Future .Mac services...

torifiletorifile
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
When I first got my iPod, I looked all over the internet for books on mp3. I ran into audible.com and I was upset that they didn't offer Mac support (typical, I thought). Well, now audible.com support is right in iTunes. That got me to thinking about iPhoto and now how it's most useful when used with a .Mac account.



So, now we have iPhoto, whose utility is greatly extended through .Mac (via homepage publishing). iTunes will go that way too, through partnerships with companies like audible. Quicktime I could easily see extended in this way.



I'm getting more and more excited about this the more I think about it. Sure, it'll cost some money, but you know it won't be some half-assed job. The future is bright. I'm looking forward to it. :cool:



So, what other services are down the line for .Mac users?



[ 07-19-2002: Message edited by: torifile ]</p>

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    ok, audible.com rocks!! Roundtrip bookmarking is great. Sign up now! I love it.
  • Reply 2 of 8
    snoopysnoopy Posts: 1,901member
    The 100 dollar annual fee seems high to me right now, but I'm hoping Apple will come up with more benefits that translate into dollar value. I checked with a friend who has the McAfee virus online service for the PC. It costs him 30 dollars a year. Apple is offering additional email accounts for 20 dollars a year, so let's say the first one is worth that much. Okay, there is 50 dollars a year in real value. I don't know about the backup software, or the other services, but if everything would add up to twice what we must pay, it may be a good value. Most of us will not use everything that .Mac has to offer.
  • Reply 3 of 8
    obi-dunobi-dun Posts: 19member
    I think it cost me too much also. For me, I only use the email. The iDisk, it is too slow. Even I just mount it to my computer, it made my entire computer slow.



    Actually I got more than one email addresses, on the past I love the @mac.com email. This is a identity for a community. I loved to talk/chat to @mac.com friends this mean we are Apple customer, we use apple, we love apple, we are in the same community.



    I am so disappointed they charge for it. For me, the basic(5MB) email service is enough for me. I am not going to pay for others I don?t need. I got a palm, I can sync my contact, copy file between my working comp and home comp. Others service is not nessary for me.



    So I am moving out of this community, I don?t feel comfortable here anymore. Many of my @mac.com friends will do the same as me.



  • Reply 4 of 8
    norfanorfa Posts: 171member
    I paid 49$ for an extra 50 meg a while ago so I had 70 meg storage. I looked in my account this morning and low and behold, I have 100 meg storage. This is about the going rate as far as I can tell. So I pay 100$ for 100 meg storage plus I get the integration. SO far so good. Now the problems. I have 5 mac.com accounts. One is called canoe_trips and it has all the information about my currently planned trips and ones I plan to do in the future. Another is on the weekends a number of friends and myself have at an old farmhouse near hiking trails and ski hills. Those two adresses, although they are very usefull to have, will probably have to die. If I just had the one account I think .mac would be good for me. However because I have so many accounts, I'm going to have to consider other options. Last time I went through this, my itools accounts ended up being the best option. No advertising on my pages, except the made with apple, and I've always included links to Apple on my pages anyway, so what iTools does is less than what I would normally do. Basicaly .Mac is going to cost me $50 more than I pay already. And I'll be getting a lot more space, and continue to use the free services, which are terrific.
  • Reply 5 of 8
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    But the point isn't really whether .Mac is good for the money. There are a dozen threads on that already. I was hoping to pick your collective brains about what .Mac services will be offered in the future.



    Like audible.com content. Or Kodak pictures. Or streaming media. You know? Maybe I'll alter the title of my thread a little.
  • Reply 6 of 8
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,425member
    Torifile. You've pretty much got it. Apple announces .mac and people start flying off the handle. I wish people were as fervorent about preventing new taxes.



    I'll check out Audible.com myself. I think these type of services are the way to go. It IS after all choice.
  • Reply 7 of 8
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    Gosh, let's see....if I were Apple I think that I would start charging for iTools too, since so many people set up multiple accounts. I found out that my Dad had about three or four accounts because he kept forgetting how he got to iTools the time before. Take a big poll of the number of iTools members and you'd find that there's a TON of multiple-account holders. Why take the hit?



    I say charge money!

    I also say provide Services, and from all appearances that's exactly what's happening.



    I am truly more excited about owning an Apple this week than I have been in some time. The things that are being bundled with the software provide TRUE functionality at a system-level. The integration with .Mac and embrasure of industry standards is creating a truly outstanding product.



    I'll gladly shell out the bucks for Jag when it arrives, and I'll consider buying into .Mac in September if the services (like Calendar) are compelling enough.



    I'm not totally unsympathetic for the folks who can't afford to pay for .Mac. Perhaps there will be an ammendment to .Mac that will allow for people to buy in at TIERS of need. Maybe $20/year for simple email access, and other services available as your needs grow. That way you scoop up more users. But any business that gives away everything for free forever is a company that won't be around for that same period of time.



    D
  • Reply 8 of 8
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    Hm, I can think of a souped-up book ordering service from iPhoto with more choices and control over layout and content via .mac service. Same with picture prints I guess. This would really be in partnership with OPhoto.



    I can also imagine other tied-in services like vacation planning, itineraries and reservations with a company like Travelocity or Frommer's. I imagine there are lots of partnerships like that. It' just a question of Apple would bring to the table in a deal like that -- what extras would be given to those privileged with a .mac account?



    Who knows, if they ever do start streaming movies on the web, there's a natural tie-in with QT and .mac rentals.
Sign In or Register to comment.