How is Mobile Me?

It never seemed worth it before, but now that it does syncing between the iPhone and the Mac, it seems like it could be a real replacement for Gmail.

You say that like it's a brand new feature that just came out. MobileMe has been doing that since its debut in 2008.

I saw a comment here not too long ago that said something like, "MobileMe is a great service if you actually use it." I tend to agree. I have two Macs, an iPhone and an iPad, and it is sweet having everything in sync with each other. If I need to add or update a contact, I can do it on my iPad, and like magic, the data gets sent to the Macs and iPhone.

Have you signed up for a 60-day free trial? You can get a good sense of if the service is right for you by doing so.

I guess I just didn't realize it synced instantly like it does. I just signed up for the free trial yesterday. I have an iPad, a MBP and next week I'm getting an iPhone. I'm just getting more and more concerned about Google knowing and controlling so much of my info, and there never seemed to be a viable alternative before.

Google sync can offer similar features for your Gmail contacts etc, but MobileMe is miles easer to get set up and working.

Aptmunich said:

Google sync can offer similar features for your Gmail contacts etc, but MobileMe is miles easer to get set up and working.

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True, but Google is much more powerful. Google docs allows you to edit all of your documents in the cloud, whereas with mobile me, you still have the problem of multiple versions of things. Plus, Google is free. You have about 8 gb of space for your account, and you can purchase 20gb for $10 a year. It seems like a pretty good deal to me.

As the OP said, the concern is not with price, but with privacy. Google actively snoops on everything you do connected to it in the service of selling ads. Apple doesn't.

On top of that, as a MM subscriber from all the way back, I think Apple runs *rings* around Google as an overall service. Google has some neat services, no doubt, but the integration, the elegance, the mac-nativeness and the lack of ads everywhere give Apple a huge advantage to my mind.

Is MobileMe worth it? No, not for everyone it isn't. But if you really take advantage of all that it offers, it's actually cheap and still the best around overall.

The privacy argument is a little weak. Sure, you don't give it to Google but then you give it to Apple. Assuming Apple may never do anything with your data ignores the fact that profit drives a company and if they could use your data legally to make money, they would. Therefore, whose to say that Apple won't use particular bits of information down the road for business purposes? Whose to say that they won't do things that people will decry as an invasion of privacy? Honestly, if you give your information willingly to anyone, you give up some right to complain about issues of privacy. If you really wanted the info to be private, you wouldn't sync it across the internet.

It is for this reason that I suggest Google's services. They're free and easy to use. People who complain about the difficulty of setting it up miss two things: the instructions are actually quite clear and you only have to do it once so it's not as if it's a consistent concern. I have iCal setup to use GCal through CalDAV and it took all of 2 minutes to setup. I would also venture that it is just as "mac-native" as MM simply because with both, data is just being transfered so I fail to see how one is more "mac-native". You still use the same apps and the result is the same (synchronization).

As long as we're on the subject, here is Apple's privacy policy for you to read. Of particular interest is this section:

How we use your personal information

• The personal information we collect allows us to keep you posted on Apple’s latest product announcements, software updates, and upcoming events. It also helps us to improve our services, content, and advertising. If you don’t want to be on our mailing list, you can opt out anytime by updating your preferences.
• We also use personal information to help us develop, deliver, and improve our products, services, content, and advertising.
• From time to time, we may use your personal information to send important notices, such as communications about purchases and changes to our terms, conditions, and policies. Because this information is important to your interaction with Apple, you may not opt out of receiving these communications.
• We may also use personal information for internal purposes such as auditing, data analysis, and research to improve Apple’s products, services, and customer communications.
• If you enter into a sweepstake, contest, or similar promotion we may use the information you provide to administer those programs.

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I don't know about you, but I definitely see a pattern here. The information is not transmitted to third parties, it is used almost exclusively for analysis purposes in advertising and improving its products, and you can opt out of incoming messages at any time.

Sure, you don't give it to Google but then you give it to Apple. Assuming Apple may never do anything with your data ignores the fact that profit drives a company and if they could use your data legally to make money, they would.

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Except that Apple doesn't. Its profits from MobileMe are not derived through any sort of advertising. It's comes from the subscription fee you pay every year to renew the service. As a result, Apple keeps your information confidential. Google, on the other hand, views the personal information you provide as your payment for its services. The information is handed out to third parties (according to its own privacy policy).

If you are comfortable handing over all that data, that's fine. Just don't think that you aren't giving up something in the process.

vansmith said:

The privacy argument is a little weak. Sure, you don't give it to Google but then you give it to Apple. Assuming Apple may never do anything with your data ignores the fact that profit drives a company and if they could use your data legally to make money, they would. Therefore, whose to say that Apple won't use particular bits of information down the road for business purposes? Whose to say that they won't do things that people will decry as an invasion of privacy? Honestly, if you give your information willingly to anyone, you give up some right to complain about issues of privacy. If you really wanted the info to be private, you wouldn't sync it across the internet.

It is for this reason that I suggest Google's services. They're free and easy to use. People who complain about the difficulty of setting it up miss two things: the instructions are actually quite clear and you only have to do it once so it's not as if it's a consistent concern. I have iCal setup to use GCal through CalDAV and it took all of 2 minutes to setup. I would also venture that it is just as "mac-native" as MM simply because with both, data is just being transfered so I fail to see how one is more "mac-native". You still use the same apps and the result is the same (synchronization).

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I would disagree with google being mac-native (or as you will find out pc-native). I have multiple calendars setup on my ical but google sync did not sync my already created appointments. Sure I could export them but that surely is not syncing. To create an appointment I would then have to create it in the Gmail calendar which was not how I was originally doing things. Therefore it changed my method of creating appointments. To my knowledge I could not link my appointments created in gmail to the calendars already setup in ical. The only true integration and syncing I found was with busycal (a paid for app with free trial) or spanning sync (didn't use this but another paid app). I do not have an iphone (yet, its on order due 14th Oct) but what I wanted to do was sync my calendar items created on ical with outlook using gmail as the medium. This was difficult. Google created a program to only send the google default calendar to Outlook. So by using busycal (like I did at the time) on mac it would create multiple calendars in gmail. As I did not use google for my calendar creation (I was just using it as a means of syncing mac and PC) the default google calendar had no entries. However the default calendar was the one that the google program synced to Outlook. I therefore had to do more research and finally found a program to sync all calendars residing on google called OGG. However this has limited functionality unless you pay a yearly donation. So it would sync all my calendars in google but only 3 days before and after the current day. So that did not function properly. That was just for Calendars.

Contacts. The address book syncs directly with gmails address book from within the Mac application so that saved me a massive headache. However I could not find a way of syncing my contacts with Outlook. Admittedly my contacts do not change on a that frequent basis so I could export for google and import into Outlook however that defeated the point of syncing and meant I would have to do that or remember to do that (perhaps more importantly) every time I added or edited a contact. After some more research I found a few programs that claimed to do it. Just to note OGG would have done it if I had paid the yearly subscription but I chose not to. Therefore I tried a few programs with limited success. I can't honestly remember the names (something like googlecontact) but one of the few I found seemed to work ok.

Just to summarise my experience with google.
1) Very difficult to setup if you have ical setup the way I do and would like to sync with Windows.
2) Had to use another program on mac to sync several calendars to google. Caldav is just like a subscription to a calendar rather than setting up a true synchronisation. Busycal and spanning sync have to be purchased.
3) Had to use a different program (OGG) on Windows to sync all google calendars (rather than just the main one) with Outlook. OGG costs a yearly subscription if you want more than 3 days before and after current date.
4) Contacts required another program (unless pay for OGG) to sync contacts. This meant having 2 programs open plus outlook to be able to sync.
5) Although the google service is free the applications to make it truly useable and to sync properly cost money. Therefore it isn't truly a free alternative to mobile me.

Now being an Apple reseller I gain a free mobile me account . My experience with mobile me is completely different. Once mobile me is setup it is a matter of clicking preferences and choosing what you want to sync, eg bookmarks (very handy and something I had never thought off before), calendar, contacts, etc. That then syncs with mobile me. For Windows it was just a case of downloading the mobile me program, inputting my mobile me detail and selecting what programs I want to sync with, eg Outlook and Internet Explorer. That was it. It then synced everything correctly and with minimum effort. In my opinion mobile me for ease of use and true syncing ability all from one program means it is well worth the money. If syncing across multiple devices, especially in the case of Mac to PC I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Hope this helps
Dan

I used MM for almost a year on my iPhone 3GS and two Windows machines running Outlook.

It worked fine in test mode with few emails and email folders, but it didn't work well when I ramped it up. It took a long time to synchronize email, contacts and calendar and I started losing emails when I moved them to folders.

I switched to hosted Exchange and ActiveSync and it works much better.

J.Fo said:

Except that Apple doesn't.

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Perhaps you are right but you misread my last post. I stated that Apple may not do it now but there is nothing to stop them from doing it in the future. Companies change and Apple is no different.

J.Fo said:

If you are comfortable handing over all that data, that's fine. Just don't think that you aren't giving up something in the process.

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You make it sound as if handing your data over to Apple is somehow different from handing it over to someone else. Essentially, you're handing your info over to a company who make your data accessible over the internet.

If we're going to quote privacy policies, here's an excerpt from Google's:

Google only shares personal information with other companies or individuals outside of Google in the following limited circumstances:

- We have your consent. We require opt-in consent for the sharing of any sensitive personal information.
- We provide such information to our subsidiaries, affiliated companies or other trusted businesses or persons for the purpose of processing personal information on our behalf. We require that these parties agree to process such information based on our instructions and in compliance with this Privacy Policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
- We have a good faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to (a) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request, (b) enforce applicable Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations thereof, (c) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, or (d) protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of Google, its users or the public as required or permitted by law.

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Google here outlines their policy that they only share info if you consent, if third parties are needed for processing (and they are subject to the same regulations) and more generally, to fulfill legal obligations.

Another note-worthy section:

We take appropriate security measures to protect against unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure or destruction of data. These include internal reviews of our data collection, storage and processing practices and security measures, as well as physical security measures to guard against unauthorized access to systems where we store personal data.

We restrict access to personal information to Google employees, contractors and agents who need to know that information in order to operate, develop or improve our services. These individuals are bound by confidentiality obligations and may be subject to discipline, including termination and criminal prosecution, if they fail to meet these obligations.

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My argument is not that Google is somehow better than Apple. My argument is that in both instances, you're giving your data to someone who makes it available online. In both cases, you're data is online and could be made available to other companies for business reasons.

I literally use MobileMe every day for school to sync documents from my mbp to computers at school. I will never ever have to worry about losing or forgetting a jump-drive again! It's also good for sharing photos, or videos that are too large to email.

I think MobileMe is one of Apple's biggest missed opportunities and not sure if it's worth the $99 a year for most people.

Having said that, I do have it and do find the bookmark syncing, Calendar syncing, Mail rule syncing, address book syncing and above all the ability to load and save files to it via the iPad and iPhone, very useful. It's certainly a luxury when Google does all of this for free... but if you're happy in the Apple eco-system (which I am) then it's probably just about worth it.

jpepperman95 said:

True, but Google is much more powerful. Google docs allows you to edit all of your documents in the cloud, whereas with mobile me, you still have the problem of multiple versions of things.

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Not quite sure what you mean by that. Can you clarify?

I have both Mobile Me and Google Sync. Mobile is a much more user friendly service than Google. Google does work, but not as well as Mobile when syncing my contacts and Cal between devices. The only reason I have Google Sync is the fact that Mobile me only syncs with Apple iPhone and not with the Android. So Google Sync is required to sync with my phone. I love Mobile Me's iDisk sync feature. I tried to use SkyDrive but it never worked most of the time. So that brought me back to the premium features of Mobile Me as well as the free features of Google.

vansmith said:

Perhaps you are right but you misread my last post. I stated that Apple may not do it now but there is nothing to stop them from doing it in the future. Companies change and Apple is no different.

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Nope, I perfectly understood what you were saying. Yes, things change, and Apple may very well one day share personal data I send them to third parties. I can't sit here and say that Apple will never change. The difference is that right now Apple does not do this and Google does. Additionally, Apple has had a long history of protecting the privacy of its users, and Google does not. Hence, I have a little more faith in Apple protecting my data in future than I do with Google.

You make it sound as if handing your data over to Apple is somehow different from handing it over to someone else. Essentially, you're handing your info over to a company who make your data accessible over the internet.

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The question is, who is it accessible to? Obviously I can access that data, and so can Apple. Can anyone else? According to Apple's privacy policy, they can not. According to Google's some can. Which data is shared, to whom, and why are left vague enough to open the door to just about anything they want.

You may not be arguing that one is better than the other, but I sure am.

I'm completely with J.Fo on this. PC switchers have a really hard time believing it, I know -- but Apple has a VERY long history of being customer-centric as opposed to just profit-centric or shareholder-centric (or just power-centric) as too many other tech companies are.

J.Fo said:

Nope, I perfectly understood what you were saying. Yes, things change, and Apple may very well one day share personal data I send them to third parties. I can't sit here and say that Apple will never change. The difference is that right now Apple does not do this and Google does. [...] The question is, who is it accessible to? Obviously I can access that data, and so can Apple. Can anyone else? According to Apple's privacy policy, they can not. According to Google's some can.

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It's amazing what selective reading is capable of. I encourage you to re-read the Apple privacy policy and take note of the following sections:

Under "Collection and Use of Personal Information"

You may be asked to provide your personal information anytime you are in contact with Apple or an Apple affiliated company. Apple and its affiliates may share this personal information with each other and use it consistent with this Privacy Policy. They may also combine it with other information to provide and improve our products, services, content, and advertising.

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You may also want to re-read the entire "Disclosure to Third Parties" section:

At times Apple may make certain personal information available to strategic partners that work with Apple to provide products and services, or that help Apple market to customers. For example, when you purchase and activate your iPhone, you authorize Apple and its carrier to exchange the information you provide during the activation process to carry out service. If you are approved for service, your account will be governed by Apple and its carrier’s respective privacy policies. Personal information will only be shared by Apple to provide or improve our products, services and advertising; it will not be shared with third parties for their marketing purposes.

Service Providers
Apple shares personal information with companies who provide services such as information processing, extending credit, fulfilling customer orders, delivering products to you, managing and enhancing customer data, providing customer service, assessing your interest in our products and services, and conducting customer research or satisfaction surveys. These companies are obligated to protect your information and may be located wherever Apple operates.

Others
It may be necessary − by law, legal process, litigation, and/or requests from public and governmental authorities within or outside your country of residence − for Apple to disclose your personal information. We may also disclose information about you if we determine that for purposes of national security, law enforcement, or other issues of public importance, disclosure is necessary or appropriate.

We may also disclose information about you if we determine that disclosure is reasonably necessary to enforce our terms and conditions or protect our operations or users. Additionally, in the event of a reorganization, merger, or sale we may transfer any and all personal information we collect to the relevant third party.

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Those sections are fairly similar to those of Google's and I would guess that they are similar to many privacy policies.

Apple privacy issues:
Apple collecting, sharing iPhone users' precise locations [Updated] | Technology | Los Angeles Times
Apple customers have no privacy under new policy - by Bruce Tyson - Helium
Apple's iTunes raises privacy concerns - CNET News
More on privacy issues with Apple's DRM-less iTunes Plus | Decentralized Information Group (DIG) Breadcrumbs
Mobile Me specific: Neowin.net - Potential privacy concerns with Apple's MobileMe service

From the Mobile Me TOS:

You further understand and agree that this information may be transferred to the United States and/or other countries for storage, processing and use by Apple and/or its affiliates.

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My point here (and it may be unclear as this post was disjointed as I just added stuff as I found it) is that Apple has many of the same issues that Google does. Simply because Google has been in the news lately has no bearing on the fact that Apple has had privacy issues as well.

chas_m said:

I'm completely with J.Fo on this. PC switchers have a really hard time believing it, I know -- but Apple has a VERY long history of being customer-centric as opposed to just profit-centric or shareholder-centric (or just power-centric) as too many other tech companies are.

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I think it's fair to say that a company know for it's profit margins and it's "we do things our way in our walled garden" is at least somewhat profit and power driven.

I'm sure I come across as very anti-Apple but note that I'm not. I just feel that a lack of cognizance and critical consideration is dangerous especially when it precludes one from seeing that Apple has it's own issues.

Vansmith - if you don't mind my saying so, I think you've become carried away with arguing a point of principle rather than one of practicality.

Yes, Apple stores personal information about it's customers, so does every company on the planet. But we know that Apple is extremely reluctant to share that information with anyone, and we know this because we can see how difficult it has been for them to get content on their devices. Newspaper subscriptions, TV shows to rent, Netflix sized content, iAd's stuttering start, are all because Apple won't give up customer information to other companies.

If you compare this to Facebook or Google, companies who's entire business model is based upon using your personal information to make money, it is different. Being objective isn't always about assuming everyone is evil or has bad intentions for their customers.

Now that's not to say that anything you posted is false. I'd just question the intent of the company with your information. In Apple's case, they don't rally need to make money by flogging your Zip code to tacky 3rd party advertisers, like some others.

As for power, your comment about the walled garden gives a lot away. It frustrates me too, but Apple's approach here is the same as it was 10 years ago and even 25 years ago, which is about controlling the user experience. The outcome may very well be huge profits, but the motivation is more one of design and experience than power. If you don't believe that, obviously that's fine, but it does make me wonder why someone who felt they were in a 'walled garden' would even buy Apple products?

Zoolook, your points are very fair and reasonable. You may a good point concerning business models (ie. Google being built around information). I do stand by my argument though that Google in many respects is no worse nor any better than any other company as they are still constrained by both the law and public scrutiny. That said, they still do have their issues which may be more evident given the nature of their business.

I'm interested in your point though about the difficulties of getting content because of a reluctance to give away customer information. Could you elaborate on that?

As for the walled garden, many people find this reassuring despite what I may believe. Some find it comforting knowing that one company provides all the services they need and would gladly "join the garden" so to speak if they felt it provided a more satisfying experience. Take the iPhone for instance. Most people couldn't care less that they are tied to the App Store if they want additional applications and couldn't care less about the policies of app approval.