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Apple to Unveil .Mac Today
Steve Mason writes "Apple has put up a .Mac FAQ up here proving that .Mac will indeed be introduced at Mac World New York. .Mac will cost $100 a year as previous rumors had reported." Yes, this means that if you don't pay Apple, your mac.com URL and email address will stop working. Some have suggested that the "switch" in Apple's new ad campaign stands for the unfortunate part of a "bait and switch." Someone should mirror that URL, it might be taken down any second now.
Q: Is it true that Apple will begin charging customers for iTools memberships?
.Mac. The membership includes brand new features, like Backup and Virex anti-virus software, and improved versions of the iTools services, like additional email and iDisk storage. The fee is US$99.95 per year, and as a thank you for being loyal customers, existing iTools members can reserve a first year special offer of $49.95. iTools members will have until September 30 to join .Mac. After this time, original iTools accounts will be deactivated.
.Mac membership include?
.Mac membership includes everything you need for life on the Internet. Join .Mac and get the tools you need to share and communicate with family and friends, while keeping your system safe. Software and services included with a .Mac membership are:
.Mac membership for US$49.95. (If purchased within the 60-day grace period). Normal charges (US$99.95) will apply after the first year.
.Mac membership at no charge. Normal charges (US$99.95) will apply after the first year.
.Mac trial accounts, and will continue to have full access to Mac.com Email, HomePages and iDisk, plus the opportunity to sample many of the new .Mac services during the trial period.
.Mac trial account include?
.Mac trial account includes:
.Mac Support Discussion Boards.
.Mac web site will display information about the membership features and charges. Your will also see reminders of account expiration when you log into the .Mac service on the web site.
.Mac member, you can upgrade both your Mac.com Email and your iDisk storage. You can also purchase up to ten additional email accounts.
.Mac membership. The amount of additional iDisk storage will be available to you through the end of the membership.
.Mac membership the membership and additional iDisk storage will be automatically renewed for the following year and your credit card will be charged
.Mac membership?
.Mac members receive thorough web-based support, dedicated to ensuring that they will get the most out of the service. Members have access to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), instant system/network status, the AppleCare Knowledge Base, and private discussion boards moderated by Apple technical support representatives to ensure that questions are answered within one business day.
.Mac Support discussion boards are reserved for paying members only.
.Mac include Internet Service Provider (ISP) services?
.Mac membership does require Internet access. Apple's preferred ISP is EarthLink, and Macintosh customers can get a free 30-day trial.
.Mac
.Mac, how do I preserve my data?
.Mac membership. Custom iCards using your own images will require membership.
.Mac available to Microsoft Windows users?
.Mac trial using a Windows machine, but they can sign up for a full .Mac membership. IDisk and Mac.com Email can be used on a Windows machine.
On Wednesday, July 17, 2002, Apple notified its customers that iTools will be replaced by a new membership service called
Q: What does a
A
Communication and sharing
HomePage with new visitor feedback features
Mac.com Email with IMAP and 15MB of storage that can be upgraded for more
Ability to purchase up to 10 additional email accounts
iDisk with 100MB of storage that can be upgraded for more
iDisk utility software for group sharing of files
Safety and security
Backup software to back up your files to iDisk, CD, or DVD
Virex anti-virus software to keep your system protected
Continuous anti-virus updates to protect from the latest threats
Members-only support with private discussion boards moderated by Apple technical support representatives
Q: Why is Apple charging for iTools?
Providing email and storage solutions for millions of customers comes at a considerable cost. In addition, using the Internet today requires more storage space, better ways to share, and new ways to protect your important files. To continue providing iTools services as well as a new set of must-haves for computing on the Internet, Apple is charging an annual fee.
Bought individually, comparable products would cost you an estimated $250:
Anti-virus: $50
Backup: $40
100MB of online storage: $60
15MB of email storage, forwarding and POP/IMAP access: $40+
Home page creation and hosting: $60
(These prices are approximate, and may vary.)
Q: Will current iTools members be given a discount?
Yes. Current iTools members can purchase a one-year
Customers who have already paid for an upgrade to their existing iTools account (for additional storage) will receive the first year of their
Q: Is there a "grace" period before charges begin?
Yes. Existing iTools accounts have been converted to 60-day
Q: What does a
A
Trial version of Apple's new Backup software to back up files to iDisk (backup to CD or DVD requires a paid membership)
20MB (vs 100MB for paid membership) of iDisk storage, so you can continue to store all your files in one place
iDisk Utility software to set read/write access to and password protect your Public Folder (great for group sharing of files)
Mac.com Email with 5MB (vs 15MB for paid membership) of email storage, including IMAP/POP and Webmail access, forwarding, and photo signature
HomePage for publishing web sites as well as photo albums directly from iPhoto
iCards, including the ability to use your own images
NOTE: Trial memberships do not include the Virex software or access to
Q: Can I pay monthly?
No. The annual membership fee must be paid at one time.
Q: Do all the new software and services work in both Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X?
Backup and iDisk Utility require Mac OS X. All other software and services, including Virex anti-virus, iDisk, Email, HomePage and iDisk, work in both Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X. iDisk and Mac.com Email also work with most Windows operating systems.
Q: How will Apple notify me of the membership charges?
Apple has notified all iTools account members via their Mac.com Email accounts. They will also receive follow-up emails with more information. The
Q: Can I upgrade my storage space?
Trial members cannot upgrade their storage. But once you become a full
Email storage iDisk storage
15MB Included 100MB (No additional charge) Included
25MB (adding10MB) $10 200MB (adding 100MB) $60
50MB (adding 35MB) $30 300MB (adding 200MB) $100
100MB (adding 85MB) $50 500MB (adding 400MB) $180
200MB (adding 185MB) $90 1GB (adding 900MB) $350
Additional Mac.com Email accounts include 5MB of storage and cost $10 per year. There is no additional storage available for email-only accounts, and the photo signature feature is not available.
Q: I already paid for an iDisk upgrade, what will happen to my account?
If you purchased iDisk storage in the 12 months prior to July 17th, 2002, you will receive a one-year complimentary
Note: At the end of your one-year complimentary
Q: Is there any technical support included in the
NOTE: Support for the standalone applications consists strictly of installation, launch, and removal.
Q: What level of support is offered to trial members?
Trial or grace period customers have access to all the Apple Care online support features. The
Q: Does
No, but a
Q: What happens to my data if I choose not to join
Following the 60-day trial period, any home pages, Backup or other files stored in iDisk and messages left on the email server will be removed.
Q: If I decide not to sign up for
iDisk
Open your iDisk and drag all your files to your own hard disk.
Email
If you're using IMAP, open your email client and create a local mailbox. Drag email you want to keep from your Mac.com mailboxes to the local mailbox. For more detailed information on this topic, please see the Email Help section.
If you're using POP, your messages are already stored on your local machine.
Email address
Inform your contacts of your new email address if you have one. Any message sent to your Mac.com Email address after the account expiration date will bounce back to the sender.
HomePage
If you created your web pages using an HTML editor other than HomePage, move your files located in the iDisk Sites folder to your desktop or to another hosting server.
Inform your contacts of your new home page address if you have one.
Q: Can I still send iCards for free?
Yes. Standard iCards may be sent without a
Q: Is
Customers cannot sign up for a
NOTE: The standalone applications, such as Virex and Backup and the HomePage web application are not available to Microsoft Windows machines.
Q: Which web browsers are supported?
Macintosh: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x, Netscape 4.7.X and up
Windows: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x, Netscape Navigator 5.X
yegods, posting as an AC.
I can't see this as a *smart* move - except from an accounting point of view ("we do something for free? Charge for it!").
For those who don't know - Apple's iTools provided users with a free email address (@mac.com), a free webpage (with limitations) and an internet accesible storage space of a few measly MB.
Sitting on the other side of the world from Apple US, the email is useful, but I've never found any of the other services useful.
I'm hardly about to start paying $50 or $100 a year for an email address when I can get from Microsoft or others for free.
Apple, you'll lose customers with this move. It's a sad loss of some of the free iTools - one of the benefits (formerly, presuming this is all true) of being a Mac user.
"The fee is US$99.95 per year, and as a thank you for being loyal customers, existing iTools members can reserve a first year special offer of $49.95."
That's kinda cool. If you have been with them for a while, it's not as expensive for the 1st year, but then you have to worry about the next year.
Ah well, by then this will probably have morphed into something else anyway.
Sent from your iPad.
There is a big difference in having a 650 MB CDR sitting in your desk and 100 MB of storage space sitting up on an Apple server.
If you had a fire? Theft? Water damage? All your computers (and disks) go with it. If Apple is hosting your back up, you can get it back.
It is the first thing an IT department with a backup strategy gets to. OFF SITE BACKUP.
Comparing a 100MB to lets say, getting a rackspace server ($250 a month) I say it is not a bad deal. They should, of course, keep the old email and storage. Booting people after 90 days is going to hurt.
BZ
This seemed horrible at first... till I actually read the link. Seems like a decent service for 100 bucks a year. Especially if the support is any good.
100MB of iDisk space, more email space, 15MB email space, backup and antivirus software [probably worth the 100 bucks right there if they are any good], and hopefully good customer support [my ISP sometimes sucks a lot when it comes to storage space and email].
I will have to think it over for the 60 grace period before I make the jump.
Dave
I should have clarified earlier, thats $3000USD which worked out to roughly $5000CAD.
--
Insert Witty Sig Here
Remember eWorld? Apple's high-profile electronic community of, uh, was it the mid-nineties? IIRC GEISCO originally developed the software, which gradually morphed into AppleLink, AOL, and eWorld.
eWorld... the world's first electronic ghost town.
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
Observation 1. If you look at who Steve Mason is, you'll find that he does a decent amount of design and graphics work.
... which is an awfully suspect link in the first place.
Observation 2. The site was posted on http://mac.com/1
Observation 3. The screenshot he has of the page shows the tab for the ".mac" stuff being in a "metal" look and feel. From a design point of view, it's completely inconsistent with the remainder of Apple's site. Given that Apple is very much a Design-centric shop, there's no way they would have that tab completely different than the others.
Observation 4. Apple has cracked down on people that run sites that leak news that's to come. I believe that that sort of rather stringent behavior would piss off people who thrive on that sort of early news.
Observation 5. Steve Mason seems to run such a site.
Conclusion: The page was doctored up by Mr. Mason, being somewhat bitter by the fact he's been barred from the proceedings that're going to happen today, and what better forum to get a whole bunch of people worked up than to post this to slashdot. I will EAT MY SHORTS if this turns out to be true, and not a hoax.
-k
yours,
kbs
Jobs talks about the death of free internet services (email/storage/etc), and confirms that iTools will go away as of September 30. So it looks like the FAQ posted is correct.
$99 a year.
I'll assume the $10 per month, because the $50 is only for existing users for the first year.
I'm with paradise.net.nz. I get a good dial-up plan that has free web-space, and e-mail. It's NZ$20 per month. That's just under US$10 per month.
Unless you really want the server space and virus protection. It's way too expensive....And most people prolly just use the e-mail.
I don't care about yahoo or hotmail. Just because someone else does it. Doesn't make it OK. When I got my iBook. I was under the impression that I also got my iTools with it. They were part of my purchase IMHO.