.Mac
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| .Mac | |
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|
 The main page of .Mac. |
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| Developer: | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Latest release: | n/a / January, 2006 |
| OS: | Mac OS X |
| Use: | Internet storage |
| License: | n/a |
| Website: | www.mac.com |
.Mac (pronounced "Dot Mac") refers to a group of online services offered by Apple Inc. mainly for its Mac OS X users, although a limited subset of features are available for other platforms. Originally a free service exclusively to Mac OS users, .Mac now works on an annual subscription service. Despite the name, .Mac is not a top level domain.
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[edit] History of .Mac
Based on iTools (not to be confused with Tenon's web application with the same name[1]), the Internet tools available free of charge for Mac users. .Mac, the suite of Internet services and software was launched at Macworld Expo, New York on July 17, 2002[2], and initially offered several tools to subscribers:
- HomePage - a personal web hosting service
- iDisk - an online disk storage service
- @mac.com - email service provider
- Backup - a personal back-up solution that allows users to archive data to their iDisk, CD or DVD.
- iCards - an online greeting card service
- iReview - a website review service
As iDisk made use of WebDAV technology and mac.com was an IMAP service, these services could be accessed from any other computer platform (although a Mac was needed to establish an account).
In September 30, 2002, the iTools service was discontinued. .Mac continued as a subscription service. This move generated a mixed reaction among the Macintosh community, with some believing that .Mac was overpriced.[1] Advocates, however, cited improved services, and were generally rewarded with free software - up to June 15, 2005, the most notable was a Mac OS X version of McAfee's Virex virus scanner, which was exclusive to subscribers.
In September 17, 2002 Apple announced that more than 100,000 .Mac users had subscribed to the company’s .Mac suite of Internet services and software since its launch in July.[3]
In October 2006, Apple launched an update to its .Mac Mail service that now resembles closely the experience of the Mac OS X Mail application. The new functionality is built on top of AJAX and provides rich user experience such as drag-and-drop, a live-updating three-way split view, and ability to resize panels.[2]
[edit] Pricing
.Mac is available as a subscription-based service for $99.95 USD per year. Existing iTools accounts were transitioned to .Mac accounts during a free trial period ending September 30, 2002. iTools members as of midnight, July 16, who sign up for .Mac before September 30, received a special introductory offer of $49.95 USD for the first year. Each account comes with one mac.com email address with 1GB space (originally 100MB in iDisk space, later increased to 250MB); users who want larger iDisks can pay for more space (up to 4GB). The space on an iDisk can be used in any manner (subject to the terms of the .Mac license agreement), and the amount of space dedicated to mac.com email is only limited by the size of the iDisk. The iDisk can be mounted as a normal volume on any Mac OS desktop.
The annual fee for .Mac can be reduced either through Apple's referral program, which offers a 20% discount for the following year for each referral or by purchasing a subscription with a new Mac, a 30% discount.
[edit] Mac OS integration
.Mac is tightly integrated with the Mac OS, and having .Mac can extend the functions of many programs, most notably within the iLife suite. Among the most notable:
- iDisks can be mounted as any other volume on the Mac OS desktop. Furthermore, it is possible to mount the public portion of another user's iDisk. This mechanism was one of the early ways to receive free software as part of .Mac. It is possible to queue files for upload to an iDisk that is offline, though actual uploading will be done only when the iDisk is mounted.
- Address Book entries, iCal dates, Safari bookmarks and, as of Mac OS X 10.4, keychains, mail accounts, mail rules, mail signatures, and smart mailboxes can be synched with the iDisk through iSync (prior to 10.4) or .Mac syncing (in 10.4), allowing easy synchronization between multiple computers.
- The newly introduced iWeb (Available only in iLife '06) allows users to easily create web pages that could be uploaded to iDisk and seen over the web.
- Similarly, the iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand, and iTunes libraries can easily be uploaded to iDisk (subject to various licensing agreements).
- Backup can be used to make backups to iDisk or local media.
[edit] Security
.Mac connections are secure , although https:// is not used. However, at the .Mac login page, there is a lock symbol, indicating industry standard SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption. In addition, iChat users using a .Mac account can encrypt their chats with other iChat .Mac users via SSL.
[edit] References
- ^ "Net surfers are getting the message: Pay up," Seattle Post-Intelligencer Reporter, Tuesday, August 13, 2002
- ^ http://www.mac.com/1/webmail.html
[edit] External links
| Apple Inc. software | |
|---|---|
| OS: | Mac OS X • Mac OS 9 |
| Consumer: | .Mac • iLife • iTunes • iWork • AppleWorks • Mac OS X |
| Prosumer: | Final Cut Express • Logic Express |
| Pro: | Aperture • Final Cut Studio • Logic Pro • Shake |
| Bundled: | Front Row • iChat • Photo Booth • QuickTime • Safari • TextEdit |
| Server: | Apple Remote Desktop • Mac OS X Server • WebObjects • Xsan |
| Discontinued: | HyperCard • MacDraw • Mac OS • MacPaint • MacProject • MacTerminal • MacWrite |
