Comments on: A year later: Is MobileMe finally worth $99?

Apple's MobileMe hardware/Webware hybrid service has been out for a year now. Is it finally worth your hard-earned cash?

[jaybarrow]

I *WAS* happy with MobileMe... at first. It would sync my calendars and contacts beautifully. Then for some reason my contacts and calendars stopped syncing correctly... $99 a year sounded nice at first for a year of web hosting (compared to $120 a year at my previous web host) although 10 GB of storage is laughable compared to 800 GB my other webhost provides. My only being able to update an iWeb blog on one computer was a deal-breaker (there is a workaround, albeit difficult and not worth it for $99/year).

I'm not renewing my subscription. I'll stick to gmail and manually sync contacts and calendars instead of MobileMe's spotty cloud technology.

[chrismisc]

I've used MobileMe/.mac since it came out, and I'm finally making the transition away from it. I liked it for email, syncing, photo sharing and iDisk. But I use the web mail a lot and the refresh issue bothers me to no end.

I've also switched to another cloud service instead of iDisk. I like that SugarSync can map my specific directories so I don't have to put files in a specific folder (though they have that option). And that the files are available from my iPhone (I understand MobileMe will be doing this).

And I've gone to Flickr and FB for photo sharing.

The only thing that was keeping me was that i liked my @mac.com email address, but I'm slowly switching over and will let my account expire.

So in the end, the email convenience isn't worth $99 when, for my needs (everyone's got their own preferences), I can use Gmail (with contact/calendar syncing) for free, Flickr and FB for free, and enough (and better) cloud sharing/syncing for less than $50 a year.

Again, that's for me. But I do think that MobileMe has promise, but I think $99 is just to expensive for something that is *almost there*. I'd pay $49/year for it.

I'd pay $29 a year just for a light version that gave me email with contact/calendar syncing and maybe just 2GB of storage.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Palm Pre`s back-up over the air does a better job , and it`s free.
Just ask Walt Mossberg.

[Ronlap]

I have 2 desktop and one laptop Macs, a PC laptop, and 2 iPhones so MobileMe is de rigueur to keep them all in sync. Yes, MM had major growing pains but I shudder to give Google any information after reading their privacy policy.

[somebody06]

Are any of you Mac OS X users, trying to sync your calendars and contacts via Google?

I was, and the Google option is flawed: You can't sync your contacts, without additional software, in the direction iPhone--->MacBook. There is additional software that helps you do that, but then your info has to go to a third party server, which I found a bit cumbersome.

That's why I switched to MobileMe, which does this seamless. So, even though some of you mentioned that now you can do contacts and calendar sync via Google, I don't think you actually have triend because it is really annoying the way it is done.

In addition, you can't sync certain detains of your contacts via Google, so the contacts syncing is far from well done; calendars syncing is also really messy, because if you have, say a seminar or a meeting that extends through the Daylight savings date change, you can't modify the event after you've created it.

Like I say, to all those that claim you can do all of these via Google sync, I am not sure if you've actually tried to sync Mac OS X<--->Google<--->iPhone, because many arrows in this diagram DOES NOT WORK.

Just google "Google Sync + iPhone = Mac OS X Address Book orphaned", and although a Google employee claims a second paragraph has the solution, it is actually not a solution, so show all the responses... I was one of the users that went through them, and I gave up because it really does not work.

2 "NO"
1 "Maybe"
only 1 "Yes".... but you still recommend this to people. how much did you get paid to write this?!

[manalagi001]

You don't need to use iWeb to develop and manage websites. You can create them using any tool and then upload them as files, just as you would with any other web hosting company.

[happygolucky101lol]

Just buy a new Mac and get iWork and MobileMe for $30 less :)

[AppleSuxLeo]

Mobile me=Mobile pee
One of the worst products ever released by Apple.

[TheTiredGuy]

"Find My iphone"? Can't you just call the misplaced iphone from a different phone, and hear where the ringing is coming from?

[jscott418]

Liked it when it was Dot Mac but have not liked it since. Sometimes it works sometimes not. Does not matter what you pay for it. The service is not worth it. Much of this is offered for free through other places.
But I am sure some Apple fans will disagree and that's OK. You keep giving Apple more of your money because Apple deserves it!

[cjmegatron81]

I am dying to justofy a reason to buy this because I like so many other Apple products. There are other free options that work well though.

[macgeek61]

I have been fighting this same decision for a year now. I love the fact that it is so easy to publish your iWeb page right to mobile me without going through the issues of webhosting, ftp, etc..it's a breeze and dang I love the simplicity and beauty of that site. The mail does suck, the syncing..horrible. I lost my contacts on a regular basis. I might try eBay where I see it cheaper.

[WintyB]

I have no problem with Mobile Me if you truly need. Some people have said they own 2 Macs, an IPhone and IPod Touch. Then by all means get it. But if your looking for simple sync then Google is probably the best way to go. I have Google Calendar sync with my Outlook and I use Google Sync for my iphone. If I update a contact in Gmail, it updates on my phone pretty much at the same time.

My friend has Mobile Me and loves it, especially for photo sharing, it does look hot and you can upload to facebook. I'm not a big fan of Windows, but with SkyDrive and the Live photo program online you can pretty much get the same thing for free. Picasa needs facebook uploading and I think that's what I would go with.

Also, my friend does hate the email client on Mobile Me. It needs an upgrade.

Apple sells itself as a "premiere" product in everything that they do. In some cases, that's warranted. But something like Mobile Me, I don't see the benefit of paying $99 a year. Or event $69 on sale.

[djjemela]

At first I wasn't impressed with the value of my mobileme account when I only used it for hosting my photo galleries. However, we started a video podcast that we created with IWeb, and I have been extremely happy with MobileMe hosting. The IWeb software on our macs integrate perfectly with our mobileme account and makes updates to our site and posting new videos a breeze. Basically it costs us a few bucks to get a domain name from GoDaddy.com, a trip to the mall for a couple of one to one lessons on how to set up our website, and BOOM we are posting videos on our podcast. If interested, our site is
www.LetsToob.com

[GeorgeThompsonUK1346]

Has anyone created or found a free alternative to find my iPhone, on official or jail braked.

it seems easy enough to make!

[shycelticwitch]

As a business owner and user of .mac and .me I have NO complaints. The others might provide similar features, but not the security. Issues? NONE since I got my first .mac account in 2005. NONE since the switch to .me except the few service glitches in the beginning, which didn't really affect me at all. Don't knock it until you've tried it (and actually USED it). If you have problems, then you don't know how to live in the "cloud". I suggest some classes at the local Apple store.

[luizhn]

Hello, I'm using a 1st gen iPhone with Google Sync, but it has many compatibility isues. For example, it only syncs one of your calendars, I had to put all my events in one single calendar to correctly push them all. With MobileMe is possible to sync many.
About contacts, in my iPhone I have lots of contacts with pictures, or specific fields (birthday, nickname, notes..), and Google's service isn't capable to sync all this information.
I think Apple wans't prepared to launch the service and this marked MobileMe as a not so good product.
But nowdays I'm getting more tempted to try it.
Of course I will miss all the usefull features that Gmail has, but I think that worths a try.

[sircutbreaker]

I love my mobile me account... the photo gallery is simply wonderful... even my computer illiterate family is able to go to my gallery and view all the pictures of the baby....

Calendar sync... My work has an exchange server that can only be accessed on their network.. I was able to place google calendar sync on my work computer... hook the iphone up to the google calendar sync... and what do you know... My calendar events are synced to all my other computers hooked to the mobile me chain.. Including my wife's computer and her iphone.

When I purchased a new mac.. i was able to make that computer exactly how I like by simply activating mobile me and allowing my preferences to come onto the machine.

If you know how to use mobile me.. it is an essential convenience..

I am running all macs... except at work, where I use a PC and outlook.

Thumbs up to mobile me.

[btcutter]

sircutbreaker,

I am similar situation. Work is EXCHANGE mail. Home is MM. How do you doing google calendar to sync to iphone (wirelessly?)? and then get it to sync with MM at home so it appears on all the computers hooked into MM chain.

Help appreciated!!!

[cowhide--2008]

i have it, i like it. If i own an apple i use apple products. I tried 3rd party apps (make that 3 rate) there was always some difference that made it a pain, so i stick with the apple. Also, ever use yahoo for picture storage, or one of the other 14 that are no longer in business. or could disappear tomorrow why risk it