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MobileMe to Become a Free Service?

Several issues here:

User interface

Features

Cost

Reliability

Apple has not given much attention to cloud services generally which has been a mistake. I have made several posts about cloud services that point Apple to some revenue and value centric directions. I just hope this is like netbooks where they offer sad .Mac/iTools crippleware until they come out with their iPad class cloud services.

Rocketman
 
Free MobileMe?

I read somewhere (TUAW?) that when the North Carolina facility goes online, Apple is planning on making Mobile Me free. Too bad I just bought it in April.
 
I would happy to continue paying Apple for Mobile Me if you could use and register your email address of choice (I pray this is coming)

Im sorry but me.com is a bit naff for my business and I would like to use my own domain name!!! maybe Me addresses will become free and a premium users can register their addy??

iDisk is obviously slow - believe Mobile Me is not actually operated by Apple but contracted out, this huge data farm is hopefully a sign of something awesome about to happen.

There is NO EXCUSE from Apple not to include iDisk functionality in its current iWork iPad suite. This is of course gonna happen but I really do find it ridiculous it wasn't included from the start since third party apps are doing it.

I believe they find my iPhone or iPad should be one feature which is free considering the premium you have already paid for the hardware!!

I hope Mobile Me upgrades are around the corner - I am happy with it and glad to pay for it but it really could be something special if Apple allowed it and put more thought into it, hopefully Jobs is on the case and its a matter of time!
 
bowlerman625 said:
MacDailyNews.com is carrying a story saying there is a rumor out there that the MobileMe service will become free at some point.

Interesting concept if the rumor is true!
Click to expand...

We all know what free looks like: covered in ads. This is why I just switched from gmail to mobileme email - no ads and no big brother tracking your every move (google).

No ads & no privacy worries - I'll pay for that any day.
 
It Should be free!

Most important reason for this service to be free, is the investment made to purchase an iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone; most applications, including google are free, including the Opera browser for the above named devices.
Second; the fact that some of us had an iTools account, which was free. Other sites offering free services are Windows Live, and Google. Also Apple once had an online service like AOL, and used AOL's servers; it was called EWorld, and was similar to AOL, which is now also free for me, but not sure for others.
It would be wise to not post a "rumor" unless you had "proof" of such a rumor. This is done by documentation, not a point of view.
 
I never really saw the point in it as most people have stated before you can accomplish most of the things MobileMe can do with 3rd party apps, BUT if the even if the cost came down to around $25-$30 a year I would consider purchasing it.

As always free would be even better.
 
I post this under the MoblieMe section but even if the "free" part turns out to be a wash and they at least drop the price to $25-$30 a year I would purchse. I already have an iPhone & 2 iPods, once the 2nd Gen iPads come out the wife said I could get that too so I will be set.
 
I see the use in MobileMe when using Exchange to get work email and MobileMe to sync with Google contacts. As of right now, there doesn't seem to be another option to get OTA Google contacts syncing (besides LDAP which is out of the question) when using Exchange for work email.
 
Response to Google?

Maybe Apple wants to allow users to sync their browser favorites...etc to any computer with Safari....a la Chrome?
 
Oh I hope so.

I'm at a point trying to decide whether I want to renew my mobileme account or go just with google. I suppose if this is the case, its because of customers like me. Rather then losing me to google, they'll provide the service. I suspect like google's it will be ad-based.
 
I see this as a way for Apple to make more Mac loyalists. Give away MobileMe free with every Mac purchase, get a lot of established users, then users will be pretty much forced to keep buying Macs for as long as they live since they have so much invested in MobileMe. Sort of how apps keep people locked in to the iPhone ecosystem. If they do this, I'll be sticking with Google-based services. As much as I love the Mac, I do not want to be locked in to that platform. I made that mistake once already when I bought an iPod touch, and I'm determined to not make it again.
 
lifeinhd said:
I see this as a way for Apple to make more Mac loyalists. Give away MobileMe free with every Mac purchase, get a lot of established users, then users will be pretty much forced to keep buying Macs for as long as they live since they have so much invested in MobileMe. Sort of how apps keep people locked in to the iPhone ecosystem. If they do this, I'll be sticking with Google-based services. As much as I love the Mac, I do not want to be locked in to that platform. I made that mistake once already when I bought an iPod touch, and I'm determined to not make it again.
Click to expand...

You're locked into Google's platform. Basically you're submitting one potential tyrant for another. It's a zero sum game. Apple wants your allegiance in support of their ecosystem which is based on you buying their idevices and using iTunes.

Google wants your allegiance in using their "free" tools where they openly mine your data and sell at handsome profit.

No company the right to know where you're going, what you're searching and who you talk to but consumers have largely had a flippant attitude about their own security and thusly trade their privacy for what really is a pittance. Free email, calendar and other stuff? Pffffffft.

Apple isn't going to go add supported. They don't have the infrastructure for it to make it worthwhile. They will be content with owning the high end advertising on the App Store.

MobileMe is a must for people with multiple Macs and/or Macs and iPhone/iPod/iPads. Even basic sync for free will make it a lot easier for developers (of which many haven't rolled out cloud sync options because it's really not easy or cheap to do)
 
Tankfantry said:
I post this under the MoblieMe section but even if the "free" part turns out to be a wash and they at least drop the price to $25-$30 a year I would purchse. I already have an iPhone & 2 iPods, once the 2nd Gen iPads come out the wife said I could get that too so I will be set.
Click to expand...

umm.. the wife tells you what you can or can't do/buy?
anyway, I agree with the lower pricing.
I honestly don't see how they could offer the service for free.
Yahoo and Google have storage space, but then again, they are full of ads!
 
I signed up for the 2 month free trial today, and will likely purchase the subscription. I'm a serious amateur photographer, and I need a place to upload lots of photographs, and quickly. Exporting from Aperture directly is very beneficial to me, especially since I was paying nearly the $8/month for MobileMe. The ease of use of MobileMe is worth the extra money for me, and the other features, especially the iPhone location feature, are nice to have.

But the same service free would be really nice too!
 
nuckinfutz said:
Mobileme is certainly worth more than free. Apple doesn't scrape your emails and other data to target adds at you a la Google.

I could see Apple making some features of Mobileme free. I don't think they're just going kill a revenue stream but they could offer a basic free Mobileme account which gives you.

A me.com email address with 5 aliases.
Sync features
"Find my damn iDevice"
Calendar, Contacts, Bookmark sync
Web page
Gallery
iWork.com

Then roll out Mobileme Pro


Make iDisk more like Drop Box.
Enhance the sync
Online Backup
Cloud Music (Lala style)
iWork.com Pro (adds collaborative editing)
Whatever other cool stuff they can deliver
Click to expand...


I like it!
 
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