What Apple should have done with .Mac

[synergy]

This is part based on hardware speculation.
That of the Tivo like device people keep mentioning as Apple bringing out.
Well Apple should have brought it out this MWNY.
As part and parcel of the .Mac 100 dollar fee Apple should have included the ability for their Tivo like device to connect to the central server and be able to download programming updates.

Hook that puppy upto a broadband connection and Apple can deliver Quicktime media straight to your TV set. Imagine watching the keynote Quicktime only but on your TV set through the set-top box tivo unit.

Microsoft plans on doing that with their Xbox. Where the heck is Apple and their unit? Add 802.11b so the unit can talk with the computer upstairs or to the Airport basestation routing the broadband connection.
They should provide digital out on that unit so you can plug it into your digital receiver for music and more.

Come on Apple, get with the program.

 

[nuckinfutz]

Not bad

Don't rule out anything like this. As paying customers you will be a target for Apple to roll out Services.

.mac is good from a consumer perspective. Companies don't have problems shakin' off freeloaders but paying customers are coveted.

 

[topicolo]

oh come on. You can do that now on a mac. Just get a video card that supports tv-out. I was watching the keynote on my tv by piping it through my dsl connection to my pc, which had a GF2Mx that had tv-out.

 

[iH8Quark]

The ZD Net article was oh-so-true. .Mac is web centric applications for a company with no enterprise strategy. That's what's really killing Apple, and has been all along. They have no entrprise strategy. Not even on the university or higher educational institution level.

I think I made this point long ago, but people on these boards trashed me.

 

[whfsdude]

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/iTol/petition.html

 

[Future Man]

"To:_ Apple Computer, Mr. Steve Jobs

"We, the undersigned, are signing to make sure that our voices be heard against Apple's proposed "upgrades" to the .mac service (formally known as iTools). "

Do you have to explain to Steve Jobs that .mac was formerly known as Itools.

 

[bbarnhart]

Customer support

Must read - there is a kicker in all of this

.mac is nothing more than Apple hosting a domain name for you with a few special things just for Mac users. Email, disk space, Web hosting can all be purchased from a web hosting firm. I have my own domain and I pay $8 a month for it.

By and large, .mac and having your domain hosted by a web hosting firm are very similar.

I could backup my own files to my website manually, or I could use .mac and the Backup application automatically. Is that worth $99? Oooh anti-virus! Calendar?

-- Kicker --

Here is the important thing. You have no control over your space at .mac. What are you bandwidth limitations? Are they going to continue to 'filter' your email. There is no customer service for .mac . I get nearly instant customer service where I host my website.

There are a lot of things missing at .mac as it currently stands, but maybe that is what we are paying them to build.

I've not yet decided if I will keep my brianbarnhart@mac.com. I'd hate to lose it and then next year they have a compelling reason to have a .mac account. I guess it is really a vanity email address that I'd be losing. I could still sign up as bbarn328Elm@mac.com.

 

[Durandal7]

Originally posted by whfsdude
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/iTol/petition.html

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/windoze/petition.html

 

[kevinibook]

Hey the number of signatures has grown since i signed it...

 

[jelloshotsrule]

Re: Customer support

Originally posted by bbarnhart
.mac is nothing more than Apple hosting a domain name for you with a few special things just for Mac users. Email, disk space, Web hosting can all be purchased from a web hosting firm. I have my own domain and I pay $8 a month for it.

By and large, .mac and having your domain hosted by a web hosting firm are very similar.

I could backup my own files to my website manually, or I could use .mac and the Backup application automatically. Is that worth $99? Oooh anti-virus! Calendar?

-- Kicker --

Here is the important thing. You have no control over your space at .mac. What are you bandwidth limitations? Are they going to continue to 'filter' your email. There is no customer service for .mac . I get nearly instant customer service where I host my website.

There are a lot of things missing at .mac as it currently stands, but maybe that is what we are paying them to build.

I've not yet decided if I will keep my brianbarnhart@mac.com. I'd hate to lose it and then next year they have a compelling reason to have a .mac account. I guess it is really a vanity email address that I'd be losing. I could still sign up as bbarn328Elm@mac.com.

2 things.

1. you pay 8 dollars a month.... ie, 96 a year. wow, you save 3 dollars.... nice. for people who want to retain their email accounts and actually use all that space and would use all the features, it's worth it. for those who just want email, of course, it's not.

2. .mac will have customer service. itools didn't, but that was free. this does. check out this: http://www.mac.com/1/pre_signup_grand.html

it has support


your argument doesn't hold up. if someone is willing to spend 96/year. why not 99/year with the extras and some will like just having the mac name on their stuff...

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Re: Re: Customer support

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
why not 99/year with the extras and some will like just having the mac name on their stuff...

I'm not exactly sure how much added value there is to having and @mac.com in your email address. Does it make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? It might for some.

But I pay a little over 100 a year for a website - one that can do a lot more than .mac - host over 100 megs, have pretty much unlimited email accounts, etc. So, from a competitive stand point, they are a little over priced.

Granted, if you've ever used iPhoto or put movies up on iTools, its pretty damn easy. But if you're in to actually doing the work yourself, wanting something other than a template, don't bother with .mac. For me it was a convenience, I'm not mad/dissapointed/pissed or whining. I'll just go back to doing what I did before iTools.

I never used any of my @mac.com email accounts.

D

 

[jelloshotsrule]

Re: Re: Re: Customer support

duke:

sure, i agree. if you want a "real" host where you have a professional type web page and whatnot, of course you don't awnt to go .mac. which is why i wonder why all the "pros" are complaining about paying for .mac email. yeah, it was free. yeah, there should be an option for just email at a lower/free cost.. but most pros these days have their own web pages. and if i had a company, i would NOT want the web page to be homepage.mac.com/mycrapasscompany

i'd rather have ceo@mycrapasscompany.com as my email then suaveass1@mac.com for sure...

but there are some people who would have just gotten a great new imac, and want the @mac.com email, and as you said, the ability to do all that stuff easily...

so i guess you can pay 99/year and get decent stuff, very easy to use... at a non pro level. or you can pay a bit less (sometimes) and get much more stuff, but you have to know how to use it better, at what can be a more pro level...

all just depends on what you need or don't need.

ps. all email and web addresses in this post are made up.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Customer support

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule

ps. all email and web addresses in this post are made up.

to protect the innocent? ha!

But I agree, you're going to pay a premium for the ease and simplicity that Apple offers with .mac, and for joeUser, its not bad. Besides, with iSync, iCal and all the other things coming out with Jaguar, your iDisk will just be another part to your digital lifestyle. Look at the big picture and see where this is all going and you might even realize its going to be pretty damn cool, we just need to get over the sticker shock and grow up and stop being spoiled.

D

 

[synergy]

Originally posted by topicolo
oh come on. You can do that now on a mac. Just get a video card that supports tv-out. I was watching the keynote on my tv by piping it through my dsl connection to my pc, which had a GF2Mx that had tv-out.

For a majority of people the computer is separate from the TV room.

 

[PrettyMan]

Can we make them to think different...

Well, Apple is a computer & software company. They sell hardware and software and they must earn money to their shareholders.

And I think that they'll make a lot of numbers if people says that the are ready to make the mac2everything in response to their pay4everything strategy.

If they are going to lose more money than the money they'll earn with .mac, they'll be forced to think different, really.

Now, my message. I sent it to .Mac feedback:

When I bought my iMac, the iTools account was for ever...

What is the meaning of forever ?

Two or three years ?

Ok. I'll continue buying Macs forever.

And perhaps i´m an executive president of an media-enterprise, and I can make the really switch.

Do you know ?

Ciao.

 

[Paolo]

mac. is a rip off

People posted that you could kill you iDisk if you just wanted the mail for free, but instead you have to find a mac. full member who will let you use their space for your email (yeah like that's gonna happen).

mac. is just because although mac say that the're going strong really there dying and needed something to give them a boost untill they can get there next revolution out (most likely the G5).

Apple really stuffed up!