I guess it was too good to last. Apple is rebranding iTools as
.Mac and will be
eliminating free services effective September 30, 2002.
If you're a typical Mac user, there's a good chance you have a
mac.com email address. I do. Not only is it free (well, it was), but
it lets me promote the Mac with every email I send from that address.
And that's really all I use iTools for.
Not for long, though. While Microsoft and a host of others offer
free email, Apple is getting out of the business. If I want to keep
my mac.com email address, Apple will let me pay just US$49.95 the
first year - a discount from the regular $100 per year rate.
What do I get for that $100?
I get to keep my mac.com email address.
I can purchase additional mac.com email addresses.
I get to use HomePage.
I get 100 MB of iDisk storage space that I can share with
others.
I get Virex antivirus software.
I get access to members-only support and private discussion
boards moderated by Apple techs.
There are plenty of sources of no-cost and low-cost email
addresses. They might not promote the Mac, but I'm not willing to pay
$100 per year for an email address that does that.
I don't use HomePage or iDisk, so no great loss there. I don't get
viruses on my Mac, so Virex really won't provide any benefit to me.
And the Low End Mac Email Lists
provide gobs of technical support and general Mac information for
free.
As far as I'm concerned, the value of .Mac services fall way short
of $100 per year. I'll stop using my mac.com address on outgoing mail
this week and hope to be able to stop checking for incoming mail by
the end of the month.
If you don't need HomePage and/or iDisk, I suggest you consider
doing the same.
Dan Knight has been using Macs since 1986,
sold Macs for several years, supported them for many more years, and
has been publishing Low End Mac since April 1997. If you find Dan's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
MacDrought: 4 Months with No New Macs, 08.27.
The most recent Mac update was over four months ago, and the Mac mini has been unchanged for over a year.
The iMac Legacy: After the G3, 08.15.
The G3 iMac influenced the whole industry, but Apple continued to move forward with innovative designs using G4, G5, and Intel processors.
The iMac Legacy: The G3 Era, 08.15.
10 years ago today, the original iMac went on sale. One of the most popular lines of computers ever, the G3 iMac would be Apple staples for nearly five years.
Mac of the Day: PowerBook 170, Oct. 1991 - At 25 MHz, the PB 170 was at the top of the original PowerBook line.
List of the Day: The iPhone List Low End Mac's forum for discussing and supporting Apple's iPhone.
August 30 in LEM history: 99: The truth about USB speed - 00: Could Eazel kill the Mac? - Mac OS 8.1 on a IIci and LC III - 01: Beyond MHz and GHz - Getting a handle on email - Thanks for the IBM PC, Dad - Apple's anniversaries - 02: Mac OS X v10.2 - iBook video out - 04: Things that freak out my students - 06: Nvu and SeaMonkey can't replace Home Page - 07: DVD-RAM support
Best Power Mac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29.
Used 450 MHz AGP, $75; 500, $99; 800 QS, $199; 1.25 GHz MDD, $375; 450 MHz dual, $179; 867 dual, $300; 1 GHz dual, $395; 1.42 dual, $575.
Best iBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29.
Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 500 CD, $150; 800, $200; 600 CD-RW, $240; 900 Combo, $300; 14" 600, $360; 900, $400.
Best iPod nano Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29.
Used 2 GB iPod nano, $89; refurb 3G 4 GB, $99; new, $140; refurb 8 GB, $149; new, $179.
10 Mac Browsers Compared, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 08.28.
A look at Internet Explorer, Radon, Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Firefox, Netscape Navigator, Flock, and Camino running in Leopard.
Clone and Boot: Another Advantage of the Mac OS, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 08.28.
Unlike Windows, Apple makes it possible to clone a bootable drive (Classic Mac OS or OS X) and use it with another supported Mac.
Best MacBook Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28.
Used 1.83 GHz, $799; 2.0 black, $875; refurb 2.1 GHz, $899; 2.4, $1,099; black, $1,299; new 2.1, $1,019 after rebate; 22, $1,094; 2.4, $1,219 a/r; black, $1,394 a/r.
Best iMac G5 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28.
Used 17" 1.6 GHz Combo, $499; 1.8 SuperDrive, $530; 2.0, $600; 1.9 iSight, $625; 20" 1.8 GHz, $580; 2.0, $650; 2.1 iSight, $700.
Best classic Mac OS Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28.
System 6, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5.1, $4; Mac OS 7.6, $13; 8.0, $13; 8.1, $48; 8.5, $25; 8.6, $20; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $20; more.
CrossOver Strikes Out, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 08.27.
Running Windows apps on a Mac without paying for Windows is great in theory, but actually getting Windows software working is another story.
Best Intel iMac Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27.
Used 17" 1.83 GHz, $625; 20", $599; 2.16, $749; 24", $950; refurb 20" 2.4, $999; 2.66, $1,299; 24" 2.4, $1,299; 2.8, $1,549; new 3.06, $2,094 after rebate; more.
Best 15" PowerBook G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27.
Used 1.25 GHz Combo, $600; SuperDrive, $650; 1.33 Combo, $640; 1.5, $680; SD, $725; 1.67, $730; hi-res, $800.
Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27.
500 GB Time Capsule, $294; 1 TB, $468; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; 802.11n Base Station, $166; 802.11g AirPort Express, $60; 802.11n, $98.
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