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MobileMe vs. Gmail
- Thread starter MattKanzler
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I have always been happy with dot mac/MobileMe (had a few hours of no mail, a week of slow web access, that's it) and personally am not a fan of Google in general or gmail. That said, I would never suddenly switch to ANY new email service without some sort of trial/transition period, much less suddenly change to one that has just gone through a transition with a bunch of problems. I'd suggest forwarding your gmail to your me.com account and/or have a few people use your me.com address -- friends who you're in contact with enough that you could change your email address then change it back if you're not happy with it.
Gmail is web-based that offers iMAP also, MobileMe is more of a desktop client that offers web also. (on top of all the other features like storage and photo galleries). So for me, since I almost never use the web to access mail, I don't mind so much the lack of rules/filtering and search on the web, with MobileMe, and don't like gmail's solution anyway (although obviously their search is great). But you might end up realizing you need a feature that MobileMe doesn't have (yet -- I'm sure some of the items like filtering and search will be added).
Some of the other issues people mention aren't true or seem to be other unrelated problems -- you can had a BCC line in preferences, I have 3 different .me accounts coming in fine (mine plus two shared subaccounts) in Mail and on my iPhone, and use rules and MAILBOXES etc set up on my Mac fine. I've received maybe 20 spam emails in three years with dotmac/MM, and mail filters my junk (from places I gave out my address to) perfectly, so additional server-side junk filtering isn't an issue for me.
Gmail beats MobileMe with respect to email so easily it's almost laughable to compare them.
The only parts where MobileMe are better are in the Push email and a prettier (if shockingly feature lacking) interface.
Heck even Hotmail trounces MobileMe email
Of course it depends which of the available features you use. If what MobileMe Mail offers (or the lack of) is all you need then go for it. Personally, I like to think I can access it through IE for a start!
The only parts where MobileMe are better are in the Push email and a prettier (if shockingly feature lacking) interface.
Heck even Hotmail trounces MobileMe email
Of course it depends which of the available features you use. If what MobileMe Mail offers (or the lack of) is all you need then go for it. Personally, I like to think I can access it through IE for a start!
Why not use them together? I believe Gmail to be a wonderful complement to MobileMe's push services. All my Gmail accounts forward to MobileMe and then are pushed to my iPod Touch and I never have to give out my MobileMe address, thus I'll never receive any spam with it.
I agree that MobileMe needs some work with email, but it is not laughable to compare them.
Heck even Hotmail trounces MobileMe email
What?!? Are you crazy? You are obviously a Windoze user.
Prior observation confirmed, a Windoze and IE user. If you want to talk about laughable comparisons, why not say something about using IE over Firefox?
Why not use them together? I believe Gmail to be a wonderful complement to MobileMe's push services. All my Gmail accounts forward to MobileMe and then are pushed to my iPod Touch and I never have to give out my MobileMe address, thus I'll never receive any spam with it.
Not only do you not have to give out your MobileMe address and thus no spam, but you also have the option to set up up to 5 email aliases with MobileMe. You can then use those aliases for online shopping, that one "black" site that you shouldn't go to anyway, or whatever you please. Then, if you do start to receive spam, simply delete that alias, and bam, spam is no longer received at that address, because it no longer exists.
Are all of you only comparing the Web Interface? I do not even use the Web Interface. Both support IMAP so you can use a FREE (at least on Windows - I mostly use Outlook (not free) but Windows Live Mail is Free) Desktop IMAP Client so why even bother with the Web Interface. To me the most important part or MobileMe is the "Mobile" part. Push Email and OTA Sync of Calendars and Contacts with the iPhone. To me that is "Priceless" (to still a slogon). When Google supports ALL three of those then I think they are comparable.
Ah, I can see this is going to be fun considering you said "Windoze"...
It is laughable, comparing what you get from MobileMe (all inclusive, being both the web interface, IMAP etc.) and Gmail (all inclusive again...) you get SO much more from Gmail.
Hotmail is better, the web interface is incredibly better - you can get your contacts by typing their name in the address field...wow! Yet something MobileMe doesn't provide yet! Granted there is no IMAP/POP3 support so you're limited to Microsoft applications for the desktop use of it.
Calling me a "Windoze user" is a bit...black and white! I have a MacBook, with Mac OS X and use it everyday. I have a Windows desktop that is mostly used as a file server which I VNC into, and so my daily use of Windows (for the past 2 years) is minimal.
I haven't used IE as a primary browser ever since Mozilla (when the Mozilla Suite was Mozilla's primary focus). I'd just like to think that a so-called website would work on around 70% of computers. Yes, I know IE sucks and isn't "standards complient" and so on. But as far as checking my email (hell Apple can provide a barebones Web 1.0 interface if they have to) do I care. No. I would like to have access to it on almost every computer, and that means to support IE whether they like it or not.
Thank you for providing me with some mild amusement today at being one of "those" Apple consumers.
Oh and i'm just comparing the email-based aspect of MobileMe, since that's what the OP asked for.
IE Support
Well, I have been put in my place. But as to being one of "those" Apple consumers, the only reason I have such a staunch stand on Apple is because I was an avid Windoze user myself for more than 10 years, until a couple years ago I was enlightened to the proficiency and ease of an Apple Computer. I did graphic design on a 3 ghz pentium 4 machine with 2 gigs of ram, and had problems quite frequently. I then was given a 350 mhz PowerMac G3 with 1 gig of ram, and it felt just as fast as my P4! What was up with that?!? It is called efficiency. I'm sorry, but I am the type of person that if I find something that revolutionized my life, I will tell everyone about it. It is probably a flaw in my character, but I also belittle those who refuse to be or appear to have not been so enlightened. Newbie mistake
That being said, I take my laptop just about everywhere, and have no need to use a Windoze or IE interface for checking my MobileMe, so I completely did not even think of that as being an option or reason for voting for gmail over MobileMe. But, after considering that, MobileMe does lose some points in this race because of lack of support for IE. But it is still not enough for me to vote for gmail.
But then again, even Steve Jobs himself said that MobileMe shouldn't have been launched when it was, in order to continue making the product the best it could be.
Well, I have been put in my place. But as to being one of "those" Apple consumers, the only reason I have such a staunch stand on Apple is because I was an avid Windoze user myself for more than 10 years, until a couple years ago I was enlightened to the proficiency and ease of an Apple Computer. I did graphic design on a 3 ghz pentium 4 machine with 2 gigs of ram, and had problems quite frequently. I then was given a 350 mhz PowerMac G3 with 1 gig of ram, and it felt just as fast as my P4! What was up with that?!? It is called efficiency. I'm sorry, but I am the type of person that if I find something that revolutionized my life, I will tell everyone about it. It is probably a flaw in my character, but I also belittle those who refuse to be or appear to have not been so enlightened. Newbie mistake
That being said, I take my laptop just about everywhere, and have no need to use a Windoze or IE interface for checking my MobileMe, so I completely did not even think of that as being an option or reason for voting for gmail over MobileMe. But, after considering that, MobileMe does lose some points in this race because of lack of support for IE. But it is still not enough for me to vote for gmail.
But then again, even Steve Jobs himself said that MobileMe shouldn't have been launched when it was, in order to continue making the product the best it could be.
Just in case you did not know. IE7 does work (only gets a warning). From others I understand that IE6 does not work at all.
Sorry if I sound Stupid, but does MobileMe only push .me.com email i.e. if I want to use push mail then I need to change my email address???
Yup, MM only pushes @me addresses. If you want other email pushed you have to forwarded it to your @me address.
Push is overrated unless you're someone who needs it. IMO, 99% users don't need push, and those who do, won't use MM for that.
I never need my mail that badly that I won't push the mail button on my iPhone.
I had no idea the MM web interface was such rubbish. Visually it looks really nice, now I see in function it's severely lacking.You forgot:
Fortunately, the non-web mail access appears to be secure, although you may have to configure them to be secure (I'm not sure if they're secure by default).
- The MM web mail interface is not secure. If you're accessing MM, for example, via a public wifi point, and you're dealing with sensitive financial/personal information and/or love letters
I had no intention of even trialing MM, I've been using Gmail since it was release and am very happy with it.
Really not sure where you are coming from. Are you saying that if GMail had Push you would not use it? I mean you would set it up as Manual or maybe have it check email every 15 min or so? Why? Push is the best way to have your email sent to your phone. Or do you disagree with that? If you agree that Push is the best way to send email to the phone why would think that 99% of user don't need it. Or are you just using the word "need" to be like we don't "need" to go to the movies or to sometimes have desert with dinner?
It can push the email to any other programs like Mail, but its not automatic sync. Mail can only check your email at the fastest, once every minute.
Well, to be fair, I don't think MM is horrible, as long as you avoid the web interfaces. It appears that the non-web interfaces can be secure (at least on the PC). Push contacts and calendars are very nice, and you can still use your other, favorite email provider (like gmail). Using another email provider is especially nice, as you can then use push MM email as a "you have important/urgent email" alarm (basically, you read/write email using your favorite email provider, and only use push email to make noises on your iPhone). See this post and the following ones for more info: https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=5985838#post5985838
Gmail doesn't support push -- only polling. Programs like Mail or Thunderbird can only periodically poll for new mail.
As far as I know, the catch is that you are stuck using their domain name. You can't specify any other domain for outgoing mails from what I've read. Plus they include additional features in their other plans. I'd have signed up already if they didn't have the stupid 1GB limit. I mean come on, 1GB? Thats so 2006.
As much as everyone loves to complain about MM, I haven't seen any other provider come close to offering 20GB of push email for ~$8.34/month (well, I may have seen some, but there's no way I'm going to buy service from them, after doing a google search). Also, I haven't been able to find many exchange providers that allow rule-based filtering (at their end -- not the client end). Because of this, I think people are better off with using MM mainly for contacts and calendaring, and using a more full-featured email provider (not MM) for email. The push email is better off used only to make noises on your iPhone, to tell you that you have important/urgent mail in your other (non-MM) email account.
Yahoo wouldn't be bad if they offered IMAP access. They currently offer unlimited email and with their Yahoo Plus service you can send "from" multiple accounts. Not figured out yet though how to make my email from the iphone (in yahoo mode) look like its coming from my main email domain.
I was also a die-hard GMail User since from the beginning. It is still one of the best eMail services worldwide. For me, hotmail or yahoo are huge crap. It is loaded with BLING BLING and is very overloaded with its 87 Buttons you don't need.
Also the filter from GMail is the top.
But I switched completely to .Mac because of several things. First, nothing is for free!
I remember playing around at the settings of Gmail and its account. I was shocked to find out, that there is an option called "web protocol". I was able to watch a list of the websites and searches from 3 years!!! WTF?!
Second, I am tired of the small ads in mail. Why is Google reading my mail and put ads in there?
Third, I like to pay money for services. In .Mac or MobileMe you don't have commercials. And Apple is not collecting your data in a hard and sick way like Google does.
And fourth, even if it sounds very arrogant to some people here, it is exclusive. Yes, you heard me here. I remember when everyone had a yahoo or hotmail-Account. GMail back then, was only for people with invitation. It was very cool to have a Google Mail Account back then with 1 GB of storage. Now, it is free for everyone. In Germany you can't even get a Gmail.com-ending. You get a crappy Googlemail.com-ending.
With my XX@mac.com-ending I feel kind of exclusive sending a mail. And yes, I like that fact having something, you can't get it anymore. And I am willing to pay for things and gadgets like this.
Just my 2 Cents. But in general I switched completely because the company is getting way to scary with its data-collection, and I don't wanna be part of. I can't rely on a service which supposed to be FREE! Not in exchange of my privacy. This is way I like pay for things.
Also, searching at Google without beeing logged in Okay! But otherwise No chance!
Also I like the whole integration with Mac, iPhone and the software. It is so much easier.
Thnak You!
Also the filter from GMail is the top.
But I switched completely to .Mac because of several things. First, nothing is for free!
I remember playing around at the settings of Gmail and its account. I was shocked to find out, that there is an option called "web protocol". I was able to watch a list of the websites and searches from 3 years!!! WTF?!
Second, I am tired of the small ads in mail. Why is Google reading my mail and put ads in there?
Third, I like to pay money for services. In .Mac or MobileMe you don't have commercials. And Apple is not collecting your data in a hard and sick way like Google does.
And fourth, even if it sounds very arrogant to some people here, it is exclusive. Yes, you heard me here. I remember when everyone had a yahoo or hotmail-Account. GMail back then, was only for people with invitation. It was very cool to have a Google Mail Account back then with 1 GB of storage. Now, it is free for everyone. In Germany you can't even get a Gmail.com-ending. You get a crappy Googlemail.com-ending.
With my XX@mac.com-ending I feel kind of exclusive sending a mail. And yes, I like that fact having something, you can't get it anymore. And I am willing to pay for things and gadgets like this.
Just my 2 Cents. But in general I switched completely because the company is getting way to scary with its data-collection, and I don't wanna be part of. I can't rely on a service which supposed to be FREE! Not in exchange of my privacy. This is way I like pay for things.
Also, searching at Google without beeing logged in Okay! But otherwise No chance!
Also I like the whole integration with Mac, iPhone and the software. It is so much easier.
Thnak You!
If the mobileme service supported using my own domain name from the web interface as well, I'd be 100% ready to move over. Till then I'm stuck on my Gmail.
I do not mind paying for services and features, but Apple does not provide me with all of the services and features that I want.
However, if you are really concerned about privacy and security, you should really investigate MobileMe. For example, the current MobileMe web mail interface does not use encryption, and so hackers at public wifi spots might be able to read your email. Also, I've heard that the default OS X idisk access is not secure by default (you can make it secure, but it's not secure by default).
Excellant point! I do like google services, but the fact they are becoming so big and keep your search records is something I am concerned about. I don't mind paying for services at all. Maybe once Eddy gets mobileme where he would like it to be, then I would purchase it.