.Mac, Worth it?

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DanTekGeek

MacTechGeek
I'm trying to decide weather to get .mac when I get my powerbook (febuary 10th! w00t!). I allready have web space, and a backup drive. The only thing I can think of that .mac offers is the email, which I really dont think I need, and the Virex. I've heard that Virex is really unnecissary. What do you guys think?
 
I'm a paid-up .Mac fan. ::angel:: And think about it – you ALWAYS need another e-mail address! ;) The free Backup app is worth it too.
 
Yeah, but as I said, I allready have web hosting, for my site, and Gmail is all I need in terms of email. Thats pretty much why I dont think Im going to get .mac. That is, unless, one of you makes a good point that convinces me otherwise.
 
In the old days when iTools was free I really appreciated the iDisk feature. However, since it was the only feature I was using, I didn't upgrade to .mac, I believe it's not worth $100.
 
For me .Mac is worth it for the ease of use and integration with iSync.

Yes, you can use other free solutions from what I gather, but they're not as easy to use and well integrated into the OS.

I like that my Desktop Macs, iBook and iPod are all sync'd up (contacts and calendars, that is) hassle-free thanks to .Mac and iSync.

With Tiger it will get even better with much greater support for other sync-ing options.

I do not use Virex or any other virus software as it is completely pointless and can only cause more trouble than it solves (at this point, knock on wood).

Using .Mac for one-click family photo album posting is way cool. It doesn't get any easier, even if you have your own web space and server. To be honest, I haven't used that feature, but it's still cool.
 
You need to get a list of the features of .Mac and see what you'll use, and how extensively you'll use it.
 
I get a ton of use out of it. Well worth the 100 a year for me. Great for sharing & synching. Worth a shot. You can always cancel next year.
 
That's true^

I find .mac is helpful, so I will probably renew. Is it worth the price? Like I said before, based on its current features (which are not so appealing in value at first), it can be either a waste, or a bargain. I use iDisk, Backup, Homepage and Mail a lot. Enough for me.

I say try the trial.
 
Besides all the standard stuff that has been mentioned (email, idisk, synching) the great thing about .mac is that they give you lots and lots of free goodies worth well over $ 99,-

Let's see, in less than a year I've gotten some e-books about iLife, 2 games (Wingnuts, Holiday Express), 300 GarageBand loops from the JamPacks, and VersionTracker Plus.

So to me the package as a whole is definitely worth the money.
 
My opinion is that you need spellcheck more than .Mac.

But that said, I think it's well worth the money. If you already have your own website, it's a little more mooted. For me, I don't need a full site and .Mac is perfectly fine (especially with the extra space) for my needs, personal and professional (Site Studio is a good way to improve addng html websites to .Mac).
I also like the integration. Don't forget that in Tiger, Backup and iSync will be merged into .Mac Sync.
I also like being able to access my iCal, my address book, my @mac.com address *which alone is pretty cool*, my Safari bookmarks and my iDisk from any computer, even one running Windows XP.
 
Randman said:
My opinion is that you need spellcheck more than .Mac.
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khmm.phhf! :D

You'll just have to weather it out, whether you like it or not! All right! Nobody left! Everybody ready?
 
If you plan too use the features, and yes .Mac is worth it to me. I use all the features, and a sucker for the free software. It becomes a good investment if you add anyone (additional) emails address etc.
 
The only feature that I actually like and use is the bookmark synching. All the other services just seem like a complete ripoff to me. Most fo them can be obtained in some way or another for free.

As for the storage, an iPod Shuffle has 1Gb storage, and doesn't need a yearly subscription fee. Plus it's accessible wherever you are.....sort of.
 
The iPod shuffle also costs more and doesn't come with an email address. And don't forget all of the extras you get from time time, apps, game and other goodies such as extra Garageband loops, Lucasfilm sound effects, etc.

Still, one can always try out the service and see if it's for them. I don't think it fits the bill for everyone, but I do think that in the long, it's value for the money.
 
Randman said:
The iPod shuffle also costs more and doesn't come with an email address. And don't forget all of the extras you get from time time, apps, game and other goodies such as extra Garageband loops, Lucasfilm sound effects, etc.

Still, one can always try out the service and see if it's for them. I don't think it fits the bill for everyone, but I do think that in the long, it's value for the money.
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Granted, but the email address doesn't justify the price, not at least compared to macosx.com prices. If you're on a budget, then .Mac is way overpriced. Loops and sound effects can be obtained for free from other sources.

Having said that, if it was 1/3 - 1/2 the price, I'd probably go with it.
 
The email doesn't alone, though, imo, @mac.com sounds better than @spymac.com or @gmail.com or all of the other dime-a-dozen email addresses out there (I use my address for personal professional work so I prefer something a little more "classy" and reliable.

Just like iLife and iWork, some people need it, some don't. I like the ease of use. To me, that's the number one reason for it. The rest is just gravy.
 
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