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gundam

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 6, 2003
55
0
I recently ordered my first mac and really like this concept of iDisk online storage, but why does it have to be tied only to .Mac? I already have a webhosting account with 1gig limit -- can't the automated backup, online calendar, address book & bookmark functions be set to ftp to a user-defined address instead? The $99/year service seems just like a money grab.
 

ShadowHunter

macrumors regular
Sep 27, 2003
159
0
Fresno
Re: What's the point of .Mac?

Originally posted by gundam
I recently ordered my first mac and really like this concept of iDisk online storage, but why does it have to be tied only to .Mac? I already have a webhosting account with 1gig limit -- can't the automated backup, online calendar, address book & bookmark functions be set to ftp to a user-defined address instead? The $99/year service seems just like a money grab.

Other then what you described, you get a permanent email address, along with other bene's like special offers and stuff. But yeah, I would agree that it is a bit of a money grab.

The potential is there for some cool things w/ .Mac. I think they could "combine" .Mac and AppleCare. Then it could be like a subsctiption service, where you always get the latest OS for the $20 deal and things like the extended warranty and free support.
 

BigHairyBuds

macrumors member
Sep 30, 2003
33
0
.mac is garbage, I feel like a moron for paying $50 for a year...your a fool if you pay $100. I never touched my iDisk...an iPod is much more convenient for moving files to and from school. The only worthwile part of .mac is Virex...and I've never seen a macintosh virus...so what's the point?

edit: i agree on the potential...but have yet to see any groundbreaking ideas...the deals you get are a waste of my time.
 

Flowbee

macrumors 68030
Dec 27, 2002
2,943
0
Alameda, CA
Re: What's the point of .Mac?

Originally posted by gundam
I recently ordered my first mac and really like this concept of iDisk online storage, but why does it have to be tied only to .Mac? I already have a webhosting account with 1gig limit -- can't the automated backup, online calendar, address book & bookmark functions be set to ftp to a user-defined address instead? The $99/year service seems just like a money grab.

First of all, there are already several recent threads here about the pros and cons of .Mac. Try a search.

Secondly, not everyone has a webhosting account with a 1gb limit. All of the features of .Mac are listed on Apple's website... if you're not interested in any of them, then it's probably not worth $99.
 

gundam

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 6, 2003
55
0
Re: Re: What's the point of .Mac?

My gripe is that the idisk backup functionality is apparently tied to .Mac which is an unappealing and overpriced service. Many people have webhosting accounts and/or alloted storage from ISP accounts and free webmail can be had all over the place. I think iDisk is great, but I can't make much use of it unless I fork over $99.95 a year for something else that I have no need for. This type of money-grab and preying on the naive is very bad form for a company that positions itself as an alternative to MS.


Originally posted by Flowbee
First of all, there are already several recent threads here about the pros and cons of .Mac. Try a search.

Secondly, not everyone has a webhosting account with a 1gb limit. All of the features of .Mac are listed on Apple's website... if you're not interested in any of them, then it's probably not worth $99.
 

billyboy

macrumors 65816
Mar 15, 2003
1,165
0
In my head
Its good for people like me who are thick as sh*t and like one click upload photos to a homepage, file sharing on iDisk and having a sexy email account name.

It has other features I have neglected to learn, and Im sure it has lots of potential for even more features, but this dic* hasnt regretted the subscription. :)
 

5300cs

macrumors 68000
Nov 24, 2002
1,862
0
japan
This topic comes up REALLY often, I wonder if we could make it a sticky or something.

I guess I'm a fool then, I just signed up for another year :rolleyes:

I think it's great, the email is perfect for me (never any junk mail) the iDisk is cool, Backup 2 lets you backup to external drives now (at least the beta does) and syncing bookmarks is really nice. I also like publishing iCal calendars. For me, personally, it's worth $100. For others, it's up to you.
 

alset

macrumors 65816
Nov 9, 2002
1,262
0
East Bay, CA
I love it and use it all the time. My email@mac.com has been with me for four years, and I sync three machines using Backup and iSync. My iDisk is always in use, and I love the bargains on software that come with my subscription. If it doesn't appeal, it may not be for you. I am set to automatically renew in six days, however.

Dan
 

gundam

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 6, 2003
55
0
I'm sure that a lot of people are pleased with .Mac and the way it simplifies tasks like backing up and publishing photos. But many other people have no desire to add yet another email account and would prefer to upload files and publish bookmarks, calendars and addressbooks to their existing online storage rather than subscribe to another service. Since iDisk is such a highly touted feature of the OS, it shouldn't bind users to Apple's own hosting service.
 

Sabenth

macrumors 6502a
Jan 24, 2003
887
3
UK
.Mac I used it for the free 60 day trial loved it i know it dosnt have all the features on the trial but it fantastic for people who dont want to piff fadel about plus you dont have to rember to much because its there on the mac in networks settings so once its setup you can easirly acess it plus its intergraded so well with iLife products.. but this is me mr Trial man havent bought it yet because its a bit out of my pocket but it would be used for sure at least in my house hold
 

besson3c

macrumors member
Apr 9, 2003
98
0
You don't need a .Mac account to use the iDisk functions. There is a webpage which details a way to "trick" the OS into using your own webdav mount as an iDisk.
 

BigHairyBuds

macrumors member
Sep 30, 2003
33
0
what major function does .Mac fulfill other than "convenient shortcuts" for users who make use of their various services...you need an ISP to use it...and almost all ISP's provide with similar services and your already paying for them in your monthly fee!! Even at under $10 a month I felt like I was being robbed. On that note, I hope Apple adds some major improvements to get me back on board because I love giving them my money :eek:
 

tjwett

macrumors 68000
May 6, 2002
1,880
0
Brooklyn, NYC
my .Mac just auto-renewed a few days ago and i really considered stopping it, but didn't. i've been using all it's features more and more lately and i also can't afford to potentially lose a bunch of emails during the transition to a new address. aside from that i'm finding the iDisk quite useful. i've got 3 machines in sync right now along with my ipod. i admit the home page templates are just awful and the features could use some more, like PHP for example. backup is getting better. i do get a good amount of use from my iDisk, obviously nothing that couldn't be done with some webspace and Fetch but convenience has it's benefits. the best thing i can think of is that i've gotten over $100 worth of free software and coupons just this month. i guess i'm sticking with it. hoping it'll get better like everyone else.
 

Powerbook G5

macrumors 68040
Jun 23, 2003
3,974
1
St Augustine, FL
I love my .Mac service. I use my iDisk all the time, my .Mac email address is my default email, I have 2 webpages on .Mac, and I have gotten a good $150 worth of free software from .Mac. Not to mention I got it for $30 off and I got a $30 member benefit credit for the Apple store that I will use towards the purchase of a Brenthaven backpack probably when I get the money together. For me, it's been great and I love it.
 
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