Apple Sends Another MobileMe Apology E-mail and Extension

[saab]

"It's perfectly normal to request credit card autherisation as a means of identification. There's nothing to be paranoid about."

So, you go into a book store to buy a book. Of course, you want to leaf through it before you buy to see if it is what you need and/or want. But to be able to do that, you have to give the store access to your credit card. They will then reserve $1 on it to see that it is genuine and (of course) store all this info in their database in case you do want to buy the book. Or why not have another store do the same before you start trying out some new pair of cloths you are thinking of buying. Sounds normal to you?

If Apple are so afraid that people will register for free over and over again and use their service without paying, they could very easily introduce something that makes you see and feel it out without being able to use it to full extent. Software companies usually manage to do that with demo software. Let people try before they buy without harvesting credit card info.

And, frankly, I think Apple (with $20 billion in cash) could afford the risk to let people who bought a mac try Mobile Me for free without acting like big brother.

 

[andyw2004]

Do try not to be stupid!

If a $250 authorization is enough to put people on a tight budget in financial dire straits, those people should not even be considering a rather frivolous subscription to mobile me as they have much more pressing financial matters to address.

Lots of people keep multiple accounts and move money around as needed. That must be one of the major benefits of online banking. If you can't see that it might be inconvenient even to a solvent person, you are an idiot.

The fact is that Apple said that they were going to "reserve" £1 and they ended up reserving £121. This is other people's money we are talking about and they deserve to be criticized for that sort of error. One month's extra free trial is a silly compensation for those people who have been inconvenienced in this way and I hope some of them take Apple to task for it. This is not the sort of thing that a company can do without attracting criticism and that is quite right too. I like Apple's products but that is neither here nor there in this case.

 

[jimoase]

On the Prairie we don't need Credit Cards to know you...

It's perfectly normal to request credit card autherisation as a means of identification. There's nothing to be paranoid about.

If where you live you need a credit card to identify each other you will feel undressed around here, we will wave to you as we drive past and probably know your name, your parents, your sibling, your cousins and maybe your grandparents. Be nice to us friendly people we are growing the corn for your ethanol.

As you might guess we are not amused by the ME generation and find Apple's choice to rename their service ME.com strange. Who wants to be associated in any way with the ME generation?

Jim

 

[Fozziebear40]

As you might guess we are not amused by the ME generation and find Apple's choice to rename their service ME.com strange. Who wants to be associated in any way with the ME generation?

Jim

Well said, I can't stand the @me.com, my wife hates it even more than me, a machead! Doesn't sound professional. I would go with gmail, but here in UK we are @googlemail.com

 

[OllyW]

Well said, I can't stand the @me.com, my wife hates it even more than me, a machead! Doesn't sound professional. I would go with gmail, but here in UK we are @googlemail.com

I'm in the UK and have a @gmail.com address. You had to be there in the begining

 

[iSamurai]

Apple can 'apologize' all they like, but until they find the UK dictionary on their Mac's they may as well forget it.

You're so right... as I read through that article, I was thinking, gosh, Apple didn't realise that they ought to localise their spelling while apologising... It's such a standardised issue.

Computers these days like software & OS's... They should also make an UK English variation. I mean it doesn't need so much effort after all.

But you know what? That letter was probably written by some guy in Apple's Cupertino HQ. If we were to write a letter to uncle Steve et al, they would also prefer it in US English...

 

[Fozziebear40]

You had to be there in the begining

I was, with .mac

 

[DiamondMac]

They should be called Mobile ME-aculpas.

It's time we stop having to receive them and instead just get consistent service

 

[javierbds]

Sad

I think Apple has deeply failed in QA with this ... Either they are overworking their devs, or some overconfident managers should be shown the door (probably both) ...
I know it will be solved in due time but Apple should be now in damage control mode with ME ... I should probably open a ME account, at this pace it will probably end up being free for years to come

 

[gaspig70]

To be fair, MMe, if it works, will be a great thing. Hope the bookmarks and iCards make it back.

Well put.

 

[GAdawg]

Originally Posted by dogtanian
Apple can 'apologize' all they like, but until they find the UK dictionary on their Mac's they may as well forget it.

This is kind of a big issue for people trying to get MobileMe work correctly. Apple should be spending their time trying to fix this problem not changing one letter in a word to make it grammatically correct in every corner of the world. There are more important things than having a 's' instead of an 'z'

 

[Bakey]

Apple is an American company. If you want change, and improvements at an American company run by American people, you'll have to permit the American people to care.

Are you for real? Clearly you are!

Do you know what? I can't be bothered with your feeble excuse for an argument - I'm riled-up big time over this one!

Just don't go forgetting that the American company you talk about doesn't employ just American personnel! Therefore as a company it has a multi-cultural approach...

I really can't be bothered as you're missing "my" point by a very long shot...

Did you offend me? I'll let you decide that one...

 

[majordude]

12 people have been fired.

The family in India that were the main programmers?

 

[flyinmac]

Just don't go forgetting that the American company you talk about doesn't employ just American personnel! Therefore as a company it has a multi-cultural approach...

Obviously, they employ people around the world both directly and indirectly. The China incident a year or two ago should make that quite clear.

But, whether they have franchises, distributors, and local offices or not, it is quite clear and obvious where decisions are made and who makes them.

The lack of a localized letter should indicate quite clearly where the commands and decisions come from.

 

[joeshays]

I made an animation mocking mobileme.

oh my … talk about embarrassing! they better back this up with no down time for the next year when its finally up and running.

I found I had the time to produce it since I couldn't do business via email this past WEEEEEEKKK.

Check it out:

joesummerhays.wordpress.com

 

[joeshays]

I made an animation mocking mobileme.

Take that Apple...
I found I had the time to produce it since I couldn't do business via email this past WEEEEEEKKK.

Check it out:

joesummerhays.wordpress.com