MobileMe is Apple’s $99 per year service (it can be purchased for less) that keeps your email, contacts, and calendar information in the “cloud” and uses push technology to keep everything in sync across your iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, and the web automatically. MobileMe also offers MobileMe Gallery for sharing your photos, Find My iPhone and Find my iPad, which helps you locate your lost (or stolen) device, Remote Wipe, which allows you to remotely delete your personal information and restore devices to their to the factory settings, iDisk, for storing, accessing, and sharing files online (starts at 20GB), Me.com, a suite of ad-free web applications — Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Gallery, iDisk, and Find My iPhone — all accessible from a browser on any Mac or PC, Back to My Mac puts any Mac OS X Leopard- or Snow Leopard-based Mac you use within easy reach from anywhere, Secure iChat, which lets you protect your chats with robust, 128-bit encryption, the free iDisk app which lets you view files on your iDisk right on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, share content from iPhoto, iMovie, QuickTime, and Aperture, seamless iWeb integration, personal domain name hosting, and more.
MobileMe was originally launched on January 5, 2000, as “iTools,” a free collection of Internet-based services for users of Mac OS 9. iTools was relaunched as “.Mac” on July 17, 2002, when it became a $99 per year subscription service. .Mac was relaunched as “MobileMe” at WWDC 2008 on July 9, 2008.
No timeframe was given for MobileMe to go free, other than: “sooner than later… depends on certain facilities going operational.”
That’s all we have at this time.
Again, this is an unconfirmed RUMOR.
I dunno, but cheaper would be nice. Say $20/yr or something.
(1st Cmnt)
Interesting… I would welcome it.. I have had MobileMe from day one.
I’ve got a rumor – unconfirmed, of course. Apple are going to pay people $99 dollars to use MobileMe!
I’ll believe it when I see it. Unless Apple is that pissed at Google. (Maybe Eric Schmidt didn’t pay for his coffee.)
(5th Cmnt)
I doubt this will happen.. but cheaper would be sooo much better.
It’d be nice but I doubt it!!
I just signed up for my 60 day Mobile Me trial, and despite the fact that I can’t seem to figure out how to EASILY sync all of my email accounts, I like it a lot. If I could get it for free that would be fantastic!
Would love to see it, and I bet we would see the abilty tobuse your iPad independtly of syncing with a computer
With that new data warehouse they built it North Dakota, I think the timing is just about right 😀
Where did the rumor start? How many different sources? I just bought 50 more shares of Apple. Seems like the right thing to do on a otherwise gloomy day.
would be nice but can i get a refund for my purchase then atleast a $50 itunes card or something
At $99 still a bargain! It ties everything together so seamlessly that it’s an integral part of the Apple platform. With the new server farm, Apple should be able to offer more and faster. Best of all, I basically trust Apple … unlike some of the other clouds (think G).
About time. Now can I get a $500 refund please? Or a complimentary iPad?
This would be a big shift and I tend to doubt it, but if you consider the direction of “cloud” computing coupled with Apple’s iAds, it could be possible. iAds on MobileMe? Microsoft has lost the could game, maybe Apple will be the real competitor for Google there.
@Rike
Shoulda bought yesterday when they dropped to 199
@aCe
North Carolina
With Quattro, apple is sure able to make money with a free mobile me website.
But they better not piss the loyal apple fans off by supporting windows.
They need to make it clear, by saying that Mobile me is for only Apple computers. If they have a PC they need to pay for it.
This simply has to happen. iPhone and iPad are competing with products powered by Google’s free online services. Therefore they have to offer the same cloud-based services that Google does. It is imperative for the survival and evolution of these respective platforms. App developers simply cannot assume that their users will have access to MobileMe unless Apple makes it mandatory for all its customers. And the only way for that to happen is for it to be totally free. I for one am glad that Apple realises this now and not in a year or two from now.
@HotinPlaya
Did you type your msg on your new iPad?
@bioness
That would most likely get apple sued somehow.
(not bundled iLife software when you buy a new Mac because if you upgrade to the next version, you pay for the stand alone product at the store). But…
Has Apple offered a stand alone product or service for free? Ever??
I think we have our answer to this rumor.
I’d rather pay a reasonable price, as I have been for a number of years, than get something free that every Tom, Dick and Harriet has gotten. Also, nothing is free, so I’d assumed ads will be part of the free fee – if this ever happens!
“depends on certain facilities going operational” sounds like the BILLION DOLLAR SERVER FARM that is up and running in NC!
Someone should look into this Maybe I should take a day or 2 off and go see for my self. Could send you all iPhone photos from there.
Apple will add much more features to the 99 Dollar level and maybe offer a free entry version with some basic functionality.
The original .mac was free.
And yes, a simple price cut from $99 to $49 would be very, very welcome.
I love MobileMe, we’ve had the family pack for years. I’d be willing to pay a reduced price. But in this economy, free is always exta good.
If they made accessing my iDisk not feel like AOL dial-up circa 1990, it would be nice. I’m debating whether or not I’ll bother renewing in the Fall. When I can access DropBox for free, why renew?
A lower price would be good.
$50 for the year? Okay.
A Family Plan like Apple offers for iWork/iLife/Mac OS X?
I think Windows users who have free Safari and iTunes are probably the only people daft enough to think that everything else Apple does should be free – you only have to look at disastrously hard to use Windows Live to see what happens if you make cloud computing free (don’t point to Dropbox, that’s just an online hard drive) and don’t pour non-customer-obtained funds into making it work. However… A cheaper solution would be good.
That would be much appreciated I had it from day one until a year ago.
I felt like I was getting less and less each year for what I was paying for.
If Apple is going to truly move to the “cloud” they’ll have a hard time if they continue to charge access to it when other services are free, can be shared, and offer more robust services.
Is there such a thing as a ‘confirmed’ rumor?
Wouldn’t that be a ‘fact’?
Basic Mobile Me free, pay for increased storage. It would be a smart thing to do.
Another feature I like and use is direct Web site publishing from iWeb.
@Thunderdome – “The original .mac was free.”
That may stop some old timers from going with a free service from Apple based on the way that was handled.
I’ve just renewed my acc. – excellent value, in the UK = 16p (?10c) per day – getting it free would be a bonus…but I won’t hold my breath or make a major purchase on the possibility.
At that “price” I’d reconsider it as a replacement or companion to Dropbox which–RULES!
(I’m not in any way affiliated with DropBox but here goes the commercial: DropBox.com
Files sync seemlesly by their mere placement in a folder across as many computers as you designate, the DropBox web interface, your iPhone, iTouch, iPad.
And get this–ulimited restore of deleted files!
If you have a dead battery on an iPad, Apple is going to give you a new one for $99. When I read that, I thought about all the first generation iPads that will be used for a VERY long time even if relegated to book readers. This sounds like Apple would apply MobileMe usage to the same “warranty”. As long as you’ve got an iPad, you’ve got MobileMe.
If they sell a TON of iPads and the driving factor is being able to sync for free… without having to pay for a service, it could pay for itself in the volume if iPads and other cloud devices easily.
Don’t make it free!!!!
Although free would be good for people that just want FindTheiriPhone, it would encourage people to get accounts just for the sake of it.
Make it cheaper, $9, $19 or even $29, but not free, not $99
@ron,
I think the term “unconfirmed rumor” indicates the information has come from a single source, and has not been corroborated by any other sources (yet). Thus, there is such a thing as a “confirmed rumor” when one gets the same (or sufficiently similar) information from different unrelated sources. These sources might include employees of the mothership (but they are placing their continued employment in jeopardy, unless it is a planned leak). Of course, the original rumor will remain a rumor until the mothership makes an announcement either way. And we all know the sometimes the mothership makes an announcement denying the rumor, only to release a product later that confirms the original rumor.
Thank you Uncle Kevin.
“At $99 still a bargain! It ties everything together so seamlessly that it’s an integral part of the Apple platform. With the new server farm, Apple should be able to offer more and faster.”
It may be a super bargain, but that price (actually not that price — any price) has kept me from trying it. It’s a psychological barrier.
If Apple gives it away it’s the best billion dollars they ever spent to improve the experience for all iPhone users. Definitely puts them way out ahead of the competition once again. Combine that with the new iAd (here), a home-grown mapping app (soon), and a search engine (hopefully), and Apple has just sidelines Google in the mobile space forever.
The type of service that MobileMe is would be more than welcome as a value-add to the purchase of an Apple. Bottom-line time. Yes, Apple, make it free if it’s break-even.
I don’t see this happening. I actually think they will start offering more features instead, like this article talks about http://www.macdaddynews.com/?p=3008
Glad to help you, young man.
@jtc
lol!! I wish. I hear this morning that all trades made between 2:40 and 3:00 will be “undone.”
It’s a silly rumor that makes no sense once you look at what would be necessary. I manage several Websites using a Family Pack, and I point several domain names to them. Along with all the other things mentioned above, MobileMe is just too complex and multi-faceted as a cloud-based computing service to give away for free.
As others have said, it’s possible that once the South Carolina facility goes operational this summer there will be new features and services made available. I predict this will happen this fall some time, after Apple has had time to test things at the new server farm.
If they did this, i would instantly stop using gmail. If there’s a reason to do this, it might be to help break people off from googles clutches.
Used to use .mac, but stopped after a couple of years, because of cost. I’ve have never used MobileMe because of the cost. I’d use it if were free, and I’d pay if the cost were in the region of 20$.
That is not going to happen. I bet that Apple will improve iDisk to compete with DropBox.
One word: iAds. Of course MobileMe will be free; like Google and Yahoo, Apple will be able to search through email, uploads, etc to track comments and purchasing habits so as to offer even better targeted advertising. Making it free will ensure that virtually every person who uses an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch is using MobileMe to feed more info into iAd. With the Lala acquisition, they can offer cross-platform syncing via MobileMe and get even more users’ info. All of this is completely independent of what OS the home computer uses- Mac OS X or Windows.
The paltry sum that Apple makes off MobileMe now is nothing compared to what they will make off of iAd by linking the two together.
(and is nothing compared to the power of the force
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@keithbporter
Break people off from googles clutches? So they can be trapped in Apple’s ecosystem?
I prefer my cloud to be around Google. They are good at it. I’ll use my Macs, my iPod touch and my iPad to access this data I have stored in Google. With Google Sync, its all seamless.
Slowly but surely tie the noose tight around the neck of Google.
I’d like to see it added to xServe so that we apple host can offer the service to our clients too. There are a number of handy apps, however having the full functionality of .me as well would be great!
Have had a .mac account from day one, I only pay $49 to $69 per year max.
Would not want to see it free. You need to charge something to keep the trash away.
The problem with making it free is all the cockroaches will come out of the woodwork and will screw it up. These are the ones that will bitch the most and cause the most problems.
Charge at least $30 per year.
If you get something for free that is what it will be worth, nothing.
Of course this makes TOTAL SENSE, as the other shoe dropping. With their new server farm up and running, Apple will now make it simple for everyone with an iPhone, iPod touch and iPad to sync thru the cloud in addition to syncing thru USB to their home computer.
wow – too bad I just renewed for $99 !!!
Actually, this would be a game changer and would further propel Apple into deeper and deeper customer integration
Good idea
We wondered what that big new data center was for!
People need to really take a step back and realize how cheap MobileMe already is. It’s $99/yr, just over $8/month, for a really great service imo. The Find My iPhone feature alone is worth that much. It’s even cheaper, just over $5/month if you buy it when you get an iphone or ipad. Really, why do people think that’s expensive?
I’m concerned that it’ll be free to tie into the iAd business. Why do you think Google’s free? because they sell ads. I don’t want to start getting a bunch of iAds because Mobileme is free.
so that’s what the huge datacenter in NC is for…
Free, but with cost upgrades, much like Dropbox?
The new price would be the right one. It will hit the sweet spot.
No matter how good the service might be, it makes no sense to shell out a Franklin, since you can get a fairly good service for free from Google or Yahoo.
Of course! You want “cloud computing” to lift off? Sure you’ll have to make it free to brake resistences!
Considering that the iPad has no provision whatsoever for any kind of backup without a computer, it would be supremely clever of Apple to offer their soon-to-be billions of iPad customers a slick, free way to synchronize everything and backup files away from home.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind at all if MobileMe reduced storage space from 20GB to 2GB—if the service was free, that is.
“When I can access DropBox for free, why renew?” —Mr. Reeee
Because MobileMe gives you a shitload of other benefits in the bargain. Duhhhh???
I used to think mobileme was a ripoff but then I started using its syncing features. That’s really the majority of what I use it for now; the iDisk is nice on occasion and the e-mail is clean but the syncing features across multiple machines (even Safari in Windows) do it for me. If Apple allowed push e-mail on your own domain name, that would be icing on the cake.
Having all your bookmarks, application preferences, etc. the same across multiple Macs is fantastic. I’ll bookmark something for later at work and check it out later at home or vice versa. Or I make a preference change in the Finder or a system preference and that change can be reflected across multiple machines, laptop, desktop, work, etc.
There’s probably other (free) solutions that do all of this but not as elegantly and integrated as Apple’s solution.
I have multiple accounts and would greatly appreciate Apple lowering or eliminating the annual fee.
i could see it going free with iAds showing up as we use it. Also, the facility referenced in the rumor is certainly the place down in N. Carolina.
No timeframe was given for MobileMe to go free, other than: “sooner than later… depends on certain facilities going operational.”
This means the humongous server farm in Maiden, NC, due to go on line between now and the EOY.
Apple is doing a great job with MobileMe. It is fast and 100% reliable.
It’s just a shame about the name.
the money doesn’t even matter, but the perception is that Apple makes you pay for something with MobileMe that you can get for free from other companies.
Seriously Apple, charging for email?
If Apple did include MobileMe with our iphones (family) for free I would then be motivated to buy upgraded operating system software for my desktop computer. That is the only reason that would make me buy the upgraded Leopard system software which is necessary for mobileme.
It barely works now. How much worse will it get when it’s free?
I’ve never seen a benefit of mobile me considering my day to day email and calender are already easilly synced being that they are IMAP gmail, ical google calender and I have a pro Flickr account. Having this for free though and the ease of having everything in one place would be great, I really don’t see how the can justify charging for something that if you do a bit of leg work you can get for free using other services.
Do you want an MobileMe full of iAds???
Me no.
If it doesn’t become free, which I doubt it would happen, then I think Apple should include a 1 year membership for free with every Mac/iPhone/iPad/iTouch sold, kind of like the free iLife they include with a new Mac.
It should be free after shelling out $2500 for my Macbook Pro.
I have it, but $99 hurts like a rabbit punch.. Show me the love for loyalty Apple!
Right now an ISP can give you virtually unlimited storage for $100 a year. If MobileMe was simply cheaper and given more space I’d jump right on it.
Mdn mw: free
Looks like Apple has been taking a hard look at just how much money MobileMe is actually making.
Free would add a HUGE value to almost all of Apple’s hardware. (not to mention to a lot of Apple’s software)
IF they do make it free, Apple could credit current MobileMe users with the remanding time on their paid account with money deposited in their iTunes account. (or an Apple Store certificate)
And yes, I’m an original iTools user and current Family pac member, so I can see first hand the value “free” would add to Apple’s hardware.
I have been a longterm subscriber to iTools/.Mac/MobileMe; but like the majority of Mac users have long pondered if it wasn’t overpriced.
My first impression was to agree with the doubters based on Apple’s (nonexistent) history of giving something away that they could sell instead (and their strong track record of selling anything that made good sense and built the Mac platform).
But MobileMe has some differentiating characteristics that have become more striking with the introduction of the iPhone, iPod Touch,and the iPad. How many of Apple’s customers are Mac-only customers? I may not be typical with a Mac desktop, laptop, Mac Mini, iPhone, iPad, and a 1st gen iPhone that now serves as an iPod Touch wih a camera. Without MobileMe, I’m kinda sunk.
And that’s the point. MobileMe is now a core service to the customer that has been with Apple for a long time, but also to the new Apple customers. For the same reason that I recommended AAPL to my investment club in June, 2007, just weeks before the iPhone launch. The millions of new customers that Apple is acquiring through its touchscreen devices will, in many cases, become new Mac owners, as well. Their experience with the technology, design, and use will (have been) bring them into the Apple stores. 10% market share in computers, but half the computers they sell are to first-time Mac owners?
In that business environment, MobileMe, as a free service, becomes a huge selling point for using multiple devices on various Apple platforms. In effect, the sale of Macs and iPhones and iPads will pay for their new $1,000,000,000 cloud computing facility a lot faster than sales of MobileMe, and MobileMe, as an included service, will help propel Mac sales.
Steve is a genius who is smart enough to surround himself with other geniuses.
Now I hope I’m right. Makes sense to me
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iAd will pay for it.
That would be awesome. Though I like MobileMe and would still use it, I think 99/yr is steep. I would also like to see iWorks.com integration.
tanstaafl
If Apple is going to offer MobileMe for free, it’s because making it free will make Apple more money somewhere else.
It makes sense. They bought lala, a cloud based music site. You buy music on iTunes and are able to access it anywhere you have an Internet connection. iTunes will be just a piece of the cloud computing puzzle. If they make MobileMe free thousands of iTunes customers, who most likely own an iPhone or ipad, will be able to listen to anything from their collection.
I’ve been a member since the day Steve announced iTools, and promised it “free for life.”
Hopefully Apple has learned from their past mistakes, and won’t promise something just to take it back later.
If this is true, I welcome it, but what about the remaining balance on the accounts of those of us who have paid for it.
I’m guessing we will get iTunes credit.
Even at the price of FREE MobileMe is still a rip off. The “service is an absolute JOKE.
I would actually prefer it too stay as a pay service. With Facebook looking to sell your private profile and data to the highest bidder and Google being unable to keep their services secure; allowing bidding wars by criminal elements for our accounts. Not to mention the Chinese Government hacking them. I would feel better knowing that my data will be less likely sold off since I already paid. Hopefully it will lesson their desire to sell my data, although greedy will do as greedy does. Also, the security issues with online storage seems to be the same as your home. Where if someone is really determined to get in, they will. So I no longer expect anything in the “Cloud” to be safe (they’ll turn it over to the Gov without so much as a court order(see AT&T;). I just want access to things like my contact list and calendars on the go. And the ability to wipe my phone if lost/stolen. I deactivated FB already, I was looking to Mobile Me to replace my Google account but not anymore if this happens. Free just means they found a way to turn your data into money for them.
Hey, I heard that they were going to call it iTools!!!!
Apple should make the regular cost $49 per year, and include a $49 “rebate” that customers of new iPads, iPhones, Macs, and iPod touches can credit toward their existing MobileMe account or use to create a new one. It doesn’t have to be $49, but include whatever annual fee amount as a “gift” with a new iPad, iPhone, Mac, or iPod touch purchase. Basically, you get one year free.
Been using the family pack for years.
Mostly satisfied.
Would love to see more of the Dropbox functionality.
And iTunes streaming…..
mobileme free? if so, i’m all in baby…..
we would love to call .mac our home on a permanent basis, but century billing per annum isn’t in the budget. you drive that baby to $0 and I promise you we will be all in. Pictures, video, documents, databases. I will dump Google in a New York minute.
I can just see it now, I can access all of my presentations in one easy go, without having to worry about compatibility or upload limits. I’m lecturing tomorrow and Shazam, the School doesn’t support Macs. 200 slides have to be converted from Keynote to Powerpoint, many with video and multimedia – none of them work on the freaking Windows machine; all of my borders are out of place. Haven’t even looked at my transitions that I spent days working on.
You roll out mobile me at a reasonable price or free and I’m all in baby!
All Mac all the time.
I personally would rather have more bandwidth, more storage and/or limited commercial use at the current price, but as for the current features provided for free? I’ll take it. I think it works quite well, and it’s certainly the smoothest IMAP for now.
Need to add that if this is a free switch being financed by iAd, I’ll pass. Secure, independent IMAP email I’ll pay for, but a freebie being data mined I’ll not use.
One word – iAds.
That would suck.
It is already free.
Dropbox + fruux = free MobileMe (and better in most parts)
Free email is possible. Free MobleMe with the purchase of an iDevice (at least for the 1st year) makes sense. Free online storage 10x the size of Dropbox does not seem realistic unless it is a trial for a new service.
However, if it is true, I heard it here first.
Now, now. wrote”
“Has Apple offered a stand alone product or service for free? Ever??
I think we have our answer to this rumor.”
Yes Actually, iTools was free. As costs rose, most particularly due to iDisk storage space and increasing support needs, iTools was renamed .Mac as a subscription-based service.
Price cut = great.
Ability to map my own domain (like google apps) = KILLER.
Hmmm, they just enable the ability for users to migrate an email alias into an actual MobileMe account. Once you do this, you can’t go back. This sounds like it might tie in nicely.
Any news on this topic?
The find my iPhone feature will still cost $99 a year though… lol and it would be worth it!
Since you started this Rumor, what is the follow up? Any new information?
Apple introduces breakthrough iCloud; free service ‘just works’ – June 6, 2011
Has Apple offered a stand alone product or service for free? Ever??
I think we have our answer to this rumor.
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