.Mac Improvements Over The Last Year
.Mac Improvements
Webmail
New Preference panel organization and options
Multiple account access
POP3 compatibility
File attachment size bumped up to a 20MB capacity (previously 10MB capacity)
Notes viewing *
Images from unknown sources are not loaded unless you allow it
Quick Reply feature
Support for signatures (I THINK this was introduced with that big webmail upgrade 11 months ago)
Message previews
Message flagging
Junk mail filtering
New Address Book button in compose window for comprehensive method of adding addresses
New Address Book search field for unique method of searching and/or addressing
Drag-and-drop filing
Drag-and-drop attachments
Choose between large or small mailbox icons
Choose between two-pane or three-pane viewing
Enable a separate message viewing pane
Keyboard shortcuts
Save As Draft now possible
Drafts folder holds drafts from any location with IMAP server
Junk folder holds junk from any location with IMAP server
Uses AJAX to mirror desktop Mail.app for a welcome familiarity and easy access
Provides for an end to end email solution
Address Book
Revamped list view
New graphical card view
Keyboard shortcuts
Edit every available field of contacts right from .Mac
Email button on contacts page to directly email that person
Based on vCard and hCard structuring
Possibly two-way syncing to be made available with Leopard based on the list of options I was presented with last Friday (Sync, Overwrite desktop Mac, Overwrite .Mac — they were probably not expecting me to sink at that late Friday night hour) *
Groups
Now has virtually unlimited storage capacity (previously each group limited to 100MB)
New members no longer need to have a .Mac ID
New Address Book selection in the "Invite New Members" screen for comprehensive method of adding addresses
Syncing
.Mac Sync is now completely separated and distinct from iSync providing for a more sure and capable syncing process *
Sync Dashboard Widget settings *
Sync Dock items *
Sync Application preferences *
Sync System preferences *
Web Gallery
Automatic photo album organizing
Unique album skimming
More accessible and useful photo sharing complement to Photocasting
Share photos that adjust their size automatically to fit any browser
Share movies in multiple size formats
Allows for gallery contributions via a web browser or email
Gallery contributions from others are synced back to your own iPhoto library
Selectable viewing options directly on viewing page
Responsive to mobile photo uploading with iPhone
High-resolution copies of photos can be automatically uploaded as a ZIP file and made available for downloading and printing
Back To My Mac
File Sharing over the internet (Leopard itself only allows for this functionality over LANs) *
Screen Sharing and Remote Control over the internet (Leopard itself only allows for this functionality over LANs) *
iDisk
Total storage capacity increased to 10GB (previously only 1GB)
File size capacity increased to 2GB (previously less than 1GB)
Data transfer limit increased to 100 GB per month
Desktop access speed increase *
Storage
Storage upgrade options have been increased to now offer an additional 10GB and 20GB (totaling 20GB and 30 GB).
Data transfer limits have been increased to an additional 100GB and 200GB per month respectively (totaling 200GB and 300GB respectively).
Personal Domain Name
Supports domain name redirecting for your own unique custom URL
* Improvement only seen when utilizing Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Lots of value added recently. Any additions or corrections?
What could be up next...
Syncing of contact photos, Notes field and Custom field labels in Address Book?
Seamless syncing of identical iPhone functionality to .Mac?
Editing iCal calendars online through .Mac?
New .Mac Development Kit to be released?
New applications built to utilize Back To My Mac functionality? Maybe similar functionality to that of iChat: like TextMate collaborations online with one user hosting through .Mac and allowing others to contribute/work on the same document, etc.?
Any ideas to add?
Webmail
New Preference panel organization and options
Multiple account access
POP3 compatibility
File attachment size bumped up to a 20MB capacity (previously 10MB capacity)
Notes viewing *
Images from unknown sources are not loaded unless you allow it
Quick Reply feature
Support for signatures (I THINK this was introduced with that big webmail upgrade 11 months ago)
Message previews
Message flagging
Junk mail filtering
New Address Book button in compose window for comprehensive method of adding addresses
New Address Book search field for unique method of searching and/or addressing
Drag-and-drop filing
Drag-and-drop attachments
Choose between large or small mailbox icons
Choose between two-pane or three-pane viewing
Enable a separate message viewing pane
Keyboard shortcuts
Save As Draft now possible
Drafts folder holds drafts from any location with IMAP server
Junk folder holds junk from any location with IMAP server
Uses AJAX to mirror desktop Mail.app for a welcome familiarity and easy access
Provides for an end to end email solution
Address Book
Revamped list view
New graphical card view
Keyboard shortcuts
Edit every available field of contacts right from .Mac
Email button on contacts page to directly email that person
Based on vCard and hCard structuring
Possibly two-way syncing to be made available with Leopard based on the list of options I was presented with last Friday (Sync, Overwrite desktop Mac, Overwrite .Mac — they were probably not expecting me to sink at that late Friday night hour) *
Groups
Now has virtually unlimited storage capacity (previously each group limited to 100MB)
New members no longer need to have a .Mac ID
New Address Book selection in the "Invite New Members" screen for comprehensive method of adding addresses
Syncing
.Mac Sync is now completely separated and distinct from iSync providing for a more sure and capable syncing process *
Sync Dashboard Widget settings *
Sync Dock items *
Sync Application preferences *
Sync System preferences *
Web Gallery
Automatic photo album organizing
Unique album skimming
More accessible and useful photo sharing complement to Photocasting
Share photos that adjust their size automatically to fit any browser
Share movies in multiple size formats
Allows for gallery contributions via a web browser or email
Gallery contributions from others are synced back to your own iPhoto library
Selectable viewing options directly on viewing page
Responsive to mobile photo uploading with iPhone
High-resolution copies of photos can be automatically uploaded as a ZIP file and made available for downloading and printing
Back To My Mac
File Sharing over the internet (Leopard itself only allows for this functionality over LANs) *
Screen Sharing and Remote Control over the internet (Leopard itself only allows for this functionality over LANs) *
iDisk
Total storage capacity increased to 10GB (previously only 1GB)
File size capacity increased to 2GB (previously less than 1GB)
Data transfer limit increased to 100 GB per month
Desktop access speed increase *
Storage
Storage upgrade options have been increased to now offer an additional 10GB and 20GB (totaling 20GB and 30 GB).
Data transfer limits have been increased to an additional 100GB and 200GB per month respectively (totaling 200GB and 300GB respectively).
Personal Domain Name
Supports domain name redirecting for your own unique custom URL
* Improvement only seen when utilizing Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Lots of value added recently. Any additions or corrections?
What could be up next...
Syncing of contact photos, Notes field and Custom field labels in Address Book?
Seamless syncing of identical iPhone functionality to .Mac?
Editing iCal calendars online through .Mac?
New .Mac Development Kit to be released?
New applications built to utilize Back To My Mac functionality? Maybe similar functionality to that of iChat: like TextMate collaborations online with one user hosting through .Mac and allowing others to contribute/work on the same document, etc.?
Any ideas to add?
Comments
Now...
Applications
Automator 2.0 provides a distant feature added to .Mac by having a couple .Mac specific Library items to choose from for automating. *
RSS Reader is an iPhone exclusive application that I forgot to mention. It is offered through the .Mac services (http://reader.mac.com). Though you do not need to subscribe to .Mac to use this particular service, I would expect more iPhone tie-ins to .Mac in the very near future.
Backup 3.1.2 now adds Leopard compatibility as well as support for iWork '08.
* Again, an improvement only seen when utilizing Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Notes viewing *
Is this true? I am running Leopard and have just fired up the webmail and it still looks the same. Should there be a new notes field?