The Email/Cloud topic

Hi All

I have been messing around with diff email providers lately inc google apps, mobile me etc. and am truing to work out which one is the best to use.

Mobile me seems to be great syncing to iphone and mac book pro.

Google apps isnt bad but i hate the gmail interface. dont ask me why

Hotmail - why on earth wont they go imap. Also it works terrible in outlook 2011 even though id prefer to use this just for the sky drive feature alone.

I was just wondering what everyone uses and what the best one to use is?
I mainly use calendar/email/photos & i like a easy to use interface. I just dont like gmail, cant help it.

Also like it to be good privacy.

Your thoughts would be appreciated

When it comes to respecting privacy and wanting IMAP, there's really only two choices: set up and run your own mail server, or use MobileMe. I have chosen the latter. I like not having ads in my incoming or outgoing email, I like having an easy-to-remember email address, I like the integration with the iLife apps, and of course I like how MM mail works well both with all the major email clients as well as (if I want) a web client, a smartphone client and an iPad client.

I use MobleMe, Gmail and my own server for e-mail. All 3 work quite well with Apple Mail and my iPhone and I almost never actually go to GMail or my server to check e-mail.

With google apps (and gmail as well) you don't have to use the gmail interface - any imap client will work including Mac Mail, Outlook, and any of the iOS mail devices.

Apple seems to track everywhere you go as well so I don't know who takes care of privacy any more.

well I need to use web based from work most days to just trying to figure out what the best interface is to use it from there, at home is fine as i can use mac mail for it.

It is very interesting atm reading about all the issues of privacy etc.

Only you can determine which web interface best suits your needs. That's something you'll have to decide. As for privacy, most email providers have a privacy policy so I'm sure you can peruse those if you so choose.

One thing you haven't mentioned is storage. Different providers offer different storage limits and each have a restriction on the size of attachments. That might be something to consider.

What does everyone personally use?

I find that mobile me is great its a tad slow on iphone & web interface.

Google apps is quiet good and I guess i could adapt to the interface slowly.

Storage wise im not fussed 5gig + would be idea though. If only gmail could make their interface like hotmail then have the best of both worlds.

I use GMail - I love the simplistic interface and the archiving feature. I tried MobileMe quite a while ago and while the interface was fantastic, I can't justify paying $100 for something that I can get for free elsewhere (I have no use for any of the other features except for the calendar which I can get for free as well).

Is there anything in particular that you don't like about the GMail interface? It can be a bit too minimal for some but if there is a particular part you don't like, you can try the Minimalism for GMail extension for Chrome (if you use it) which gives you the ability to customize quite a bit of the GMail interface.

Your storage limit shouldn't be a problem - Gmail is just over 7GB now, Hotmail is unlimited (although I have to question if that is "unlimited" or truly unlimited) and MobileMe is 20GB of email and file storage.

IvanLasston said:

Apple seems to track everywhere you go as well so I don't know who takes care of privacy any more.

Click to expand...

No, they don't. Please educate yourself on this topic instead of parroting what some media claimed.

Well i decided as much as mobile me is great and all I cant justify the cost per year.

My own domain hosted by google apps was only $10 per year & i can add my hubby etc to it. def beats the $120 p/y for me and pretty well offers same thing.

& yes i do know its cheaper on ebay but still not as cheap as $10

chas_m said:

No, they don't. Please educate yourself on this topic instead of parroting what some media claimed.

Click to expand...

Lost In The iPhone Location FUD

Lost In The iPhone Location FUD

how does apple track you - Google Search

So fine they may not be personally tracking you yet, but they are tracking. Feel free to refute it with any evidence that you have instead of just parroting your belief system yet again.

The fact the the database is so easy to visualize is also worrisome. It is unencrypted on the computer. This is bad.

I am also tired of you claiming that apple doesn't try to track you like google. If that were true then what is the IAds about?
Apple - iAd
Yes Google's primary business is ads but Apple got into that business too. Apple is not some benevolent commune - it is a very profitable business that is looking to make money just like every other business.

Apple - Press Info - Apple Q&A on Location Data

I look forward to your apology.

Last time I argued something about Google's privacy and used their web page as a source, you essentially said that didn't count .

To quote you (source):

A privacy paper FROM GOOGLE about how "transparent" Chrome is rates about as highly as a memo from the Bush administration explaining how they don't torture.

Click to expand...

I don't really have an opinion on this subject as I don't really see this as any different than other companies but if you're going to argue for something, don't just take the accused's word for it.

I'm sorry that your reading comprehension is poor - either that or you chose to ignore my second post.

Let me repeat it in bold Apple is not personally tracking you yet, but they are tracking

Your Apple page is summarized in the very first blog post I linked to.

Is it as nefarious as a police state? Not yet. But the data is there and available. What is to stop the police from requesting that data? They already can seize your computer if they suspect something. The location database is unencrypted unless you ask iTunes to encrypt your backup. I am not a lawyer but there have been several cases where encrypted data was not subject to search and seizure, well because they couldn't get into it.
Chicago Attorney | Chicago Law Publications | Protecting Electronic Data From Search and Seizure | Law Firm - Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC

Here is the point - there was nothing in the T&C that made it obvious that you were being used to crowd source location data. Now that it was found it - they are making it clear what the data is used for. Fine, but Apple got busted for a privacy/terms of use gaffe - and now they became transparent, a bit late, and by calling it a bug - it does not absolve Apple of causing a privacy concern.

Look, I am not looking into getting into a fight, I am pointing out that there is a privacy concern even with Apple. How does a press release explaining how they use data make that privacy concern go away?

It seems google apps is going to start charging to use it :S

Ivan: I didn't choose to ignore your post, but I'm about ready to choose to ignore you. It's YOUR reading comprehension that is poor in that you clearly do not understand the word "tracking" in the sense that everyone else does, but in the spirit of esprit d'corps I am willing to try again:

Skyhook chief: Android data privacy much worse than iOS | Electronista

Now, I'm not citing this because it makes Google look bad -- I'm citing it because perhaps after reading it you'll understand the difference between leveraging genuinely anonymous crowdsourced data about the location of inanimate objects you don't own -- ie cell towers and wi-fi hotspots -- and the collection of data about you and the things you own and places you've been, which I think most rational people would call tracking. Google (and other entities) actively engage in the latter, whereas Apple engages in the former. Hopefully the difference is a bit clearer to you now.

Google exists *solely* to scrutinise what its users do for the purpose of selling that data to advertisers. That is their raison d'etre. They've generally been pretty up-front about this in public statements (albeit rather more deceptive in policy). Everything they do feeds this goal because it is their sole purpose for being in business at all.

Apple does not do this, because they have no reason to. Thus, the explanation they gave for their location cache makes sense, and has been corroborated by others (see the link above).

Sure, maybe Apple have just massively lied in a huge public statement printed on their website, inviting more lawsuits and exposing the management team to civil and criminal litigation not to mention a stock collapse. Maybe they've fooled all the independent people who have looked into it. And maybe unicorns will fly out of my butt tomorrow. Given what Apple said and what I know independently of Apple to be true, both seem extremely unlikely.

Still, I like to keep an open mind -- so please do produce the evidence you have that Apple is lying, and I'll gladly take a look at it.

Hey guys.....

Can we agree to disagree about this topic? Let's put this thread to bed before it elevates into flame throwing.

Thanks.

Chscag, since i opened thread for more just seeing who uses what and what is best, then i agree close it, went pretty off topic

Sorry about all that - I shouldn't have escalated. Also let me say that chas_m I do respect your opinions it just seems when we butt heads it tends to center around privacy issues. I will ditch the vitriolic banter - let's talk about it rationally.

First - let me say the last few times we discussed Google and privacy - I tended to agree with on all points. I am not disagreeing with you, there are a lot of shady apps and companies, I don't think Google is shady about it - their policy states everything you do they watch. So just to be clear - I agree, there is a lot of people making money on watching all you do, Google being one of them.

Apple - I believe is trying to get into this game. Is it their main source of revenue? No, not like Google - but they have made a bunch of moves getting into advertising and such. So my point of contention is I don't believe Apple to be looking out for my best interest when it comes to privacy. They have a massive database of what I like in music, movies, and apps and why wouldn't they use that to target advertising to me, to sell me more music, movies and apps?

On the issue of tracking vs tracking - I agree with the opinion out there that Apple was not trying to personally track me with my iOS device. But here are my issues with the whole event.
1) When the story broke Apple said nothing, then finally acknowledged a problem.
2) They issued a mea culpa explaining that it was a bug.
What my issue is - and it is a security and privacy issue - is that the backup was keeping a database (claimed to be inadvertent) on my computer - in an unencrypted file. This means that if I my computer got searched and seized the police could use that data against me. That is what I mean by tracking - there is a database, right now on my computer that is personally identifiable, and can be used to track my movements. So yes - Apple wasn't personally tracking me. I agree. But I am being tracked.
I don't know if Apple is lying about what they said. I don't think I care. They got called out by people who were doing research and they promised to fix it. Fine by me. What I don't like about the whole thing is that Apple supposedly made it very clear when apps were using location data - well Apple is using location data all the time and I don't remember signing up anywhere to help them crowd source antennas. Who knows maybe its buried in the T&C. See the centiPad from South Park - maybe I should read the T&C more carefully.

So - to sum up - I agree there are plenty of people I don't trust that are tracking things. Apple has lost some of my trust because of the way this issue was handled. I don't take it lightly and just because Apple issued a press release and plans to fix it - doesn't change the fact that there is a real privacy concern.

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On topic - Google Apps is going to start buckling down the free Google Apps. I got an email from them saying that my current account will be allowed to keep unlimited users. After May 10th they will only allow 5. So I signed up another domain name - and they are still allowing 50 users currently. I think if you sign up now that will grandfather you in. As chas_m points out - the free stuff they are going to use advertising to support it so it is something to think about. The paid version you can disable it.