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Apple Discontinuing MobileMe Retail Boxes, Preparing for Free Overhauled Version?

scb02 said:
I renewed a week ago. Won't be too happy if it now becomes free :( :(
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Do you really think that Apple would risk the bad PR of telling folks with active paid subscriptions that they are out of luck and not giving refunds.

they might be crazy but they aren't stupid.Well not that stupid. A lack of refunds would be asking for the lawsuit of the ages.
 
Mattstkc said:
they're still selling iPad 1 even though everyone and their retarded cousin knows they're releasing a new one next Wednesday. It's their style. Sell it until the last minute.
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I'm going to laugh when the 2nd comes around and it turns out that the new ipad isn't going on sale for a couple of months.
 
MacFly123 said:
Lol ME TOO! :( I seriously hope they will do something for us like at least a partial refund if it goes free in the next month or two. I have been a loyal MobileMe user for a few years so that would be a tough pill to swallow! :mad:
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Were all in the same boat. I've been using it since 2004 :eek:



WORST CASE SCENARIO for me..

They make the service free, in the process reducing the services you can do on it, and though they refund existing users - they are left with a gimped service.
 
Questions

The idea may simply be to eliminate Amazon etc. from discounting MM (Apple doesn't like retailers to be able to set their own prices). If it is free, I suspect you will still have to pay money for extra storage, like DropBox. And if it is free, like a number of other contributors this thread, I am intensely curious where this will leave me, since I recently paid for MM service through mid-Jan 2012. Refund? Apple Store credit? Or am I just going to be screwed?
 
MrSmith said:
I hope this 'cloud' doesn't just sit over the home country, like the BBC iPlayer...
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What? Seriously what do you mean?

As far as I know, the BBC is working on a version of iPlayer for people in foreign countries, who will pay to access it. We pay for the programmes via a compulsory TV licence (there are no commercials), so why should people in other countries be able to watch them for free?

Now, back to this MobileMe story: I've been quite happy to pay (a discounted rate via Amazon or eBay) and my subscription runs until October 2011. The worst case is that Apple makes it free, gives us refunds etc, and removes existing functionality. This would be pretty sad.
 
just on the potential of MM becoming free. If I was to sign up for a 60-day trial and effectively secure my user name before someone else - and I chose not to renew after 60 days to avoid charge - when it does become free would I be able to re-activate my user name?
 
I look forward to it becoming free, or even at a greatly reduced price ($10 a year would be good, free of course better), the only thing that might stop MM becoming free is the storage, 20gb free storage? Noone does that. Dropbox provides 2gb (3 with some jiggery pokery and referals)
 
BLUELION said:
As you identify, you were a 4+ year user, past tense. That is, you already used the service and you have therefore paid the fee to use that service. You are not entitled to proration sir just because you have used the service in the past.

However, if you paid for a year and are only partially into the service agreement period, then yes I agree you should get some proration in return. Aside from that, seems like you have paid and used the service provided.
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?
 
charlituna said:
Do you really think that Apple would risk the bad PR of telling folks with active paid subscriptions that they are out of luck and not giving refunds.

they might be crazy but they aren't stupid.Well not that stupid. A lack of refunds would be asking for the lawsuit of the ages.
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yep I think they would..unless you subscribed within 30 days.
 
jawad7 said:
just on the potential of MM becoming free. If I was to sign up for a 60-day trial and effectively secure my user name before someone else - and I chose not to renew after 60 days to avoid charge - when it does become free would I be able to re-activate my user name?
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You used to be able to keep the username back when it was Mac.com. Now if you let it lapse you lose everything (unless there has been a change and apple hasn't said anything).
 
I doubt if MM will be completely free, but who knows: Apple's done some surprising things before. But either way, the service needs to be more reliable. The recent calendar upgrade is a case in point. I upgraded a couple of days ago, and then spent a few hours trying to recover thousands of events that had disappeared. I eventually had to downgrade my calendar to recover them.
 
'bout time. The fact that this 'service' EVER came in physical packaging is completely asinine.

Great news on the 'free' possibility... should be for any Apple Mac or mobile purchase.
 
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nunes013 said:
my mobile me expires march 16. does anyone think they will talk about it at the march 2 event. i need to upgrade but i hope they announce what they are doing with it. ideas?
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I'd say there's a good chance of an announcement March 2. Apple likes the way that MobileMe works with the iPad and iPhone, and since that's what the event is about (iPad, at least), I'd expect it to be mentioned there.

jW
 
dfs said:
The idea may simply be to eliminate Amazon etc. from discounting MM (Apple doesn't like retailers to be able to set their own prices).
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And that is what I fear.

Oh well, if they do that, I guess I'll have to give up MM. It's already too expensive at Amazon's prices.
 
You can't buy it, but if you already have it you can still renew it. I just looked at my account and it still shows my end date as September 2011...
 
I am going to get an ME subscription for my Elephant, Nigel, I think the rabbits can live without if though to be honest!
 
Find my iPhone is down right now, maybe they are updating things, looks like there are has been a lot of "maintenance" in the last few days according to the status history.:D
 
So here is a question born out of genuine curiosity and not an attempt to spread mis-information and get any anyone unduly excited...

What is the usual policy on late renewals for MobileMe services? Because my service was due for renewal yesterday (24th Feb). Apple sent me a reminder a week ago because my registered payment card has expired and I need to update the details to ensure payment could be made. The e-mail stated I would lose access to everything apart from my e-mail account if I missed the payment date.

Needless to say, I totally forgot about the whole thing. No further reminder e-mails have been sent. When I logged in today to check my account status it still states it's due for renewal on the 24th...

...and everything works as normal. All the key services are functioning - I can upload to iDisk, contact and calendar syncing with my iPhone, etc.

So is that normal? Do Apple usually give you a few days allowance and not send reminders?
 
Chupa Chupa said:
Last Nov. someone on Amazon was selling old Mobile Me boxes for $45 each so I bought a couple -- one to renew in Jan '11 and another for Jan '12. I'm thinking I better go enter that code for Jan '12 ASAP. If Mobile Me does go free or they lower the price I'm guessing Apple will compensate paid users w/ Apple credit for the balance of their paid membership. At any rate I don't want to be stuck with an unusable code b/c the page to enter the renewal code is taken down.
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I have been doing the same thing. I generally enter the next code the day after I renew. I am currently renewed through Dec '11, and my next code is already loaded into MM which will bring me through Dec '12. It shows as a $149 item to automatically renew on the expiration date.

/Jim
 
Apple's Dilema

I do hope that if Mobile Me does go free then we will maintain the services I use (even if I have to pay for things like iDisk and web hosting). Now, as I see it, Apple has a dilemma. Google gives gmail away for free but it doesn't stop with free email. Once you've signed up for your gmail account, Google can suck you into its ecosystem of PIM functionality, Google Appls and whatever else they might want to give you.

Now, while it's doing all this, Google is monetizing its customers, mining their emails (and whatever else) and carefully targeting advertising. Google is also, though weight of numbers slowly making its competitors less relevant in the market place (and, quite frankly IMHO, I suspect Google not afraid to steal its competitors' IP and use its size to protect itself either - look at that poor copy of iOS they give away for free).

Not only does Apple risk its relevance if it doesn't calculate each competitive move carefully, it is also letting Google take business it can have for itself. As such, I think making certain Mobile Me services free makes sense but I don't think this should spoil things for those of us who already pay for Mobile Me.
 
What about Mac users that already paid for a full year? Will Apple give them option on credit or something else?
 
dfs said:
The idea may simply be to eliminate Amazon etc. from discounting MM
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Or it may be to stop Amazon etc from deciding to charge Apple a 30% fee for selling their product in a tit-for-tat battle over Appstore subscription pricing :)
 
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