MobileMe vs. Gmail

[MattKanzler]

I am a long time gmail user, since it first came out. I just bought mobileme, mostly for the web hosting and the online storage. Should I make the switch to using mobileme as my main email? What are the pros and cons? How do they stack up vs. each other? What would you do?


thanks

 

[WillJS]

It's all up to personal preference to me, a non-heavy user. I like using MobileMe e-mail for its integration into Mac OS X (ie Mail). Although, I think gMail can me synced with Mail.

 

[BLACK MAC]

Gmail is a good email for what it does. But MobileMe can be a great service if you have an iPhone and a Mac. If google would offer push email, contacts and calendars there would be no need for me to switch to MobileMe. That being said, I dont see apple opening up those services to others since they are charging for MobileMe.

 

[LockedOut]

I am a long time gmail user, since it first came out. I just bought mobileme, mostly for the web hosting and the online storage. Should I make the switch to using mobileme as my main email? What are the pros and cons? How do they stack up vs. each other? What would you do?


thanks

my biased opinion as a mac addict---RUN AWAY!

 

[BLACK MAC]

my biased opinion as a mac addict---RUN AWAY!

Runaway from MobileMe or to it???

 

[LockedOut]

It's all up to personal preference to me, a non-heavy user. I like using MobileMe e-mail for its integration into Mac OS X (ie Mail). Although, I think gMail can me synced with Mail.

I have TWO .mac email accounts that I PAID for before mobile me screwed everything up. I used to be able to have both accounts integrated into my MAC OS X (ie email). It's why I paid EXTRA for a second account. Now---I have to travel all over the web to access email accounts. Im do better with gmail. I now need two passwords. I need two of everything. Apple changed the way my paid services work in order to integrate new people into a service I already paid for.

That is sooooooooooooooo microsoft!

My two cents hopefully will go a long way to alerting folks that Apple is no longer Apple.

 

[atluten]

It's all up to personal preference to me, a non-heavy user. I like using MobileMe e-mail for its integration into Mac OS X (ie Mail). Although, I think gMail can me synced with Mail.

I use gmail as my main account and have had no problems with it. I use Mail to sync with gmail using IMAP and find it very convenient. I did try trial of MobileMe and while the interface and integration is nice, I'm still concerned about having to deal with the possibility of downtime.

 

[LockedOut]

I use gmail as my main account and have had no problems with it. I use Mail to sync with gmail using IMAP and find it very convenient. I did try trial of MobileMe and while the interface and integration is nice, I'm still concerned about having to deal with the possibility of downtime.

thank you for posting this. I hadn't the time to look into things. I can use gmail using the IMAP feature in my OS X Mail? Sweet. Who needs to pay Apple anymore since the service and secure servers were my biggest reasons for staying with them...plus loyalty. I had loyalty to them. To bad they didn't have it for me

 

[TLewis]

Gmail has secure web access, mail filters (automatic sorting of incoming mail into labels/folders), and killer searching. Mobileme doesn't. However, gmail has problems importing contacts.

I'm currently using gmail for mail, but MM for contacts and calendars. I'm using gmail's filters to automatically forward some gmail to MM, to use the push feature as a "check email" alarm. This way, I get the best of both worlds:

• I get gmail's secure web access, mail filters, and killer searching.
• I'm only notified of "important" mail messages, and not all of them. Not only do I get fewer interruptions, but I get better battery life.
• I can backup my contacts.
• I don't have to give out a new email address. I'm still in the MM trial, and I haven't decided if MM is worth it (as opposed to buying a more expensive MM-like service).

Basically, gmail is used for all mail, and I just ignore and periodically delete all MM mail.

 

[MacGeek7]

Gmail has secure web access, mail filters (automatic sorting of incoming mail into labels/folders), and killer searching. Mobileme doesn't. However, gmail has problems importing contacts.

I'm currently using gmail for mail, but MM for contacts and calendars. I'm using gmail's filters to automatically forward some gmail to MM, to use the push feature as a "check email" alarm. This way, I get the best of both worlds:

• I get gmail's secure web access, mail filters, and killer searching.
• I'm only notified of "important" mail messages, and not all of them. Not only do I get fewer interruptions, but I get better battery life.
• I can backup my contacts.
• I don't have to give out a new email address. I'm still in the MM trial, and I haven't decided if MM is worth it (as opposed to buying a more expensive MM-like service).

Basically, gmail is used for all mail, and I just ignore and periodically delete all MM mail.

That's pretty much what I'm doing too - I also really enjoy using the Photo Gallery so I can share pictures with people without sending huge attachments in emails

 

[benmrii]

Gmail as email is substantially better than MobileMe. Their junk mail filter is the best of any options, you have more storage for free than you'll likely ever need. The conversation organization is brilliant (although that is more conjecture). Their address book online has better features than MobileMe's, even if you account for the aspects of MobileMe that are supposed to be working.

Hands down, much better. MobileMe email's singular feature that is better than Gmail is the easier and push synchronization with your Mac and iPhone.

 

[TLewis]

Their address book online has better features than MobileMe's, even if you account for the aspects of MobileMe that are supposed to be working.

In general, I agree -- gmail is much better than MM email.

However, one area where gmail has problems is contacts:

• Importing contacts from outlook seems to result in street addresses being dropped.
  
  
• Google's own .csv format doesn't seem to import correctly. If you have duplicate categories (like multiple "home" street addresses), the entries get merged, even though separate entries are allowed. If you have someone with more than one IM name (e.g., AIM & Yahoo), the IM names get mangled.

This has severe implications for backup/restore. With MM, you can always use your mail client to backup/restore your contacts. With gmail, you're apparently stuck (I'd love to hear if anyone's found a good solution for this, though).

 

[benmrii]

However, one area where gmail has problems is contacts:

• Importing contacts from outlook seems to result in street addresses being dropped.
  
  
• Google's own .csv format doesn't seem to import correctly. If you have duplicate categories (like multiple "home" street addresses), the entries get merged, even though separate entries are allowed. If you have someone with more than one IM name (e.g., AIM & Yahoo), the IM names get mangled.

Hmm... interesting. I haven't encountered either of those, personally, but worth noting and knowing in advance. Thanks.

 

[DiamondMac]

Both are great emails, imo, but everyone here has their own dislikes/likes and I have seen plenty of legitimate opinions on why people dislike GMail and love GMail and the same with MobileMe

I personally use GMail for my family/friends as my friends can start an email to 10 friends and 50 responses will follow and I love GMail's way of dealing with responses and how they show up. I also LOVE Google Talk installed already in the browser and I love Google Calender for its ease of us

I have been using my .Mac email (and now .me) for business for a little more than 2 years now. I use iDisk often for document backups and other features for work. It fits me best for work related problems and emails

 

[bilboa]

Both are great emails, imo, but everyone here has their own dislikes/likes and I have seen plenty of legitimate opinions on why people dislike GMail and love GMail and the same with MobileMe

I find it inconceivable that anyone who has used other web mail clients such as gmail, yahoo, or msn, would say that MobileMe's email client is great. In fact, I'd say it's about the worst of the webmail clients I know of. Note I'm only talking about the web interface, not using MobileMe as an IMAP or POP server with a desktop client, which works fine.

Compared to other webmail interfaces, MobileMe:

1. Doesn't support searching messages across multiple folders, you have to search one folder at a time if you're not sure which folder a message is in.
2. Doesn't support searching the bodies of email messages, only headers! This is an awful limitation as far as I'm concerned
3. Doesn't support any kind of filtering rules.
4. Doesn't allow adding additional headers to an outgoing email, such as a BCC header.
5. Is really slow

Gmail is still a much better web email client. I'm fairly sure Apple will eventually improve me.com/mail, but who knows how soon given all the other stuff on their plate. So I personally wouldn't switch over from gmail just yet if you use the web mail interface a lot. If you mainly use a desktop mail client, then it should be fine.
The only good things are some fancy UI features like drag-and-drop support, which don't actually add any additional capabilities over other email clients.

 

[TLewis]

Compared to other webmail interfaces, MobileMe:

You forgot:

• The MM web mail interface is not secure. If you're accessing MM, for example, via a public wifi point, and you're dealing with sensitive financial/personal information and/or love letters , you might as well print out copies and hand them out to random strangers on the street.

Fortunately, the non-web mail access appears to be secure, although you may have to configure them to be secure (I'm not sure if they're secure by default).

 

[macrem]

Am I wrong to think that push gives you an average 30 seconds advantage over pull if your mail client checks for new email every minute, & otherwise you could click 'get new mail' during those times that 30 seconds is too long? Not to berate push, it is cool but I am not so sure I'll keep .me beyond the free trial period for this advantage. If Apple would lower the price, I might change my mind.

 

[d21mike]

Am I wrong to think that push gives you an average 30 seconds advantage over pull if your mail client checks for new email every minute, & otherwise you could click 'get new mail' during those times that 30 seconds is too long? Not to berate push, it is cool but I am not so sure I'll keep .me beyond the free trial period for this advantage. If Apple would lower the price, I might change my mind.

If you set your mail client to check email every 1 min then you would be Opening a Connection to the Mail Server / Login / Check for new mail / Logout 1,440 times per day. If you only received 60 emails in 1 day (spread out - not more then 1 at a time) you would only do the above 60 times.

I think your battery life would be much better with PUSH. If it is a cost issue then I recommend you use Yahoo Push (free) or you set the interval much higher then 1 min. Actually with the "default iPhone (no hack)" I think 15 min is the smallest value at this time.

 

[wolfpackfan]

One more thing to consider in this discussion. Check out nuevasync.com. It allows your Gmail calendar and contacts to be pushed to your iPhone via Exchange. It works great. I am still under my MM trial but I plan on canceling before I have to pay for it. I really don't see anything that it offers that I can't get elsewhere for free. I use Gmail with Nuevasync for my email, calendar and contacts. I use Google Picasa for online storage and sharing of my photos and I use the new Microsoft Live Web as well as Google Docs to store and share files on the web.

 

[d21mike]

Check out nuevasync.com. It allows your Gmail calendar and contacts to be pushed to your iPhone via Exchange. I really don't see anything that it offers that I can't get elsewhere for free.

But Exchange is not FREE unless you are getting it from work. Right?

I have considered Exchange but it would be more expensive then MobileMe for my Wife and I (Family Plan). We were using Yahoo Push Email before but I want OTA Sync of Calendar and Contacts. Now if you could get a FREE OTA Sync of Calendar and Contacts that was reliable and I could continue to use Yahoo Push I would consider that.

 

[wolfpackfan]

But Exchange is not FREE unless you are getting it from work. Right?

Wrong. Exchange is just a type of server and Nuevasync as well as Mail2Web.com provide free Exchange server access.

 

[d21mike]

Wrong. Exchange is just a type of server and Nuevasync as well as Mail2Web.com provide free Exchange server access.

Really, I am not familiar with Nuevasync but I thought it was just a Sync Service and not a Exchange Hosting Service. Am I wrong?

Mail2Web is an Exchange Hosting Service and I personally called them to get information about the cost. I noticed someone else on here stating that it was $4.95 per month. When I called the $4.95 option wasn't that great.

But since I said it was not FREE I decided to check again and it appears that I was wrong and there is also a FREE OPTION.

Below is a comparison between the 3 plans (includes a FREE OPTION)

https://services.mail2web.com/Business/Exchange/compare.asp

When I reviewed this before I felt I would have to use the $14.95 per month option for a number of reasons. I did not notice the FREE Option.

Are you using trhe FREE OPTION and how instrusive is the Advertising (I.E. AD-FREE INTERFACE only for paid options). If you only used the FREE Service on the iPhone would you get Advertising messages in your emails?

If you use Outlook, do you define the Account as Exchange or POP3 or IMAP. The column says it does not support MAPI on the FREE or $4.95 option and I thought you needed MAPI for Outlook connection to Exchange. Is the FREE Option only for Web Access (for the Advertising Support)?

In any case thanks for the information.

 

[wolfpackfan]

Really, I am not familiar with Nuevasync but I thought it was just a Sync Service and not a Exchange Hosting Service. Am I wrong?

It is an Exchange hosting service for calendar and contacts (they say email is coming). You had a whole bunch of questions. You know the easiest way for you to get your answers is to just give both Nuevasync and Mail2Web a try. They are both free. Just setup an account and see how they work. I don't use Mail2Web myself (I have in the past though) because I'm perfectly happy with Gmail email. But I do use Nuevasync and am really pleased with it syncing my calendar with Gmail Calendar. I don't worry about my contacts because they never change. Good luck.

 

[dilbert4life]

It seems simple enough.....

Personally, (it is actually what I am doing with ONE of my many gmail accounts) I would forward my gmail account to my myemailaddress@me.com account. Then everytime a get an email in that gmail account, it automatically gets pushed/synced to all the computers/iphones that I have linked to my MobilMe. But that, of course, is just too easy for some people that have to have everything just so. My 2 cents.

 

[alphaod]

I thought gmail already support IMAP with push?