New Customers with no Mail Service from Apple for 6-7 months

[d21mike]

I was just thinking that when they stopped selling MobileMe to New Customers and with iCloud not available until around September they have not been able to offer New Apple Customers any Mail Service for about 6-7 months. That means the new customer would have to sign up with their ISP or with Google or Hotmail etc. With a lot of the ISP Mail not support for Push on iOS does that mean Apple has to "recommend" to new customers that they should use Google or Hotmail? That is what I have to recommend to people I know. This seems like a pretty big mistake on Apples part. I think they should have allowed new customers to sign up for MobileMe until iCloud was available. Very hard to get people to switch after they have an established account. Am I missing something?

 

[kolax]

I was just thinking that when they stopped selling MobileMe to New Customers and with iCloud not available until around September they have not been able to offer New Apple Customers any Mail Service for about 6-7 months. That means the new customer would have to sign up with their ISP or with Google or Hotmail etc. With a lot of the ISP Mail not support for Push on iOS does that mean Apple has to "recommend" to new customers that they should use Google or Hotmail? That is what I have to recommend to people I know. This seems like a pretty big mistake on Apples part. I think they should have allowed new customers to sign up for MobileMe until iCloud was available. Very hard to get people to switch after they have an established account. Am I missing something?

Interesting point, but I think I remember something about the Apple ID for iTunes etc is going to have to be an iCloud email? Or am I making that up? I forget..

 

[OllyW]

I was just thinking that when they stopped selling MobileMe to New Customers and with iCloud not available until around September they have not been able to offer New Apple Customers any Mail Service for about 6-7 months.

MobileMe was closed to new customers on 6th June, a September launch for iCloud isn't 6-7 months away from that date.

 

[aristobrat]

Very hard to get people to switch after they have an established account. Am I missing something?

Working part-time at Apple for four-years, I don't think I ever sold a Mac to someone who didn't already have an established email account.

 

[rdowns]

It's not like people don't have existing email addresses when they buy Apple products. I think this is a non-issue.

 

[d21mike]

MobileMe was closed to new customers on 6th June, a September launch for iCloud isn't 6-7 months away from that date.

I believe in late Feb Apple Stopped selling discounted MobileMe with new Mac Purchases. So, I was basing my 6-7 months on that. But, maybe I will concede that it is only 3 months if that could still get it but no longer being sold or promoted by Apple.

Working part-time at Apple for four-years, I don't think I ever sold a Mac to someone who didn't already have an established email account.

How about when you sell a iPad or iPhone? Do you discuss email with them? Do you discuss Push email? Or if the customer has POP3 do you say that would be fine (assuming they could not use IMAP). And what about Calendars and Contact Sync. I guess you would recommend iTunes Sync? I think that most customers moving from just a computer to multiple devices need something like MobileMe or Google or Windows Live. For you not to recommend a solution like this then the customer have to figure it out on their own. Since I tend to be the one in my family who helps with this stuff I have had to recommend they either go with Google or Windows Live. Anyway, I was just thinking that when Apple Sells new computers or iOS Devices they help the customer with setup. Maybe I am wrong.

 

[thunderbunny]

How about when you sell a iPad or iPhone? Do you discuss email with them? Do you discuss Push email? Or if the customer has POP3 do you say that would be fine (assuming they could not use IMAP). And what about Calendars and Contact Sync. I guess you would recommend iTunes Sync? I think that most customers moving from just a computer to multiple devices need something like MobileMe or Google or Windows Live. For you not to recommend a solution like this then the customer have to figure it out on their own. Since I tend to be the one in my family who helps with this stuff I have had to recommend they either go with Google or Windows Live. Anyway, I was just thinking that when Apple Sells new computers or iOS Devices they help the customer with setup. Maybe I am wrong.

Valid points. But Apple never gave an email address with hardware purchases. I'm guessing an insignificant proportion of iPhone, iPad and Mac customers ever subscribed to MobileMe.

 

[aristobrat]

How about when you sell a iPad or iPhone? Do you discuss email with them?

We actually would sit with the customer (after the sale) and help them set everything up.

MobileMe was easier to sell on Macs. We always covered it with iOS devices, but with the price being nearly 33% of the phone, folks in my area were generally not interested, regardless of the sync capabilities.

I'm excited about iCloud giving it to them for free. Curious to see how many go thru the "chore" (which it is) of changing primary email addresses!