Apple accidentally ships MobileMe to .Mac customers
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Jul 3rd 2008 12:10PM
posted Jul 3rd 2008 12:10PM
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Heh, I know they are slightly different, but that reminds me of the "me" in the Windows ME logo.
that's disgusting. don't ever speak such filth again
hah, lets hope its nowhere near as dodgy.
'Windows Me' was my first thought when I saw 'Mobile Me'
http://www.intelliadmin.com/images/Windows%20ME.jpg
We just have to wait in fear for "Windows Mobile Me".
lol ye.
**obligatery anti-mac pun ALERT**
Maybe they were aiming for the same high standards. :P
LOL @ teslasnp
That so reminded me of the win ME logo too. Why oh Why did Apple have to choose such a "stained" name for its new service? Why couldn't they just call it .mac mobile or mobile.mac ?
@skyride, that's not a pun, ya moron! Now get yer tongue back in yer head.
Oh so close.
Why would Apple ship out software for Mobile Me? Isn't it supposed to be completely web-based?
I am a .mac member and have never received any software boxes for the product.
You can actually pick up little boxes for .mac or you could from CompUSA... I'm sure it's for the users who need a bit more direction.
...because buying one of these little boxes from Amazon, for example, will save you about 35% off the price of renewing online. I hate getting all the extra paper crap but until Apple offers the discount for renewals that you can get with an Amazon-bought access code, I'm stuck with waste (and an extra 60 bucks in my pocket from the family plan savings).
The only thing is the box is a code to activate your subscription and a getting started guide. There are no disks or anything like that.
If you log into you account today there is something about "Remember to Sync your .Mac Bookmarks by July 6th" I it looks like things are right around the corner.
Jeez. Apple fanboys and girls r too loyal. Even though thy are ripping you off with the cost of the iphone plan. It's not only AT&T. It's both a collaborative effort.
If you dont think $70+/month is devilish, you definitely love the $30 sero from sprint.
wow that was quick.
Good god, man. Do you know no relevancy?
Too bad Sprint has such a large roaming area. Also, you forgot to mention the satanic $79.99/mo data plan from Verizon Wireless.
that's interesting, my verizon smart phone unlimited data package is only $60 a month.
Note how I said Sprint not Verizon. They are devilish as well.
In any case, I've owned Apple laptops, Windows-powered laptops and Linux computers. Anyone with experience with a product I believe reserves the right to judge the product and the manufacturer of that product.
I am not just a random Windows user ranting against Apple as every Apple fanatic thinks.
Don't forget to add $99/year for the MobileMe service.
@Grant
It probably depends on where you live. That's the number I get when they ask for my zip code on the Verizon web site. In any case, I was being sarcastic. I actually preferred the coverage I got when I was with Verizon but unfortunately they didn't have the iPhone.
@JAmerican
The fact you didn't mention Verizon is exactly the point I was trying to make. Why single out ATT? Again, you failed to mention the fact that Sprint has large areas of roaming. I have an iPhone and a laptop USB modem. I never roam and I have coverage almost everywhere I go across three states. Before you mention Sprint's superior 3G, I'm more concerned with being able to make calls than having 3G coverage for my laptop. Sprint simply does not offer what I need.
@ Jamerican
"I am not just a random Windows user ranting against Apple as every Apple fanatic thinks. "
No, we just think you're a ranting loon!
Wait, you really dont have to pay monthly for the MobileMe, right?
so what the hell does that have to do with this article?
@happy_penguin & others:
If Verizon and Sprint are satanic and devilish, does that mean Hell has a sub-sub-level? Because I live in Canada, and not only that, I'm on Rogers.
@Khris Your avatar makes you look more like a lunatic than I.
@omnicloud
Hey same here!
I don't even get caller ID with my phone :(
I got to pay extra for that.
Glad there's other people who live in the same shit hole or so to speak.
Idiot.
Thank you for classifying yourself.
If anyone here received it, and hears the doorbell the next day, don't answer it, and you'll piss off Apple. :P
looooooool
you dont look like the looooool type
Laugh Out Out Out Out Out Out Out Out Loud?
Another question: why do boxes need to be shipped for an online product?
it's just the registration code and a small manual inside.
But this was shipped to current .mac users. Who shouldn't need another registration code.
And why recall a box if it's just a number/manual? Seems pointless, you can deactivate numbers and don't need the manual back really, that makes no sense.
To give as a gift?
i bet the poor dude was pissed off white lightning
I might have told apple too if the one I got was in German...
One question: why would you tell Apple?
Answer: You wouldn't. Apple knows darn well who was shipped the product early.
Steve Jobs is watching you.
I might tell Apple.
The better question is, why would you give it to the courier who knocks on your door? You are entitled to keep anything you receive in the mail.
@Reid
Keep yes, use... that's between you and your service agreement with .mac.
Little would stop Apple from cutting off the account of any .mac user who doesn't play by the rules and I'd wager they've got something in those rules that all of those users clicked "I Agree" to that would cover this.
Why would you tell Apple? Well, probably for he same reason why you shelled out $99 a year for an email-address and a very limited amount of webspace? *eg*
I mean out of loyalty to this amazing company, of course!
That's a German box that is...
Yep, that's a german box.
The box is in German.......wtf?
Apple is pushing for its users to become bilingual.
Yeah, believe it or not, but there's a world outside of the U.S.A. and Apple is so revolutionary it even ships its products to the outside world!
The thing I find odd is that they didn't translate anything anything in the image. Dienstag, bitte?
yea, like the whole world only speaks english.....
wtf is Das Internet???? ENGLISH PLEASE
What the fuck is Push email and push kalender dear god!!!! german is easy
Well I know that with .Mac you could use additional programs like Apple's Website design program that I forgot the name of, so maybe it includes exclusives that sync well with MobileME. Who knows. Fake?
Sero is being discontinued after July 15th!... if they do keep the "sero" name then it will have the same plans (stupid simply everything plans) that normal customers have access to.
im glad thats got everything to do with the article
German version? That looks Dutch to me on the box. And if so why ship all the way to Germany why not within the continental US or was a German version shipped to a person in the US?
It's German, i'm dutch and know my fellow neighbours ;)
It is German indeed...
Nope that's not dutch, that's german.
Damn, I'm not original, uhm, make that: that's not dutch that's austrian :)
How can you see a difference if you don't know either language? =p
Why would anyone buy .Mac a week before Mobile Me launches?
You cannot buy .mac anymore... but if I'm not mistaken, .mac was slightly cheaper, and yet you would have enjoyed MobileMe as a free upgrade.
Also, I assume it would transfer over... Just like it would for current .mac users.
I just hope I can continue to buy from amazon every year for the 30%ish discount.
@ Korpil
It's the other way round me.com is cheaper... at least in the UK
Actually its much cheaper it was £57.02 to renew my .mac the last time and only £30 for me.com. That's a drop of about 50%
One question: why would you tell Apple?
The original source tells why.... the user could not activate the service so he called Customer Support...
This Is completely off topic, But now that there is going to be an App store inside iTunes also... Why not put the entire mac store inside itunes as a program?
Im sure there are some issues because things cost over 50$ on the apple store and everything withen iTunes or the apple store will be Less..
(unless i remember reading something about Apps costing up to 999$)?
When that happens im going to hope that someone comes out with some kind of decent alternative to itunes for OS X for playing back MP3s. Im tired of seeing all this integrated CRAP being thrown into itunes when I use none of the extra features.
You sir might not be an apple user, did you ever try a PC?
@ HelloUser
I can't even begin to name the number of alternatives out there if you want...must bee too difficult to Google "OS X MP3 Player." I'm also not sure what integrated crap you're talking about...the iTMS? The ability to sync with your iPhone? Renting HD movies? Man, I hate that shit too, especially when they FORCE me to use it.
But they might need the getting started guide... You never know, some people like reading manuals for absolutely no reason.
@Grant
It probably depends on where you live. That's the number I get when they ask for my zip code on the Verizon web site. In any case, I was being sarcastic. I actually preferred the coverage I got when I was with Verizon but unfortunately they didn't have the iPhone.
@JAmerican
The fact you didn't mention Verizon is exactly the point I was trying to make. Why single out ATT? Again, you failed to mention the fact that Sprint has large areas of roaming. I have an iPhone and a laptop USB modem. I never roam and I have coverage almost everywhere I go across three states. Before you mention Sprint's superior 3G, I'm more concerned with being able to make calls than having 3G coverage for my laptop. Sprint simply does not offer what I need.
Funny how they couldn't think of an acceptable german translation of 'push-'
That's probably just what it's called, even in German. Other languages often "borrow" technology terms from whatever country they originated in, and I'm guessing that's the case here, instead of a lazy Apple translator.
THe term 'push' isn't a new or technological term though, internet is, and email is, but not the 'push-' bit.
Plus they did translate contacts to 'kontakte' yet kept the 'push', bit surprising to my eyes.
Yeah, looks German to me.
Wow! Just dumb luck that I read about this here. I usually get the latest web news from a magazine on the newsstand.
LOL... welcome to the internet... check out digg.com
Mobile Me über alles!
Fuer das INTERNET!
oida!
"One question: why would you tell Apple?"
For the same reasons Apple users buy family license packs even though they don't really have to...
So for those of us that like idea of having our many Apple computers and our many phones synced - but don't want to get iPhone 3Gs because we'd rather a) stick with T-mobile and b) prefer Nokias instead...
Do we have any options? MobileMe would be perfect if I was going the iPhone route.
I keep my MacBook Pro, my Mac Mini, my wife's Macbook Pro, my N76 and my wife's N82 synced via iSync for contacts whenever I'm around both phones and one our computers. I would love for updates I make to myN76's calendar to be immediately visible on my wife's N82.
Perhaps a product Nokia and/or Symbian should look into developing?
"... synced for contacts and calendar" - sorry, forgot to mention the calendar part.
How would that make any business sense at all...? Apple wants people to buy iPhones on agreed networks, and Me.com is another incentive to do that.
Apple didn't get to where they are now by pandering to the fringe majority; you want onboard, get onboard, there won't be a middle-ground. It's not to everyone's taste, but owning a mac, ipod/iphone, time capsule, apple tv, .mac (now mobileme) makes for a beautiful, seamless, user experience.
On another note (slightly off topic), I endlessly hear these penny-counting whingebags go on about Apple prices, Apple tax... - if you haven't got the money, just f**k off, it would be a sad day when Apple stopped being a luxury product manufacturer. Mobileme will be amazing, it undercuts all UK BIS (blackberry internet service) provisioning by 5p a month, and you get online storage, push calendar, contacts, domain hosting and more... how can anyone complain about that? Nobody complains about RIM, but since its Apple, it's always 'ooooh too expensive this, too expensive that'.
Seriously pisses me off. If you offer a great service/product, IMO, it's worth paying for. Can't stand cheapskates who will use the most shi**y services just because they're free.
GRRR!!! Hulk smash!!! ;)
Back ON topic, you could go for Blackberry provisioning for Nokia E range - just basic BIS functionality.
As for contacts and calendars, you'll still need an exchange server - you could set one up, but it'd cost you much more than a couple of additional iPhones with mobileme.
My suggestion wasn't for Apple to develop this solution(s) for Apple and Nokia to play nice. I understand it's not in their interest to do this.
It was more so what options are out there for those of us who are mac users but don't want iPhones, but want some of the functionality that MobileMe offers - paid and/or free.
For what it's worth, I personally love Apple for their computers and iPods but think a top of the line Nokia's better than an iPhone and would prefer sticking with Nokia.
Not sure how much of your rant was towards me. I actually agree with most of what you said, but am having a hard time seeing how my post triggered your response.
Y Would anyone in their right mind say something?
Actually, more to the point, if they can accidentally ship it someone early, that means its ready. So why is it not out already?
Apple is always about me me me. The truth is Steve Snobs could care about you you you. Enjoy paying your Mac tax, I'm done with them.
they sent it back because they dont read engadget
The real question is not, "Why would you tell Apple?" but why would you give it back? A courier comes to my door, "I'm here to pick up your package for Apple.", "What package?" By the time anybody knows what's happening it's the 11th and .macmemobile whatever goes live. Crisis averted.
That's what I'm saying!! Once it's inside my house, i would love to see them get it back.
If this is a german box, why does iCal say tuesday not Deinstag.
i bet this is some crazy plan to see which customers are the REAL apple ballsuckers.