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Apple Betas Web-based Email Service for iTools

Posted by chrisd on from the steve-jobs-as-snowshoe-thompson dept.

cpk0 writes "As more and more 'free' web-based email services fall, and stop offering all their services for free (e.g. Yahoo! won't offer pop-forwarding for free anymore), Apple once again proves its cool-factor by beta-testing a webmail page for use with their iTools e-mail account members. You will find a beta login page, with a link to a feedback page. Now's the time to tell Apple what you guys want to see in this new feature."

4 of 43 comments (clear)

  1. Passwords for sale by ptbrown · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Web mail is great as an alternative. I won't use it as the only option, but it's nice when I'm on the road to be able to quickly check my messages without mucking about in someone else's client configuration.

    But is it too much to ask for email providers -- not just web-based but POP3 and IMAP as well -- to use secure connections? All those passwords being sent in the clear are a packet sniffers dream.

    --
    Any sufficiently advanced civilization is indistinguishable from Gods.
  2. OmniWeb and WebEmail by norwoodites · · Score: 3, Informative

    If you try to use WebEmail for iTools in OmniWeb be sure you change the identity of OmniWeb so it identifies itself as IE or Netscape, otherwise you get a message saying your browser is not supported.

  3. Re:Free by PythonOrRuby · · Score: 3, Informative

    Actually, as I recall, only the initial signup has to be done via a Mac. Since Apple actually bases their services on industry standards, like LDAP, IMAP, and WebDAV, you can then access those services(not sure about webmail though, yet) from any computer. Some have even reported that iDisk(WebDAV) access is noticeably faster, though less slick, from NT-based machines.

  4. Re:Cool Factor? by Niherlas · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Let's consider that quickly-slammed cool factor. Apple's Webmail has the following features (available without paying an additional fee):

    • 5MB of data storage (vs 2MB for Hotmail)
    • No frigging ads
    • Can be accessed via any IMAP/POP client
    • No frigging ads
    • Can set a "vacation" autorepy message
    • No frigging ads
    • Will allow you to forward your email elsewhere
    • Did I mention no frigging ads?


    Granted, Apple's hand may have been "forced" by websites such as imapple.net that were using IMP and SquirrelMail to provide access to mac.com email accounts, but Apple's implementation is fast, clean, and imposes minimally on the users.

    Although you have to use a Mac with at least OS9 to sign up for iTools, you can access the mac.com email via web or POP/IMAP client from any platform, and the iTools disk space and HomePage storage (20MB) is acessible via any platform that supports WebDAV.

    That's much better support of open standards and ease-of-access than Hotmail, Yahoo!, GeoCities, you name it.
    --
    -- Niherlas