MacDailyNews - Where Mac news comes first

Oct 29, 08 - 03:19 pm Comment from: Ouate de Phoque

Shouldn't that spelling be "mess" and not mesh !

Oct 29, 08 - 03:22 pm Comment from: Amazin1

OMG, can't these guys do anything original? They must have all sat in school copying from the kids next to them. And let's see, they haven't figured out the business plan yet, meaning it is either vaporware or that it will include advertising every time you access your folders.

all that syncing is crazy..I predict a meshy meshy mess

"One aspect about Live Mesh that is sure to appeal to Mac users is the price, which is free".
Well, I guess you get what you pay for.

I'm not worried. I think Microsoft is right on target and should move full steam ahead.

It will no doubt fail as most M$ things do and add a few more nails into the coffin lid along the way...

Yea Ballmer!!!

so, you can MANUALLY sync the address data files, or the mail files. Sounds so CONVENIENT!

Kudos to Microsoft! Folks -- this is excellent news. We should be glad that Apple's MobileMe has some real competition out there. Hopefully, because of Live Mesh, MobileMe will become less of a MobileMess than it currently is.

This is weird. Are they hoping to create MicroSwitchers?

MDN: Over 13 million iPhone users plus untold millions more iPod touch users (and both groups are rapidly increasing) ignored by Microsoft as if they don't even exist.

More likely Apple rejected the app from their store. Let's be clear: Microsoft's protocols don't work with Apple products largely because APPLE prohibits it, not because MS doesn't want to. See iPod+anyDRMexceptFairPlay, ActiveSync (until very recently), etc.

MS isn't ignoring anyone -- Apple's keeping its users locked up tight.

scoodog -

Agreed. Apple's products are *good* but they have a lot of flaws and no incentive to improve them (read: competition). Here's hoping this provides some.

Competition is nearly always a good thing.

IMO, MobileMe is overpriced for what you get as evidenced by the quasi secondary market where you can buy activation codes for 50% of the retail price.

Priced at $50 for individual and $99 for Families along with adding the ability to host blog software like Wordpress and Apple would have a very strong offering.

That said, I'd personally offer it for free to anyone buying their first Mac because MobileMe doesn't provide a whole lot of value unless you have at least two Apple products...seems a good way to nudge folks to that second Mac or an iPhone.

Oct 29, 08 - 03:57 pm Comment from: breeze

Yeah right...Mac users will just flock to this mess and trust Microsoft with their data ...

you gotta be kidding!

As a .Mac member from day one I can say that I am happy this is going to happen. MobileMe syncs things like bookmarks and contacts, whereas this thing doesn't, but the syncing of bookmarks and contacts is pretty much where the MobileMe service stops dead in it's tracks.

The iDisk functionality in particular is archaic, poorly integrated and slow as molasses. The email hardly works at all and screws up regularly.

Perhaps after more than three years, the competition will make Apple step up and get something done about the mess.

How can you say this is fail?? Cross platform file sharing for FREE. Yes there are other services but why what *could* be *another* file syncing service already fail? MDN today *you're* full of fail.

Heaven help me, they have to start somewhere! Yes it prob won't expand to iPhones, ever. So I get to sync all my files anywhere but not on my iPhone. Gee wiz I'm so troubled.

About the "I guess what you get what you pay for" comment from bjh. Well Firefox is free, and so is Gimp. Flash plugin is free and you prob watch Youtube videos. Wait, Youtube is free too. SQL Server Express is free and it pummels MySQL like a red headed step child. Free is wonderful and can be full of win and doesn't necessarily make something bad, even if it's from Microsoft.

To the Amazin1 comment, original? You kidding? cross platform file syncing is something everyone has talked about but very few companies are actually *doing* it. MobileMe isn't original and Apple (@#$#@ up the first release. Now it's better, freaking awesome I would say. It's a totally unoriginal idea but they did it better than everyone else. Apple you copy cats how I love you so.

Quit the bias, MS software can suck but it can also kick ass. That doesn't mean it will but dumping on it before it's released is just plain stupid.

Forgot to add:

MDN is being stupid by talking it up about how MS is "leaving out all the iPhones."

APPLE "leaves out the iPhones" when it comes to document sync even locally, let alone with the cloud.

How can you call MS out for something that Apple is worse at?

@ Ouate de Phoque:

I think it is suppose to be "mess" just spoken in a Sean Connery voice.

Jeremy -- good point. MobileMe has no file sync whatsoever.

Oct 29, 08 - 04:04 pm Comment from: The Dude

MAYBE a consideration if it could sync with the Touch or iPhone. As it stands now as announced... this is a still born service.

The Dude abides.

I've been using Apple's product since it was called iTool and have continued using the product up through MobileMe. The product was great when it was free and has been just OK since it went I $99 a year. Nobody will stop using MobileMe for Live Mesh, but I think a lot of MobileMe users will try it... hell, it's free. But hopefully this will light a fire under Steve Job's ass to finally improve the service and make it worth $99. Or at the very least cause them to re-think the price.

Oct 29, 08 - 04:17 pm Comment from: HolyMackerel

Windows XP syncing doesn't work amongst our XP users linking through to our corporate headquarters Exchange server now, so why should I think it will work with M'Mess? (slow, constant transfer drops, Exchange errors, can't delete/rename folders, etc.)

Plus next year MS might put more features in the Vista version and not the Mac/XP, or require Vista for continuation of the service. Apple does this too - requiring the latest OS, but at least Apple gives Mac/Win apps feature parity.

In these hard economic times I hope we will put the few $s we have into open source solutions and greater choice in provider.

isn't mesh full of holes? "Mesh, from microsoft. It's holy!"

Oct 29, 08 - 04:20 pm Comment from: HolyMackerel

"Microsoft's protocols don't work with Apple products largely because APPLE prohibits it"

The iPhone/iTouch works REALLY well with Exchange for me! Can't wait for Exchange support in Snow Leopard! Don't see any Apple discrimination here…

Good luck to them. I hope they can provide an attractive service.

Don't even try and defend MobileMe.

You can't defend a company with $25 million in the bank offering up such a disappointment as that! So don't even try!

Oct 29, 08 - 04:29 pm Comment from: papasmack

Free is good

Oct 29, 08 - 04:36 pm Comment from: anypats

So many people talk about how the price of MobileMe is too expensive for an email address and contacts/bookmark syncing. Unless something big changes, I will always use/pay for it based on 20GB of online storage, website hosting (ad-free), push, shared online folders, and ad-free online email.

Maybe Apple could offer a free version for just the file sync without the other options.

I too am glad for the competition. Perhaps now Apple will invest a little of that 25 billion dineros to make MobileMe a little less useless.

We all know nothing from Microsoft is free.

At the very least, once they have a substantial market share they will swamp the service with advertisements.

Your opinions are yours, but the Red-headed step child reference is uncalled for. No child should be beaten, no matter what their appearance or heritage is.

That's Billion not Million, moron.

MobileMe works for me. I can see where you might have a problem though.

Yeah, like I want to put my files on M$'s servers. (dripping sarcasm) That'll be secure.

Live Mesh sounds pretty cool actually, I have a bunch of files that I would like to sync between computers -- but I don't want to sync the entire Documents folder with iDrive (way too big for a start).

Did they just introduce the BFOD? (Blue Folder of Death)

Gosh you're an idiot!

No problems with MobileMe for me, what's your problem?

"We’re not able to say much about the business plan, partly because we haven’t figured it out yet."

OMFG. I've got some tea leaves in the bottom of my cup, and the future doesn't look good for Microsoft.

Oct 29, 08 - 05:23 pm Comment from: clinicaltechmaster

Live Mesh = Dead Mush

Oct 29, 08 - 05:25 pm Comment from: alansky

One can only imagine what horrors await anyone stupid enough to take Microsoft up on their offer. Instead of Live Mesh, they Microsoft should call it "Live Flesh"—which is exactly what Microsoft's hapless customers turn into when they sign up with Microsoft. More grist for the mill.

Why is it that i would feel kind of uneasy to know that the files on ALL MY COMPUTERS can be accessed by Microsoft?

I believe MDN is edited by a teen-ager, and that explains why they are always so quick to jump on anything that Microsoft does.

Truth is, Apple's MobileMe does some things very well and some things not very well at all. I welcome the opportunity of some real competition in this space.

Oct 29, 08 - 06:25 pm Comment from: drmac

Snore!!!!
If Microsoft ever had an original thought it would be in solitary confinement.

Oct 29, 08 - 07:01 pm Comment from: drmac

Regarding Scoodog's comment:
>I believe MDN is edited by a teen-ager, and that explains why they >are always so quick to jump on anything that Microsoft does.

I appreciate how MDN jumps on MS. Having begun computing in 1985 with a FatMac 512K and having to endure Microsoft ripping off the Mac and dragging ignorant users through a computer dark ages it's about time the truth is spoken.

How does Microsoft change a light bulb?
They don't. They just declare darkness as the industry standard.

iTools was free at first.
That changed, this will too.

Oct 29, 08 - 07:58 pm Comment from: MacSheikh

"We enquired what the business plan was, but Microsoft remained reticent on details: 'We’re not able to say much about the business plan, partly because we haven’t figured it out yet.'"

Enough said. The future of computing: clueless.

"See iPod+anyDRMexceptFairPlay, ActiveSync (until very recently), etc."

Apple doesn't insist on FairPlay, the labels do. You do not want to start a comparison war between FairPlay and Microsoft's (system-wide in Vista) DRM. Plays For Sure anyone? Enough said.

Also, you sync to MobileMe through iSync, and yes, it's automated (or not, if that's your preference). It works just fine for me . . .

Maybe with the competition from MS, Apple will stop using a single beige G3 to handle all iDisk syncing...

Oct 29, 08 - 10:10 pm Comment from: HMCIV

@MDN Take

An important part of any exorcism is to deny the existence of the force afflicting the victim. (In this case iPhone's affect on Microsoft customers.)

Unfortunately for Microsoft, exorcising demons is not very efficient when you're the demon.

Oct 29, 08 - 10:21 pm Comment from: NewtonsApple

Backup, which is free as part of the .Mac/MobileMe subscription allows you the option to automatically sync files to your iDisk. File sync capability has been there all along. Have used it for a couple years now without a hitch. People that always scoff at the price of .Mac/MobileMe service obviously are either not using it to its potential, or simply are not recognizing what it is really doing. Is it perfect? No, and there are definite room for improvements, but that is true of everything.

My .Mac/MobileMe account has made getting my aging iBook back to a usable state in very short order after a hard drive failure a piece of cake. The same goes when the hard drive in my iMac gave up the ghost. Re-syncing my contacts, calendars, email accounts, keychains, and bookmarks with a single click saved hours of time. Easily worth the measly $8 and change a month the service costs.

Oct 29, 08 - 10:28 pm Comment from: NewtonsApple

@drmac-

Aahh another fellow longtime Mac user! I started with a Mac Plus in '86. Remember the days when you booted with a DD floppy in the drive to load the OS, wait for it to spit it out, then load another DD floppy in the drive to run Word? Those were the days!

@scoodog
"I believe MDN is edited by a teen-ager, and that explains why they are always so quick to jump on anything that Microsoft does."

What exactly would you like Mac Daily News to defend or praise about Microsoft?

SugarSync does all that and way more already on Mac and PC

@Noodle-Armed Choir Boy --

MDN doesn't have to throw a commentary on top of everything. Just the fact that Microsoft is doing a MobileMe competitor is NEWS. Not every piece of news warrants an immediate assessment, especially something that's just being announced and isn't yet in existence...

MDN should save their commentary for situations where there's enough information to support the commentary.

Correct me if I am wrong, but when there is a lot of cloud cover people tend to go indoors, shut the windows down and sit at the table to have an apple.