for five years now. Once you go down the road of MobileMe, you're trapped. I should've listened to everyone and just gotten a GMail account.

The truth of the matter is that you can just dump MM for Gmail. Most consumers don't want to make changes to their lives to escape the limitations of certain technologies, and in essence demand the maker of the tech to conform to their lives.

Not trying to flame, but sometimes you just have to weigh your option and make due. The biggest part about MM's compatibility was that Apple snuck the "Firefox/Safari only" info in underneath people's noses. And the @$$hole specialists at the Apple Stores get judged by how much attachments they put on their computer sales, so they push for you to get it but don't know about the limitations themselves.

You end up spending the money for something that you think will "WORK WHEREVER YOU ARE" but it really only works where Firefox and Safari are present.

 

[TLewis]

Nope, can't download. Well, you can download, but you can't save.

Ah, bummer (although, given patient confidentiality issues, I'm not surprised that hospital PCs are locked down like that).

Well, I guess I can only give a scant suggestion: switch to gmail, and have MobileMe autoforward all of your MM email to gmail. Note that, if you also use a push email service like MobileMe, you can also use gmail to get selective push of only your "important/urgent" email messages. If you have an iPhone, it's a great way to only have selective messages interrupt you.

(Note, however, that you don't have to pay for MobileMe to get push email; there are free push email alternatives.)

 

[iMacZealot]

The truth of the matter is that you can just dump MM for Gmail. Most consumers don't want to make changes to their lives to escape the limitations of certain technologies, and in essence demand the maker of the tech to conform to their lives.

Not trying to flame, but sometimes you just have to weigh your option and make due. The biggest part about MM's compatibility was that Apple snuck the "Firefox/Safari only" info in underneath people's noses. And the @$$hole specialists at the Apple Stores get judged by how much attachments they put on their computer sales, so they push for you to get it but don't know about the limitations themselves.

You end up spending the money for something that you think will "WORK WHEREVER YOU ARE" but it really only works where Firefox and Safari are present.

It's not that I want to leave because it doesn't work with IE6, or "work wherever I am", but rather that I think MobileMe/Mac.com is overpriced. It didn't look that way five years ago when I first subscribed to it, but it really seems like that now. The only problem with switching is that my entire family would need to go through the taxing process of switching five-year-old addresses.

 

[TLewis]

The only problem with switching is that my entire family would need to go through the taxing process of switching five-year-old addresses.

Well, as every situation is different, you'll have to decide if the yearly cost is worth it to you. Keep in mind that, depending on the features that you use, you may or may not be able to find similar features elsewhere for less. Free email accounts aren't a problem, but you may run into issues with online photo sharing or disk storage if you use either of these a lot.

One possibility is that you pay only for another year, and transition your family to other email addresses. You set up MobileMe to autoforward all MM email to your new email addresses, and the additional year would give your family that much time to get everyone switched over to the new email addresses, etc..

I just wrote up a post on MobileMe Alternatives; you can see it here: https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=7077301

 

[ravenvii]

It's not that I want to leave because it doesn't work with IE6, or "work wherever I am", but rather that I think MobileMe/Mac.com is overpriced. It didn't look that way five years ago when I first subscribed to it, but it really seems like that now. The only problem with switching is that my entire family would need to go through the taxing process of switching five-year-old addresses.

I don't think it's overpriced, ~$8 per month for email, online storage, web gallery, etc for 5 people ain't bad at all.

What I want out of MobileMe is the ability to sync bookmarks with Firefox! It can only sync with Safari and Internet Explorer on Windows. Utterly silly, but true.