Am a new user to Macs and purchased .MAC.
What I like:
*Integrates very nicely to the iLife apps/mail etc.
*Automated (read brainless backups) for critical things like home/preferences etc
*Easy if not too simplistic iWeb/.Mac integration
****My fav - cause I've used it about a dozen times - do not ask why
**Ability to back up/synch (EASY) mail/cals-cont/credentials/bookmarks etc
*nice basic email app - for browser mail - biggest plus synching with your mailon your mac, maintaining pref's , folders, again basic integration very easily done
There are features I have used that I wouldn't call out but were good for one off's - tutorials/walk throughs (the one on garageband was very nice and beat the help within the app by a landslide), some extra software - nothing to really brag about
Things I don't like - or really why it kinda s***cks. The limitation of 1 GB(single - you can upgrade to 4gb for half again as much)
Really limits your ability to use the features that are touted - such as "back up those pictures of your loved ones in a safe/secure yadyadayda" with 1 gb for all your MAIL, BACKUPS, iWEB, iDISK etc - you won't be backing up many pics. Same for really any other backs ups. So for home settings/preferences and the things i listed above great - for anything else...not good. It also is pretty slow.
That limitation hits in email and just about every other use. Unfortunately I get tons of email - and my family has this insane tendency to want to send me pics of everything - if I miss checking or whatever for a few days - I can easily over flow the 512MB standard default.
The iDisk feature is simply worthless given the lack of space. Maybe for a simple word doc or two - but remember your are sharing the 1GB amongs ALL the functions - it also is slow.
So bottom line - would I keep the account - is it worth the $99.00 I paid. I feel over charged - however due to some extreme (one would hope
) circumstances I have gotten great benefit out of it. It is worth $99.99 a year to me to know that critical information that is tedious and time consuming to replicate is so easily and readily available. ANd I mean easy!!!
I must be a nut case but I LOVE the Mail application in Tiger - mainly because its basic, does not overwhelm me with functions I do not need and is easy and straight forward. When set up to work with the .Mac mail - a very, very nice robust, functional solution.
I am sure I could get those two main features somewhere else, cheaper and hosted - but am not sure they would integrate so nicely and am pretty convinced they would not be as easy as they are. For me those two features are worth my ~$8 a month. The rest is gravy.
Maybe once I am more confortable in the environment and find those functions elsewhere as stated above - I will feel differently. For now...yes I woul do it again.
Therese
