MobileMe + iCal: Wake up, Apple

[applephysci]

I'm big into organization (GTD), and I've been a big proponent of iCal and MobileMe since its inception. But we're in 2011, and it's honestly frustrating that Apple is not seriously attempting to address these issues around MobileMe and iCal (Mac) and Calendar (iPhone), especially given the high annual price tag associated with MobileMe.

I think I'm going to try and lay them out here, and then submit a ticket to the MobileMe and iCal Apple group (engineers) by linking to this thread. In my opinion, these issues are likely to be typical of those faced by 95% of users, and seriously needs tackling. If there are other issues as well, please feel free to list them on this thread, and I'll add them to the top of this list as well, if need be.

I have a gmail address, work email address and mobileme email address.
(a). A business collaborator sends me a calendar invite to my work email address. When I click on the invite on my macbook pro, the invite gets added to iCal with the option to 'accept', 'decline', or 'maybe'. So far so good..
....I click accept:
.........(a.1.). If in my Mail.app my personal gmail address was last used, the response goes back from my gmail address without providing me with the option to choose from my gmail/work/mobileme email address. This exposes my personal gmail address to business relationships. If users have 10 different email addresses, as you might imagine, this issue is a lot more complicated. This issue was reported many times in the past and even here in 2009, but Apple continues to ignore providing a simple fix (see solution below).
.........(a.2.). Since this email was NOT sent to my MobileMe address, accepted iCal invites only stay "On my mac" and cannot be moved to MobileMe. This is problematic, because I now cannot see those invites on my iPhone/iPad, and my secretary cannot see it on her mac. This complicates itself for those that have large organizational calendars and opt to use MobileMe for the purpose.
(b). My fiance sends me a calendar invite to my gmail address. Same issues as in (a.1.) and (a.2.) persist. The problem is further compounded by the realization that since she relies on her iPhone calendar and if my gmail invite is not synchronized to MobileMe (because of a.2.), she does not get confirmation if I can make the florist appointment. End result: I'm not getting anything tonight.
(c). Accepting invites on the iPhone is grievous, because there is no reliability as to whether it even gets added to the calendar or whether the right email address was used in sending the response.
(d). Calendars that are "On my mac" can no longer be synced to MobileMe, unless you export and reimport to the respective MobileMe calendars. It used to be possible that you could put whatever calendar wherever on iCal and it would sync to the iPhone/iPad, but Apple has taken a step back in that direction (akin Microsoft).

Solutions:
1. Remove all email addresses and ONLY use MobileMe. Everything then works apparently perfectly in Apple's realm of MobileMe. Obviously this is what Apple wants and would like to force you to do. Unfortunately for Apple, some of us are not resolute loyalists, and would like to function efficiently in a business world and have a personal life as well. Using MobileMe for a business email address is not feasible for the majority of professionals.
2. There is a solution for (a.1.), where an AppleScript file is modified and placed directly into the iCal application bundle. I use this solution and it works for Snow Leopard (10.6.4). The problem is that every time Apple decides to update iCal, we need to repeat this mod. When something like this simple fix has been available (since 2008 as can be seen from that link), I don't know why Apple has turned a blind eye to this, which brings the point back to the fact that they think that majority will relent and move to MobileMe permanently. Subtle but crafty of Apple, I'd say.

 

[Aatos.1]

Thanks for a great post.

I believe you've done a good job of covering the important and deficient areas. Hopefully Apple will put out the effort to make it a priority, and get it sorted out. I'd like to keep using it.

 

[geomacbookpro]

I am having exactly the same problem as the OP and have just spent 2 hours at the Apple store with 3 One to One consultants trying to figure this out. We have all come to the same conclusion as the OP - i.e. that this is a deficiency in the MobileMe/iCal implementation that should be addressed by Apple.

How does one go about submitting a support ticket to Apple?

 

[toasted ICT]

The degradation of service from Apple is disappointing. It seems that Apple have taken a leaf out of the book from ISP’s and MS – quote Terms and Conditions that don’t exist, blame the customer for incorrectly using the product or blame the customers system.

I was told:

1/ I have no choice but to live with the way MM has been modified by Apple
2/ I am using MM contrary to the T&C (because I want calendar invites to be sent from my email address not apples)
3/ Apple can load up the invitation sent from MM with Apple logos and images and that’s part of the “service” – users cannot turn that off

So what’s next? – emails sent from Apple Mac desktops and laptops are modified by the OS to load up the email sent from Apple logos and images and that’s part of the “service”
All very sad…. I really liked apple up to now. I do hope they don’t make the company motto “Were no worse than anyone else”

Here is the Mobile Me Transcript:

Apple:
I understand that all your invitations appears to come from MobileMe?

Me:
Yes. previously the applications would arrive with simple text and and ical attachment. Now they look like they are coming from Apple Mobile Me. Its pretty but no good for my business.

Apple:
Unfortunately, there isn't a way to remove the logs and advertising.

Me:
It also insists on sending from my me.com email address not my company address. Can I at least use my company name email address?

Me:
Can I at least use my company name email address?

Me:
are you there?

Apple:
Yes.

Apple:
Unfortunately, your MobileMe name will only show.

Me:
Can i go back to using the older version of mobileme?

Apple:
Unfortunately, no. MobileMe was made for the intentions of being used for personal use.

Apple:
This is why your MobileMe name is used. http://www.apple.com/legal/mobileme/en/terms.html
Apple:
Its says so in the Terms of Use.
Apple:
I do apologize for the inconvenience

Me:
I have invested al lot of money in Macs - iMac's Mocbooks and Macbook Pros. So that was a BIG mistake eh?

Apple:
No I wouldn't say that but I do tell customers that MobileMe shouldn't be used for business. I wouldn't put all my faith into MobileMe for running a company.

Me:
Its not running a company. Its just keeping my calendar on my macbook and synchronising it to my other macbook and my iphone. I dont see where that results in Apple changing the senders email address. Apple dont do that for email.... or maybe thats next is it?
Apple:
Oh. Ok.

Me:
The terms and conditions do not say its for personal use only that I can see - specifically where?

Apple:
Look under 3. Your Use of the Service

Apple:
Under account security.

Me:
that clause does not say anything that precludes me send an invitation from one of my email addresses. The same clause, by your interpretation, would allow Apple to change all emails I send so that they come from me.com and be loaded up with apple marketing logos etc. Right?
Me:
Are you there?

Apple:
I don't see it here either. I do know that this changed occurred with the update to the new calendar.

Sigh.

Good luck with Apple MM support. It wont help you if my experience is anything to go by.

 

[Playgear]

The degradation of service from Apple is disappointing. It seems that Apple have taken a leaf out of the book from ISP’s and MS – quote Terms and Conditions that don’t exist, blame the customer for incorrectly using the product or blame the customers system.

I was told:

1/ I have no choice but to live with the way MM has been modified by Apple
2/ I am using MM contrary to the T&C (because I want calendar invites to be sent from my email address not apples)
3/ Apple can load up the invitation sent from MM with Apple logos and images and that’s part of the “service” – users cannot turn that off

So what’s next? – emails sent from Apple Mac desktops and laptops are modified by the OS to load up the email sent from Apple logos and images and that’s part of the “service”
All very sad…. I really liked apple up to now. I do hope they don’t make the company motto “Were no worse than anyone else”

Here is the Mobile Me Transcript:

Apple:
I understand that all your invitations appears to come from MobileMe?

Me:
Yes. previously the applications would arrive with simple text and and ical attachment. Now they look like they are coming from Apple Mobile Me. Its pretty but no good for my business.

Apple:
Unfortunately, there isn't a way to remove the logs and advertising.

Me:
It also insists on sending from my me.com email address not my company address. Can I at least use my company name email address?

Me:
Can I at least use my company name email address?

Me:
are you there?

Apple:
Yes.

Apple:
Unfortunately, your MobileMe name will only show.

Me:
Can i go back to using the older version of mobileme?

Apple:
Unfortunately, no. MobileMe was made for the intentions of being used for personal use.

Apple:
This is why your MobileMe name is used. http://www.apple.com/legal/mobileme/en/terms.html
Apple:
Its says so in the Terms of Use.
Apple:
I do apologize for the inconvenience

Me:
I have invested al lot of money in Macs - iMac's Mocbooks and Macbook Pros. So that was a BIG mistake eh?

Apple:
No I wouldn't say that but I do tell customers that MobileMe shouldn't be used for business. I wouldn't put all my faith into MobileMe for running a company.

Me:
Its not running a company. Its just keeping my calendar on my macbook and synchronising it to my other macbook and my iphone. I dont see where that results in Apple changing the senders email address. Apple dont do that for email.... or maybe thats next is it?
Apple:
Oh. Ok.

Me:
The terms and conditions do not say its for personal use only that I can see - specifically where?

Apple:
Look under 3. Your Use of the Service

Apple:
Under account security.

Me:
that clause does not say anything that precludes me send an invitation from one of my email addresses. The same clause, by your interpretation, would allow Apple to change all emails I send so that they come from me.com and be loaded up with apple marketing logos etc. Right?
Me:
Are you there?

Apple:
I don't see it here either. I do know that this changed occurred with the update to the new calendar.

Sigh.

Good luck with Apple MM support. It wont help you if my experience is anything to go by.

MM support are as useless as tits on a bull...

They never solve anything, and in the end I just thank them and leave.

 

[utoeid]

I have been on MM support like a boil on the ass. It is to the point that they are actively suggesting that I do a refund.

I get duplicate contacts, emails addys, calendars and it will not work with Outlook 2010. Apple support admitted that it is not fashioned to do so and I can only assume it is because they want you to ditch every other product and be a loyalist. Well, not if it is as crappy as it is. Given the attetion they pay to all their other devices, it would behoove them to get on the good foot with MM. It's a nice concept but clearly not worth the headache.

 

[317342]

That was priceless, I finally read that entire chat and had a good laugh. They are useless.

When my iDisk went completely corrupted, they told me that I would need to verify my credit card #, date of birth, and security question AND answer with them via (unsecured) e-mail. I told them I had no problem verifying it via telephone but was refused. I was finally told that was the only way i could verify with them Ii was who i said I am, so they could fix my borked iDisk. They couldn't just fix it and be done with it--they have to verify I'm the owner first.

To this day, the iDisk is still corrupted, my account expires next month, I love Dropbox, and Find My iPhone is now free.... if anything, they did me a favor and saved me $60-$99/yr.

Gotta appreciate the little things.

 

[Loudogg]

This issue is killing me too. I host my company cal on MobileMe and it syncs down to my iCal. But I do not use my @me.com email address—I use firstname@mycompanydomain.com. So when a contact sends me an event invitation via email it shows up in a calendar hosted "On My Mac", and I am unable to change it at all. It's bizarre. This is one of a loong list of problems with MobileMe and it's mitigating Apple's brand for me. And that's saying a lot.