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Apple Implements the CalDAV Standard For MobileMe
Vermyndax writes "Apple announced the new MobileMe Calendar beta on July 6th. The mainstream press picked up the story and plugged the gorgeous new iPad-like interface for all devices. It seems, however, that they missed the real story: MobileMe's new Calendar application is an implementation of CalDAV, the proposed calendaring standard. This may be the same implementation that exists in Snow Leopard Server and is open sourced. The hidden gem in all of this is that Apple plans to bring this CalDAV connectivity to Outlook users on MobileMe. Where might they take it next?"
As everybody knows, Apple is a closed and evil company, therefore the headline is misleading and the story inaccurate. QED.
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Apple was one of the three companies that wrote the CalDAV RFC and they implemented it immediately in iCal in 2007. (iCal is the built in calendaring app in OS X.) Previous to that that iCal already used WebDAV. They offer an OSS CalDAV server in OS X server. Why would anyone find it surprising that the rewritten WebApp version of iCal is using CalDAV?Apple has already been pushing it as hard as possible as an open standard alternative to Exchange.
People seem to forget these two companies actually press open standards above proprietary formats. For two companies that are pitted against each other so much by the media and marketing, they really do remain nearly seamlessly interoperable. I have no problems switching between Apple's default software to alternative applications just because of how standardized it is. Mail, iCal, etc.
Yeesh. SyncML? Have you ever looked at that standard? Ghastly.
Besides, converting CalDAV to SyncML on the server side shouldn't be hard, since CalDAV is iCalendar files in a set of directories on a WebDAV server, and SyncML is iCalendar files wrapped in XML and sent to a SyncML server across whatever protocol the vendor chooses. In fact, a quick Googling suggests that there are already numerous SyncML to CalDAV gateways, including open source ones.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
Back when it was known as iTools, it was a loss leader. They gave that up after 2 years so there was a probably a good reason. Perhaps because people are willing to pay?
In all fairness, no platform is perfect, let's face it. You seem to be commenting on OS X (hard drives, 3d performance, etc.), so let's see:
If you want non-working cut and paste (the general case is it only works for text), no 3d performance at all, barely any wireless support, no commercial software support including de facto standards like MS Office and Photoshop, no games, amateurish and inconsistent guis, etc. ad infinitum, then run desktop Linux.
If you don't mind a pretty substandard operating system in return for all the software you could ever want and you don't need Unix, run Windows.
If you want a usable, well thought-out desktop Unix with lots of commercial software (though much less than Windows), good open source and open standards support, and you don't care about games, run OS X.
As cliche as it sounds, it's all about what works best for you.
This has always been this way, and I have logged a bug with Apple over the issue. With 10.6.4 it seems that some of us have suddenly found the invites go in to the CalDAV calendar by default now, instead of the local calendar. This is great, but we aren't sure why, and we've seen it only occur on some machines. There does not seem to be an option to say which calendar should be the default, so it is all a little bizarre.
Google supports CalDAV which they give away for free.
Exchange support on Google accounts, Dropbox and Wordpress makes MobileMe worthless, unless you want to find your lost iPhone.
There is one reason to get MobileMe: contact groups
MobileMe is the only big name to support automatic/bidirectional syncing of contacts in multiple groups. I like keeping my friends, family, co-workers, and business numbers separate. The only big question here is whether multiple groups is worth the price. I think it is, but others won't.
Google's idea of contact sync is to shovel all of your contacts into one big steamy pile (on the iPhone, since we're talking about MobileMe -- I think multiple groups are supported on the android). I imagine that they'll fix this someday, but I think "someday" is still years off. Until then, I'm stuck with MobileMe (although there are one or two alternatives on the horizon).
As cliche as it sounds, it's all about what works best for you.
I totally agree. I've been vocal about the shortcomings about Windows and Linux (no Quickbooks alternative!?) for a depressing amount of time. Though I wouldn't exactly put Windows in the "substandard OS" category if I wasn't throwing OS X and Linux in the same box as well.
The issue I have with Apple is that the pride has turned to arrogance. Now you're buying "magical and revolutionary devices" that "change the world" and people are actually believing the bullshit. I mean, their phones suck at making phone calls, but good news! You can edit movies instead. And if video chat is a revolution, don't tell the Japanese consumers who have been doing it for years. Or anyone who's used Skype.
I guess it taps into the same disappointment I have with people in general when it comes to propaganda. But maybe the only thing worse than someone who thinks a phone or an iPod Touch XL is going to change their life is the guy with so much free time he decides to complain publicly about it...
"MobileMe" has got to be one of the worst names for a product to ever come out of Apple
No argument there - I'd put it one step down from the "iPad" as far as bad product names go. You do have to admit, though, that me.com is a pretty good domain for an email address.
The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. - Albert Einstein
It sounds like some weird cybernetic sexual come-on: "Hey, baby--mobile me!"
iCaramba...
This ain't rocket surgery.
Which is why I run: 1) Ubuntu Linux on my home server/gateway 2) Mac OS on my laptop for day-to-day use 3) Windows inside my vm for running e-Tax (Australian Gov. tax return software - only runs under Windows/Wine)
I do use Linux consistently (Ubuntu and Suse). The above statement tells me you've probably got a grudge of some sort against Linux (or really just don't know), as everything, with the exception of Photoshop, has been done for quite some time now on Linux.
Copy and paste - not just text - is doable. Ditto for 3d hardware performance (I assume you were referring to hardware acceleration). For commercial MS Office support, you may want to check out Softmaker - it's an excellent office suite. I'm not a gamer, but I know that there are commercial games available for Linux as well. The GUI, well, I suppose that's what you make of it - at least you can tweak it to your heart's content.
As you say:
No need to sound bitter when describing something you don't use.
If you want features, you won't pay for it and you'll be disappointed when you see it.
Its strength is actually, imo, its lack of features.
It does have a pretty interface that works reasonable well for standard email client, web host/photo album, but its not particularly impressive. Its simple and elegant.
The MobileMe photo browser that gets created or whatever when you upload an album from iPhoto to MobileMe is surprisingly pretty for something so plain.
I only have an account for the Find My iPhone feature, I wouldn't buy one without that feature. I'm a douche who leaves his phone in random places and its been really useful for tracking it down. It has paid for itself, but I doubt most people would need the same feature, my wife for instance has never seen it and I think its probably only been accessed for her when I set it up.
I would not pay for the service without Find My iPhone
Because I have the MobileMe account I also do the following:
Secondary, over the air backup of the various things the iPhone syncs with mobileme. I have this all backed up elsewhere, but since I have it I turned it on here too. More backups are not a bad thing.
A backup copy of my ITMS music that I can easily keep synced across machines using iDisk, its just easier than bothering with an rsync or something since I already have this.
I used to use it for push email since Google's exchange support didn't support push, now that it does however I no longer check my email at all at the me.com address.
Its a bridge to chat with some people on AIM without creating another AIM account since I never seem to remember my old ones. I don't even do that anymore.
Other than Find My iPhone I could do everything else free in another way, probably a technically better way, but since I have an account, using it for some things is just easier than setting something up somewhere else, free or otherwise.
Its up for renewal in a month and I'm not sure I'll renew it, depends on if I bother to upgrade to an iPhone 4 or not, probably won't do either.
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Sometimes the term is deserved. Look at the interface of the HTC/Android, and the newer touch RIM devices.
Why? Just look at pre-iPhone smartphones. Only a complete moron couldn't admit Apple is a mover and shaker.
It's the same old arguments every time. Apple devices refine existing technologies and make them actually usable for the mass market. That's the "revolutionary" aspect. Before the iPhone came along, web browsers on mobile devices sucked. Now the bar has been raised. The same will happen with things like Face Time/video chat. The iPad wasn't the first tablet either, but it's the first tablet which actually makes sense for the mass market.
As for iPhones sucking for making phone calls, that's bullshit (to use your words). Never had a problem with reception on mine.
If you think Apple's marketing is a load of crock, you must live a pretty miserable life. They're not doing anything that any other advertiser isn't doing whenever you turn on the TV.