.mac account, really worth it?

wazowski · #1 August 24th, 2005, 03:03 PM

Hi,

Over last few months of using mac I have loved it without a single complaint. I just started exploring the .mac 60 days trial.

I think it would be a cool way to share my photos. Better than using flicker our another custom php script. I have my own blog the runs on movabletype.

I pretty much use gmail, so the huge email space is already available.

I want to read some real user experience and learn how they found .mac service useful (esp. from a blogger, photographer point of you). While backup, sync are some useful features, I think my key requirement would be to maintain a sleek homepage with my own domain name, like I currently do.

Please advice.

Thank you!

cheers,
Shalin Jain

bobw · #2 August 24th, 2005, 03:14 PM

Take a look at our Services first;

http://www.macosx.com/services/

cfleck · #3 August 24th, 2005, 04:30 PM

Ah, yes. Self promo. Lovely, but in response to your question I'll leave you with this...

My .mac account runs out in 30 days. I won't be renewing. I've had it for a year and found it to be more hype than product. The "homepages" that you can create with their software are sorely limiting and for the most part, suck. Yes you can create your own stuff and upload it, but its pricy for that kind of usage. Plus you don't get php, sql, etc, etc.

The idisk is somewhat handy if you have multiple computers but I've had sync problems over the past few months and I've finally decided to just create my own workaround.

The only thing I think I will miss is how easy it has been to keep my address books and calendars synced up. However, I think I may have found my solution to that with Chronosync. I just have to set it up. No, it isn't automatic, but it will work.

The "free" software, for me, is useless. Backup doesn't work and seriously, who installs virus software on their mac? Past that, it has looked lik $100 bucks down the tube for the past year.

For all my web services needs, I would go through someplace like this that at least gives me options as far as the stuff I can use (sql, php, etc).

Bye, bye .mac!

musenut · #4 August 24th, 2005, 05:32 PM

I too found .mac pretty useless. Backup was the only thing i used and it was a totally annoying program interface - not very intuitive. You can't maintain a webpage with your own domain - at least for $100 a year and you aren't going very far with their 125 mb cuz that includes mail, backup files (easily 100MBs) and webpages. You can still export .html files from iPhoto without .mac

I used it for a year and gladly let it lapse ...

crcr2003 · #5 August 24th, 2005, 11:17 PM

email? chat? backup? homepage? well i can use adium, gmail, blogspot or msn space, yousendit.com (1GB attachments), etc. etc so botton line why should i pay for services i can get for free? i was only using .mac for the backup but later i decided to create rar files and to send them to my email using yousendit.com as simple as that and with more space. the other services that they say are so create are just services u can find any other place for free as i said.

wazowski · #6 August 25th, 2005, 12:50 AM

Thank you everyone for the feedback. I have loved mac so far for the suprior quality and usability of their product. Since you guys think .mac sucks, maybe mac will do something about it soon. Maybe, integrate a blogging system and providing more space and features.

Hence, I will not subscribe for the .mac service. by the way, when did they last update this service with MAJOR features and is their any official announcement by mac regarding the .mac service since the competetion for their service has just got very fierce (free providers).

I like the apple brand more than google. I hope apple can throw some innovative ideas on such services as well.

cheers,
Shalin Jain

**fryke** · #7 August 25th, 2005, 02:33 AM

Well, I don't think .mac sucks. The only thing about it that sucks is the price. I guess Apple had to decide - back then - whether they do this for their image or for money, and it probably was too successful (i.e. the bandwidth cost much too much for them). I've liked it as long as I had it - but once they charged for it, I was out.

The Backup solution they give you isn't really the best out there, either. You can get free tools that do more than that.