[CoreMac]

Not actually here, but go to your online mail preferences. This feature isn't mentioned on the .Mac front page yet.

[BuonRotto]

Actually, it's been there for a little while now, just that it hasn't been announced until now. I found this a few weeks ago, and passed the info to a friend when I stumbled on it in the preferences.

Of course, now it would be nice to manage aliases in Mail too. They come into Mail just fine, but I had to set up my own rule to change the color of these emails like what webmail does now.

[Mac+]

I saw this last week but wasn't motivated enough at the time to set up a few account aliases - then I forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me CoreMac!

I've also followed BuonRotto's advice and added a few new rules to change the colour in Mail, like webmail does.

This has come at just the right time for me!

[thegelding]

sweet...now i can get mail at thegelding@mac.com ....just like i've always wanted, yet dared not dream


g

[oldmacfan]

Ok, somewhere this thread lost me, please s-p-e-l-l it out for me cause I am not getting it.

[DMBand0026]

I think it's a .mac thing. That said, I don't get it either.

[Mac+]

If you have .mac, you can now create email alias addresses - which point to your *name*@mac.com account.

So, for example, I joined .mac using my intials and surname - but now if I want I could set up an email alias such as "macplus@mac.com" and tell others to send me an email to this address. The next time I check my inbox (using Mail or via the web) that email will be sitting there (color coded) for me to read.

[Mac+]

scratch that - someone has already taken "macplus@mac.com".

I was not impressed with the suggestions either:
macplus3@mac.com
macplusmacplus@mac.com
mmacplus@mac.com

... eh no matter.

[PXLpainter]

I am personally boycotting the whole .mac thing.

My reasons are simple... I bought an iMac (actually several) back when they first announced the service as a Lifetime Membership to sell computers. I thought - awesome! Even though I had to still get my own ISP - which comes with an email address, it would be nice to have a simple, friendly .mac address for life!

Along with countless thousands of others, we got hosed. Big time. So what if you get a measly little server space to store a ZIP disk's worth of info online - I already have several host servers to do that. And I could never use any of the "Free Apps" the new paid accounts would be receiving... so why bother paying another $100 a year for it? I'm sure there are people who don't mind spending the $ for what they get - some find it worth it, but I don't. Especially after the "bait and switch" that Apple pulled.

Anyway - I'll quit whining and bitching about it now...

Someone else can pay for j3f@mac.com from now on!

[Barto]

If you don't appreciate .Mac enough to pay for it, don't pay for it.

If you DO appreciate .Mac enough to pay for it, pay for it.

2002 called, they want their bitching back.

Barto

[thegelding]

sorry to hear the name was taken mac...surprisingly, thegelding was not taken

g

[BuonRotto]

Originally Posted by DMBand0026 I think it's a .mac thing. That said, I don't get it either.

The idea is that your real e-mail address won't be out there on the internet for spammers to get a hold of. You can use this as a safety buffer to help the junk mail filter be more effective, and maybe even track down who is selling your address or where your email is being stolen from.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by Barto If you don't appreciate .Mac enough to pay for it, don't pay for it. If you DO appreciate .Mac enough to pay for it, pay for it. 2002 called, they want their bitching back. Barto

I was trying to think of something to say to Pxlpainter and his .Mac woes, but you did it better.

It's a personal thing, no big deal. Some people feel screwed over it, like above, while others really embrace it.

Personally, I dig .Mac. I like the anywhere/anytime e-mail, the storage, the quick way to host an image, the ease of building galleries (instead of e-mailing JPEGs to a million people), Virex, Backup (all of which I use), and use iSync to keep my addresses and bookmarks all tidy and the same. I love the iApp video tutorials and I've actually downloaded many of the free software things made available from time to time. And iCards are great.

Plus, I like have a .mac e-mail address. Tell everyone, right up front, where I'm coming from (literally and figuratively). Looks nice on a business card and resum�.



I'd rather have all that functionality and capability neatly under one roof, all very clean, simple and fun to use than to have a Hotmail account here, some storage at another site, little greeting card things from another, site/image hosting from yet another place, etc.

I'm thrilled to give them $99 every October. Okay, not "thrilled"...but for as much as I use it and enjoy it, I truly don't mind. I don't feel "hosed" or "screwed" in the least.

YMMV.

[Mac+]

Originally Posted by thegelding sorry to hear the name was taken mac...surprisingly, thegelding was not taken g

eh ... no biggie - I created gopractise@mac.com as well as a joint account with myname_mywife'sname@mac.com.

That will serve us well next year when we move o/s.

I may also set one up for internet purchases such as macpluspaidforthisonline@mac.com for example.

[Mac+]

I don't mind paying for .Mac services either - for the reasons that 'scates pretty much comprehensively outlined above.

However, Apple Australia screwed us BIG time on the currency conversion and that did piss me off. The Au$ had climbed remarkably well late last year and we did not see a reduction in the price until January... after most of us would have renewed our subscriptions.

PS - Don't forget that if you introduce people to .Mac and they cite you as the member that referred them, then you can get 20% off for each person who signs up based on your recommendation!

[Luca]

I don't think .mac was really screwing anyone, after all, you weren't paying for anything. Apple doesn't owe you anything.

On the other hand, in the age of free 1 GB Gmail and free 100 MB Yahoo! mail, .mac's measely 15 MB email storage and 100 MB iDisk space seem pathetic. I know, it's for the whole package - you get a bunch of software that you never use (well, that I would never use) and I guess it's nicely integrated into the system... but come on, how hard is it to upload files to an FTP server if you want to go with a cheaper web hosting service that offers far more storage?

Come to think of it, $8.33 a month isn't even that bad. But I think it's strange that Apple makes it seem so much more expensive by demanding a one-time payment.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

I get all of this for free from my ISP, so I personally don't need .mac. I can access my email from anywhere, I have 25MB online space per email and I'm allowed 7 of those. Why pay someone else for what I already get for free?

At least, that's how I look at it.

[thegelding]

i use it mostly for the homepage (keeping the people back east up to date on the family gelding)...all the rest is bonus.....

g

[Mac+]

Originally Posted by Luca I don't think .mac was really screwing anyone, after all, you weren't paying for anything. Apple doesn't owe you anything. ...[snip]...

Luca - I don't quite get the comment "you weren't paying for anything" If you're referring to me please re-read my post. I said that I do not mind paying for the .mac services - but Apple Australia screwed us on the currency conversion. The US$ to AU$ conversion was way off considering current exchange rates at the time - and the Aussie dollar had been significantly stronger for about five months before they actually changed it! I do not know why Apple Australia took so long to rectify this situation - but it reeks to me of them creaming off the top.

I'm not at my computer at the moment - but I think itwas US$99 for .mac and at the time this should have been something like Au$156 (or whatever it is now) - but we were forced to pay Au$189. (iirc) That ain't right!

[Barto]

I only paid $99 for two years, I got the first year for free (because Apple liked me) and the second year for $99 because they did a promo (by a new Mac, get .Mac half price).

[applenut]

.Mac was fine....when it first came out. since then they have not upgraded it with the times and it is a rip off.

they either need to drastically cut the price or drastically increase the benefits....read STORAGE

[Luca]

Mac+, I absolutely agree that it's stupid how Apple never updates currency conversions. If they did it something like every two weeks or even every month to keep things up to date, it would be very nice. Or just whenever there's a significant change (to avoid people waiting or rushing to order depending on how the currency does).

What I meant by "not paying for anything" was that in the past, no one paid for iTools. My point was that despite the disappointment felt by many due to the discontinuation of free iTools, I don't have much sympathy for those who complain excessively because iTools was free and .mac isn't. Tough luck in that case. But I fully agree with applenut that .mac needs to be upgraded regularly to keep with the times. I saw an ad for one web hosting company (FuitadNet, they host for the Ctrl-Alt-Del comic) that offers 3 GB of storage for $5 a month. That's 30x what .mac offers for 60% of the price, and you aren't forced into paying the money as a single lump sum for a full year. If you don't need it anymore, quit and don't lose money. Sure, you don't get all the things .mac has, like online calendars, bookmark synchronization, home page, iPhoto integration, and email... but half of those things I would never use, and the other half I already accomplish through other means.

[Mac+]

Luca - thanks for the clarification. I wish Apple were more current with their currency updates - once a month would be reasonable, but to let it go for about five months (or thereabouts) is poor form.

gotta go ... will follow up this post ... later tonight

[Mac+]

eh ... it's now a day later and I've forgotten what I intended to write. then

Anyway, .mac services are fine for me - but, yes Apple should upgrade the storage to be competitive and whilst they're at it, offer any OS upgrades at a discount for .mac subscribers!