Apple's iDisk finally comes to the iPod, iPhone

After more than a month of waiting, Apple has finally brought its MobileMe iDisk application to iPod and iPhone users. Originally announced during Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference in early July, the free iDisk app offers users of Apple's MobileMe service a way to access files they, or their MobileMe contacts have stored on Apple's servers.

Some of the nicer features include being able to view and send any native file types. This includes music, so if you've got a bunch of tracks stored on iDisk, you can stream them from the app. Movies work as well, although they have to be formatted to play on an iPod or iPhone.

Apple says that some files over 20MB won't load, although I successfully managed to get a 198MB MPEG4 movie file to stream in. Things that require downloading, however, such as documents and photos, are capped at 30MB--even when you're on a Wi-Fi connection. The application must first download those types of files to your device before you can even see what they are. This process is made faster by a cache you can adjust to allow for more local storage, all the way up to 200MB. Not included in that cache are audio and video files, which are simply streamed, meaning that you'll need to be on a solid connection for the entire listen or watch.

As nice as the local cache is, it's a long ways off from offering users the chance to manage files locally as some other iPhone storage apps have done. You cannot download anything back to your device from the app, save for photos, which can only be saved using the iPhone's screenshot feature--not the superior copy and paste. There are also no previews before or after you've downloaded something to view locally, which means you better have named your files properly.

I applaud Apple's efforts for giving users a first party way to access their files, it's just too bad it offers so much less than third parties have provided. Besides local file downloading, I would love to see omissions like copy and paste, and quick visual previews offered. It would also be fantastic to let users copy a file from the app into a mail message without having to use the built-in e-mailer, which wraps each file in MobileMe branding.

MobileMe iDisk for the iPhone weighs in at 2.2MB and requires users to have an active subscription to MobileMe, along with an iPod Touch or iPhone running OS 3.0.

The good:
• Lets you quickly access files you have stored on your iDisk in a native application.
• Streams in audio and video, letting you bypass file size restrictions.
• You can view files in portrait and landscape modes.
• Your log-in is saved between sessions, so you don't need to re-enter your user name and password.
•You can view files your friends have stored online if you know their MobileMe user names.

The bad:
• Certain files are capped at 30MB--even over Wi-Fi.
• There are no visual previews of what photos, videos, and docs contain.
• No way to save files for offline viewing. There's a local cache, but as soon as a newer file needs some space, old files are removed.
•Copy and paste doesn't work.

[ostefrans]

Well I do prefer the already awesome almighty DropBox.. easily accessible from my iPhone

check it out.. it's rocking
https://www.getdropbox.com/referrals/NTc2MTcyNDk

[myles taylor]

I downloaded it and it's pretty nice. It has it's shortcomings, as you mentioned, but it's version 1.0 and many things can be added with a software update.

[francissawyer]

Yawn.

[Lennron]

Ditto.

[jakemochas]

AND.... you get this amazing app for $99/ year!!! what a waste.... just use box.net or sugarsync

[digiguy23]

If it doesn't interest you, why comment?

[jakemochas]

i have an iphone and there are many better FREE solutions out there...

[alexacker]

Obviously, geniuses, you're not going to spend $99 for this app but if you already have MobileMe then it's a nice addition and a feature already sorely missing.

[ballmerisanape]

Ill be using my iDisk a lot more... This is nice.. and it's free.

[jakemochas]

how in any way is it free? $99?

[DOGLLAMA]

It's an addition to MobileMe, it is a FREE add on to that service. In the same way that if your cable company decided to add more channels, or say HBO for "free". You still have to pay for the base service, but if you are already a subscriber, you do not have to pay for an upgrade. MobileMe has a host of other features, this is now part of it.

[jakemochas]

after you pay the $99... do you not realize that the price is built in? Its like getting a rental car with a full gas tank.... you don't say "oh i just got free gas"

[hughescd]

it's always nice to get extra features! ...and last time i checked, most rental companies charge insanely high rates for leaving partially full gas tanks. i guess you would say "oh i just got free gas" knowing that wouldn't have to pay for it in the end.

[useful_worms]

NICE. I'll also be using the iDisk a lot more. Preview icons would be nice... I'd take that over cut and paste.

Finally! I've been waiting for this app. I downloaded it and seems to run quite a bit faster than the third party apps I've been using plus it's not full of a bunch of bloated options I don't need..

[goober02]

I can stream my tunes?! Sweet!! Again, renewed interest in my iDisk.

[x181]

the bad:
can't upload?

[Josh.Lowensohn]

I was going to include that, but you can upload things to MobileMe from other apps on the phone. Apple should really just call this thing an "iDisk Viewer"

[J.G.]

I will consider the MobileMe app a supplement to Air Sharing and DocstoGo, which do not support all file formats or have video and music streaming.

[medaveda]

Try out ezShare (or LITE), it streams music/videos from iDisk or your computer. It is just way too feature rich compared to the other apps here.

[jcmark42]

Not really sure if this is enough of a reason for me to hop onto the mobile me wagon.....

[Josh.Lowensohn]

Keep in mind iDisk is just a part of MobileMe--not the entire product. The sync features, photo and blog hosting make it attractive enough to people who don't want to mix and match other potentially free third-party services.

[doshea]

Certainly the lack of previews hampers its usefulness.

Also, I wish it were possible to do a slideshow of a folder's contents as Air Sharing does.

[shellcodes_coder]

Copy and Paste doesn't work. Now that''s funny. They couldn't get that right when releasing iPhone 3G either. Anyways, just another Apple taxed crap ware

[jumpjetta]

@shell Go crawl back under your bridge.

[scott2400]

@shell Go crawl back under your bridge

His Zune probably doesn't work there...

Great but you say " it's just too bad it offers so much less than third parties have provided". It would be good to know what these are so we can compare ourselves.

[Josh.Lowensohn]

Sure--check out Box.net's app, ezShare, Air Sharing, and OneDisk. Most offer lite versions with limited transfer options, while others are paid and can let you download files for local, offline use.

[kevinskrause]

Maybe someone can explain to me why the music saved on my idisk, some of which was downloaded from itunes, won't play on my iphone. "non-supported file," really? It's an mp4.

[Josh.Lowensohn]

Is it copy-protected, or DRM-free?

[Vegaman_Dan]

Without the required $99/year MobileMe service, this doesn't do much. I cannot afford the MobileMe service.

It should be kept in mind that you cannot download anything larger than 10mb in size over the cell network. Anything larger requires wifi. Not as useful as it might seem if you are on the go.

Still, if you just want to look at photos from your MobileMe account or small documents...perhaps a couple of mp3 or AAC files, then this might be useful. I cannot honestly say I can find a need for it though. Not enough to warrant paying the $99/yr subscription fee.

[ikramerica--2008]

Yes, because it's the ONLY feature of MobileMe...

[umcrouc0]

iDisk can be a pretty handy thing to have. I've just started using it to store some files I may need to have access to. Never know when you'll need them.

[jessiethe3rd]

I'm using something kind of like this on my Windows Mobile Phone - it's called Mesh - http://www.mesh.com. I can sync files between my Mac, my 2 PCs, my windows mobile phone. Hopefully they'll come out with a Mesh app for iPhone to extend the mesh further. The nice thing is things synch automatically from computer to computer without a hitch. It synchs just the same to my Windows Mobile device...

The other nice thing is I can open up the Mesh via invites to my friends and they can join me as well where we can all openly share file folders.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Here is a perfect example of why Apple Sux:
Earlier this week, popular third-party Google Voice apps for the iPhone were reportedly removed from the iPhone App Store, including GV Mobile and VoiceCentral. GV Mobile was told that their product duplicates iPhone features, such as making phone calls and sending SMS messages. Google has also said its efforts to submit a Google Voice app to Apple have been rebuffed.

Schlicting demanded that Apple divulge why it denied Google Voice and reveal what other third-party apps it blocked. The FCC also wants to know if Apple "acted alone" or worked on the issue with AT&T, the exclusive carrier for the iPhone. Is Apple contractually bound to reject apps that might compete with AT&T's service, he asked.

The FCC also wants to know the difference between Google Voice and other VoIP services Apple has approved for the iPhone, like Skype. Finally, Schlicting asked for a list of rejected apps and an explanation of how Apple rejects or approves submissions.

The FCC's letter to AT&T asked many of the same questions, but also wanted to know why Google Voice apps are permitted over their network on BlackBerry devices, but not the iPhone.

[josephspark107]

Another good product from Apple company, I really love this new stuff. I can bring this new storage device wherever I go.

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