Dec 2

I like MobileMe (I joined back in the .Mac days) but I do admit that it's overpriced and offers lackluster functions. I can get similar services for free or cheaply online. But with every update, I hope they finally stop noodling and commit to MobileMe.

 

So what do I want from MobileMe?

Storage & Access to all my iTunes purchases (automatically)

I want it to become my central hub of my online life....well at least for all things Apple-related. And I want it for the same or better pricing too. But what do I mean? I want all my iTune purchases to be automatically backed up to MobileMe (outside my storage limit). This includes new and OLD purchases. They have the history of the Music, TV Shows, and Movies I've purchased over the years. They should all be available to me under MobileMe - perhaps I should even be allowed to watch and listen online when logged into MobileMe.

 

Yes I know you can manually backup your purchases by moving your files to iDisk. But this uses your storage space...and if I backed up all my purchases I'd be paying almost a $1,000.00 per month for storage. Since the reality is I license these items essentially...why can't they be stored online, but made accessible to me. Why? Well I've had hard drives crash and computers die...and so I've lost lots of Movies, Shows, and Music. About once a month I go to look for something I know I had once only to realize I lost it in the last crash. And I'm a guy who backs up to a RAID 5 disk array, and does a double-back up to dedicated TimeMachine drive, and who also backs up onto DAT Tape. But invariably....my computer or hard drive dies between backups. So I'm asking for the replacement of a lost digital file....for something I've already purchases/licensed. If it were stored on or accessible through MobileMe I'd be set.

TimeMachine Remote Backup.

Why should I need to pay for Carbonite or Mozy to backup my machine when I pay a lot more per month for MobileMe storage. I use MobileMe Sync to back up some stuff...but why can't I also have some sort of remote TimeMachine Backup too? Granted...this is something I'd expect to pay for on a storage based sliding scale...but some level of automatic, remote backup should be available in MobileMe now.

Better Sync & Sharing - something like Dropbox.com

Really, in today's world when Apple is pushing mobile computing it's unbelievable they don't have something like this? The current state of Syncing with MobileMe is anemic and breaks far too frequently. They need to have or offer services along the lines of Dropbox.com where I can share files, folders, photos, etc. easily and quickly from my computer, iPhone, or iPad.

iWeb is silly, give me Posterous or Tumblr

MobileMe offers the ability to blog or to build a site via iWeb. But again, the abilities of this are limited. First, you need to do it from your computer when using iWeb. This is archaic today. Especially when I can post from anywhere using Posterous, Tumblr, Twitter, or Facebook. Apple's lack of this type of feature is a glaring omission for MobileMe.

Remote Management of all my devices

Notice I didn't say computers...I mean all my devices. I want to be able to log-in and access all my devices: computers, iPhones, iPads, etc. Anything Apple really. Maybe even my AppleTVs too. There's some limited abilities to control and connect with a few of my devices...but I want it all. If I'm at my office...and I want to connect with my Mac at home or my iPad at home....why can't I do this? Yes I know...I can pay for services that let me do this...or I can use Back To My Mac built into OS X...but I can't get to my iPad. If there was some way to register all the devices and have the accessible then MobileMe would be my digital hub.

I want it all I guess

I suppose I could cobble together my desired services with a myriad of apps and paid services. But then that defeats the purpose of MobileMe and the premise of this post. My dream is to have Apple drastically overhaul and upgrade MobileMe so it can do all the things I want. So that it truly becomes the hub of my digital world....so I'm never left without access to what are currently digital islands adrift in the internet seas. MobileMe would become its name - I would be mobile - all of me.