If you haven't already heard about it, this was posted over at MacAddict a few hours ago. The @Mac.com addresses will be no more at the end of September.

I know many of us here use a Mac.com address for e-mail (I use 2, and the webspace for my captainz account). This is a major concern to us because I know a large number of people who use iTools e-mail.

Right now, I am looking into other possibilities, including a friend up at college with an OC3 line at his disposal, to set up a server. Or setting up on another free service (excluding Yahoo! and Hotmail, the two biggest junk mailers around)

People facing this problem should post ideas and reactions pretaining to this. Anyone who has services (web hosting, e-mail) available is welcome to post any support they are willing to give (for free or pay). It is greatly accepted.

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Captain Z - Mobile Operations Commander
68K Macintosh Liberation Army
23 68K Macs Liberated

I still think the @68kmla thing would be cool, anyone else agree?

~The Penguin

When Apple first introduced the iTools service, did they or did they not explicitly promise "free for life" email accounts? If they did, then they have no choice but to honour that promise, just as they did with Performa owners a few years back who were promised free lifetime phone support. But I can't remember for sure whether or not they did...

GORDOOM
Commander, Academic Operations Reserve
(University of Toronto, St. George Campus)
total Macs liberated: 22
(as of June 5, 2002)

I have heard that Hotmail is pretty bad too.

~The Penguin

First, the services that they are offering are indeed well worth the price, especially given the degree to which they integrate with the OS. The fact that the fee must be paid on an annual (instead of, say, monthly) basis is annoying, but that's a minor issue. The only problem I can see is this: is there any way to subscribe without using a credit card? Many people don't have them, for very valid reasons.

The major problem, however, is in the way that they implemented the changeover. When iTools was first introduced, Apple was making noises to the effect that they were offering "free for life" email accounts. To change that policy retroactively now, regardless of the reasons for doing so, constitutes "bait-and-switch" tactics, especially given the fact that changing email addresses is a less-than-trivial matter. Furthermore, the fact that we have only two months to do the changeover... that's not exactly a lot of time!

I have no desire to give my business to a company that pulls this kind of stunt - that's why I don't patronise Microsoft. So, here is what I will do:

• If Apple stays their current course, I will simply let my @mac.com email address lapse. But in this scenario, I can no longer recommend the Mac as a "way out" from Microsoft's garbage, given the stunt that Apple just pulled. Indeed, I may give thought to simply putting Mandrake on my PowerBook and forgetting altogether about the Mac.


• If Apple implements some sort of "email-only" .Mac account for a smaller charge, I will not be entirely pleased, but I will pay the charge. I will, however, not be too terribly inclined to throw more money in their direction, either for the .Mac services package or for the 10.2 upgrade.


• If Apple allows existing iTools subscribers to keep their free @mac.com addresses, I will be mollified, though I will smack Apple silly for being stupid enough as to get rid of one of the Mac's big selling points.


• If Apple sets up some sort of free "email-only" .Mac account, both for existing and new subscribers, I will be satisfied. This is probably the most important Internet "service" (aside from the pipe itself) for most people, and being able to get that for free out of the box is a major advantage for Mac buyers. In this case, I would certainly buy the 10.2 upgrade, and would give serious thought to getting the full .Mac package as well.

Thoughts?

GORDOOM
Commander, Academic Operations Reserve
(University of Toronto, St. George Campus)
total Macs liberated: 22
(as of June 5, 2002)

I'm horribly disappointed due to the lack of itools. The integration of iPhoto, which i use religiously, was a godsend for me. I understand that it's way too much for them to offer for free, but i also don't need all the other stuff that is offered either. How many viruses are out there for OSX or unix?!

I'm considering paying the fee, but i probably won't have a spare 50 to drop within the 2 months, enrollment for the fall semester is coming due.

I now have a use for a q950 or 2 so my NEW project (lol.... i have WAY too many projects) is getting a stable personal email server up and going. A mla68k address would definitely rock. I noticed that you the forum has a name (www.68kmla.com) that routes you to the literature classics page, you can probably route pop email (port 27?? i can't remember exactly) to a different server using that host name. I don't know for sure, one of my other projects is very similar to this. The only problem that i had the last time i had my own email server is that it's very critical that your internet service is constant.

quote:

---

Get 5 people together and you can all keep your email address for $20 a year(30 for every year after the first.). 10 people and its only $15 for the first year ($20 for every year after)
- cyberwolf

---

"...the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do."

Apple should (and I think will) give in and provide free mac.com e-mails for free.

NOTHING else for free.. just that.

Myself, I AM planning on paying the $50 for this first year, and seeing how things go.

Why? Because it's cheaper than buying the same anti-virus software at the educational price, and because I give feedback to Apple all the time, and I want to give them feedback on this new .mac setup.

I am a beleiver in the theory that people need to work for change from inside AND outside. I generally choose to be inside the system I wish to change.

~Marchie

quote:

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Yes, but do you really want to be throwing more money towards Microsoft Jr.? My point is, I don't want them seeing any of my money so long as this policy is in effect.

---

.Mac Demo Account
5MB e-mail space, 20MB iDisk space
free (for 60 days)

.Mac Lite Account
5MB e-mail space
free

.Mac Account
10MB e-mail space, 50MB iDisk space
$30/year

.Mac Pro Account
15MB e-mail space, 100MB iDisk space, Backup & Virex utilities
$100/year

------------------
Captain Z - Mobile Operations Commander
68K Macintosh Liberation Army
23 68K Macs Liberated

As for all of the iTools, Apple could give us free e-mail and skip everything else. I think it was the free webservice that really killed iTools; all kinds of people used their HomePage and iDisk space for mirroring files, and all that bandwidth had to cost Apple.

*Please note I have no clue how to do this...

Ah crap, I'm rambiling!

-------------
Spring has sprung, fall has fell, winters here and it's colder then usual.

~The Penguin

quote:

---

When iTools was first introduced, Apple was making noises to the effect that they were offering "free for life" email accounts. To change that policy retroactively now, regardless of the reasons for doing so, constitutes "bait-and-switch" tactics, especially given the fact that changing email addresses is a less-than-trivial matter. Furthermore, the fact that we have only two months to do the changeover... that's not exactly a lot of time!

---

jt ™.
Trash Hauler: call sign: eight-ball
C.O. AC-130H SpecOps 68kMLAAF

"I'm a Mac user, since 1987, and a long-time Mac evangelist. However, I still use OS 9, since few of my current apps
are OS X capable. And I use Mac.com for e-mail, including business e-mail. It's a form of evangelism, like a bumper
sticker. Most of the business world I deal with (medicine) uses Windows. I've run into people who didn't know Macs
were still being made!

It was surprising, therefore, to hear that you are going to start charging for Mac.com e-mail accounts, as part of the
'dot-Mac' enterprise. More than anything else, it's a form of advertising, or promotion. The more people there are
using 'Mac.com', the more potential customers will stop thinking of the Macintosh as an oddball choice. The free
Mac.com accounts are a great, if subtle, marketing tool (I would assume that you charge the cost of the Mac.com
e-mail system to the marketing budget). Why throw it away?

My ISP offers four e-mail addresses for the basic price, so I can switch at no cost. And regrettably, I will, if you
start charging me for Mac.com."

/Mr Lynn

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