When logging into .Mac today to use webmail, I noticed the following text near the Support section (left hand column):


MobileMe Launch
7/9/2008, 6pm-12am PT

As part of the MobileMe launch, www.mac.com will be taken offline at 6pm PT on Wednesday, July 9th.

Members will be unable to access www.mac.com or any .Mac services during this time with the exception of .Mac Mail accessed via a desktop application, iPhone, or iPod touch.

MobileMe will be available as soon as possible during this maintenance window.

iPhone and iPod touch software update to follow soon?

Friday 11th, iPhone 2.0.

Friday 11th, iPhone 2.0.That's what I would expect, based upon the release date of the 3G iPhone. It would be nice if the software was out earlier, but I'm just being impatient. :)

Now mac.com isn't accessible anymore. It says:

This service is temporarily unavailable.
We are currently performing scheduled maintenance.
Normal service will be restored soon.

Interesting. Also, Apple last night said the switch would occur at 8 PM PT, not 6 PM as they originally stated, and be finished by midnight (PT).

iTunes 7.7 has just been released, by the way. Next: the iPod touch/iPhone software.

Impatient? Me? :)

Still not up!

If you really want it now, you can upload install package (http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/43/32/zzz061-5009/xhMJmcKHHGWGr7kKtsdpnvw4VfD8VxbSfy/MobileMe.pkg) to get your system ready for MobileMe.

MobileMe still seems to be UnavailableMe.

I can understand that sometimes there are hitches, but being without access to webmail for this account all day (so far!) has been rather inconvenient and I would appreciate information from Apple. :confused:

It's odd Apple hasn't said anything at all. They are probably thinking that if they come out and say anything, it will make headlines tomorrow, not iPhone 3G lines... so, if they shut up and pretend its not happening, maybe the media will too.

Yeah, I was expecting something better for this transition.

It worked for a period of time for me, I was able to test out the PUSH sync stuff, I added an event to my Calendar and it showed up online... but my desktop can't connect to MobileMe, so no syncing their. It does work though, when its online.

I hope they can stabilize it before tomorrow, otherwise the stock may dive rapidely. iPhone without MobileMe loses a good part of its value.

Well as of 1100 GMT you can access the www.me.com and use the WebMail along with all the other stuff like iDisk.

Yes it looks like it's ok now.

I tried www.mac.com and that didn't work, but www.me.com did. It felt a little slow at first, but I'm glad something is up and running now...

Now... where's that iPhone/iPod touch update? ;) :D

As of 1700 GMT the www.me.com is not working again. It's all those darn iPhone freaks.:eek:

Annnnddddd... it's back up again.

Up and down, eh?

I don't mean to sound overly negative, but delays in getting MobileMe up and running (http://www.pcpro.co.uk/macuser/news/211689/apple-fluffs-mobileme-switch.html), the unreliable nature (http://www.macobserver.com/article/2008/07/11.5.shtml) of the revised service over two days, the up/down nature of the iPhone (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/11/apple-releases-official-iphone-2-0-firmware/)/iPod touch (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/11/ipod-touch-2-0-firmware-update-almost-live/) software (some users upgraded, then found iTunes changed its mind and downgraded them again later), iTunes 7.7 causing some severe issues (http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20080710104108497),and now news of iPhone users facing problems, including bricked devices (http://macworld.co.uk/ipod-itunes/news/index.cfm?newsid=22004), all mean Apple has a disastrous couple of days. It won't help their reputation in terms of their software and services, in particular. Here's hoping things get back to normal very quickly!

I got in to .me but you can't edit the .mac web sites and you can't start up a new gallery. In fact, the site froze on me.

All the new phones trying to get activated, all the users trying to upgrade, and the launch of .me ---- did some one really have a brain when they decided to launch all this on the same day?

I'll wait a few days before trying again.

Today, I received an apologetic E-Mail from Apple:


We have recently completed the transition from .Mac to MobileMe. Unfortunately, it was a lot rockier than we had hoped.

Although core services such as Mail, iDisk, Sync, Back to My Mac, and Gallery went relatively smoothly, the new MobileMe web applications had lots of problems initially. Fortunately we have worked through those problems and the web apps are now up and running.

Another snag we have run into is our use of the word "push" in describing everything under the MobileMe umbrella. While all email, contact or calendar changes on the iPhone and the web apps are immediately synced to and from the MobileMe "cloud," changes made on a PC or Mac take up to 15 minutes to sync with the cloud and your other devices. So even though things are indeed instantly pushed to and from your iPhone and the web apps today, we are going to stop using the word "push" until it is near-instant on PCs and Macs, too.

We want to apologize to our loyal customers and express our appreciation for their patience by giving all current subscribers an automatic 30-day extension to their MobileMe subscription free of charge. Your extension will be reflected in your account settings within the next few weeks.

We hope you enjoy your new suite of web applications at me.com, in addition to keeping your iPhone and iPod touch wirelessly in sync with these new web applications and your Mac or PC.

Thank you,
The MobileMe Team

A 30 day extension seems a decent gesture, as MobileMe now seems to be running well most of the time for me.

Do all .Mac members get that email? Because I didnt get anything....

I got it also.

I believe all .mac users were suppose to get that email.

Do all .Mac members get that email? Because I didnt get anything....

Did you Junk email filter block it? Is the Mobile Me System Preference pane getting your .Mac Mobile Me info?

My preference pane is still .Mac

The email came from MobileMe@InsideApple.Apple.com

My preference pane is still .Mac

Didn't the Mobile Me new System Preference pane come in Software Update?

I called AppleCare and "officially" it did, but it isn't in my Software Update yet.

I have 10.5.4 and still have .Mac in my System Preferences.

I called AppleCare and "officially" it did, but it isn't in my Software Update yet.

I have 10.5.4 and still have .Mac in my System Preferences.

There is a download for it in Apple Discussions thread (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1593428&tstart=30). I wonder why you and Cheryl haven't sean the MobileMe Software Update.

I just did a manually check in software update and there is nothing to install. I wonder if they pulled it.

I did notice that .mac groups & .mac web site is back on the .mac side. Transition must be giving headaches.

I also just checked Software Update and I got it! So I installed and now I have MM in my System Preferences, iWeb, iPhoto etc...

Yes .Mac Homepage and .Mac Groups are back online - but for how long??

Another apology, it seems. I received this E-Mail yesterday:



We have already made many improvements to MobileMe, but we still have many more to make. To recognize our users' patience, we are giving every MobileMe subscriber as of today a free 60 day extension. This is in addition to the one month extension most subscribers have already received. We are working very hard to make MobileMe a great service we can all be proud of. We know that MobileMe's launch has not been our finest hour, and we truly appreciate your patience as we turn this around. Read this article for more details. (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2826)

The MobileMe Team

Yep -- you know what's weird, though? I'm only getting 89 days free in total, instead of 90... I'm not complaining as anything free is good by me, but I just noticed that.

My account was scheduled to renew on September 30. After the first free 30-day handout, my account said it would renew on October 30 with a "30 days free" note next to the date. Today, my account shows that it will renew on December 29 with a "90 days free" note next to the date.

By my simple calculations, that's 89 days, not 90. :P

Edit: [forehead slap] unless, of course, I completely forget that some months have 31 days, and then everything works out. It's too early to be posting, dangit.

Did everyone get the MobileMe System Preference Pane yet? Just wondering since Cheryl didn't initially get the Software Update.

No, I still don't have the preference pane. My account does reflect the extended time.

Under 10.5.4, my Software Preferences pane does show the MobileMe icon. On a different system, running 10.4.11, it still says .Mac. Could this difference in operating system explain the issues some are having?

I seem to remember the pane was change after a small, specific update for the Leopard system.