Mobile, we

Will not go down in history and tell about how, when and how did service MobileMe, developed by Apple. The fact that this software is firmly taken its place on the company's devices, it has penetrated not only into the bowels of computers and laptops, it can be found even in the Apple TV. I've been wanting to write about MobileMe, but all waiting for something ... Or rather, not even waiting for, and hoped that at least one of my card will buy this software directly online. Alas, while a card is not so simple, you could wait for years and centuries, but could not buy. As a result, a few days ago I undertook a sortie in one of the special shops, and there is three thousand six hundred rubles was purchased a boxed version of the program. The box is only a code and a brief guide, after activating safely dispose of all this trash. By the way, if suddenly your card fit, you can use the free version, it works for three months before you will receive a message about the need to pay for further use. In general, the calculations are as follows: about a hundred dollars a year, ie, in December of 2009, I would have to go out and buy a box with the code. Or look for the right card. In general, let's see what they take money from us.

Register

The registration process is quick and easy, if we talk about the boxed version, and there on one of the pages can not fill out credit card information, right down to business. If you will have a normal card, then later you can enter your data to extend the service for another year or an improvement in your account. When you register you get a mailbox type Ivanov@me.com, plus something like a network drive, 20 GB, and, of course, the main features of the service. Let's talk more about them.

Me.com

To begin to tell the Web interface of the program, after the activation you need to log into our site Me.com, as you can see here where it all happens. Basically, it's a cool thing for those who work for multiple laptops or computers, often on business trips, sitting in an internet cafe. Let's talk about what there is. The first label - mail, here are your dear letters, the organization is usually: incoming, outgoing, shopping and so on. E-mail program settings are fairly typical of interesting is the possibility to receive emails from other email accounts. For me, this burning question, as in life take three boxes - work and two personal. Although the latter also associated with the work. Working with e-mail program does not cause any difficulty, supported by attachments to 20 MB. While composing a message, you can choose a contact from your address book.

The next item - contact us, I think they were all clear. You can not just work with you to synchronize contacts, but also add their own, not just contacts, but also of the group.Then - the calendars created "EVENT" is viewing the day, week or month. Settings are standard, all the same thing as in the base calendar "Leopard." The photographs are also all pretty typical, you can upload photos, create albums and so on. In the settings you can see the possibility of your account, change passwords, secret codes and nothing interesting. To enter the settings menu, enter the code.

I deliberately left until later a very curious thing called iDisk. This is another item on the menu, web interface, which allows you to use the network drive volume ten gigabytes (or more, depending on the account). The total amount of memory available to the user, is ten gigabytes of mail and the same for that of the disc, only twenty. What can we do? On this network disk can store photos, documents, programs, movies, saved pages and so on. You can create a public folder, put back the file, and give to your friends - let download your photo shoot or something. It also can be password protected. In general, the grace and the Mac OS have the opportunity to get that same network drive on the desktop and work with him as with a regular disk. Even when not connected to the network, you can put files there, as soon as the Internet appears, the data is synchronized.

But here it pops up this time. Personally, I really wanted to believe that this same store will also use the iPhone. See what algorithm is ripe in my luxuriant head. For example, you activate an account in his ayfonchike ", then you can save Office files (eg, investments) and view them from a given network storage. It seems to be a great idea. Moreover, it would be cool to see pictures from there, other content, though music and movies to download and open from the iDisk, no one will, it is clear. Well, the fact that the iPhone browser to view a network drive does not. Just a reference to it is redirected to the main page www.me.com. We go the other way, create a public folder. Here is interesting, it is visible on the iPhone, its contents can be seen, but can not open it. See, there I have two documents are, but do not open. Plus one more interesting thing - if you have done for a public folder password, tell their customers that the pop-up window to login into the login field to write "public", well, and the password is the password to it all is simple. I did not know this trick a long time trying to just a password to enter the store until it came to read guide on the website Apple.

Naturally, the fight to the network drive on this has not stopped, I was wondering whether to go with another mobile device, such as the XPERIA. What I tried to do. There generally is interesting: public folder opens, but the content just as if lost. And in a network drive can not go, the message of the incompatibility of browsers, they say, need or IE7, or Safari. I have tried with Opera, and IE for Windows Mobile - the result is. Why do so - is not entirely clear. In times of high speed internet it would be logical to assume that users with all sorts of portable devices may want to use a network drive. Who knows, the document you want to take or something. Happy one: it is hoped that MobileMe will evolve in this direction, as long as developers someone about it constantly reminded.On the other hand, the inability to use iDisk to the iPhone can be justified by the reasons already mentioned, but the documents - this is not music or videos, why not give them access?

Immediately I will say that c laptop or computer to work with iDisk is a pleasure, the files load quickly, examples of this stuff mass. For example, I immediately threw back the saved over the years-mails, some needed programs, a certain number of photos and quite a large archive of relevant documents. Now, when I am working with office computer or an Internet cafe, I will not have to use "flash drive" or something else. I think the use cases can be mass, here it all depends on your personal preferences.

Tuning in to multiple devices

Well, let's imagine a bunch of banal, let it be a laptop or PC from Apple, iPhone or iPod Touch, Apple TV. On the computer in the settings there is an item MobileMe, you will need to enter your username and password, tick the box next to the programs and options that will be synchronized, here you can set a password for network drive. It is best to set the automatic synchronization interval, so it is safer and faster (every fifteen minutes). Then you can proceed to set up iPhone, here we must make sure that Push is on, then go to the mail settings, contacts and activate MobileMe (login, password). If we talk about Apple TV, then all is simple as dirt: the latest firmware, see "Photos" link appeared MobileMe, you are asked to specify an account, console connects to the server and displays the contents of your album. To all this bunch can be added to the computer (or laptop) with Windows Vista or XP, with iTunes installed and the panel of Mobile Me, it is located on the "Control Panel". Settings do not represent anything complex.

Mail, contacts, calendar and so on

I will not baulk at the various technical features, say in a simple way: the main purpose of MobileMe - it sync your data between multiple devices. I think we should illustrate the how it works. Imagine that you are working on a laptop, receive mail, make new contacts, appointments and wrote all on the calendar. And suddenly - it's time to escape. Type sharply formed meeting.You are running away from the office, pulling from his pocket your iPhone with a clear understanding that all information which you have just worked there in your phone. Calendar entries and so on. Personally, I do not have enough yet, and notes. And I would like to be able to work with office documents directly in the program, such as Google Docs. Of course, using the iDisk you can download the document on any computer, and then, having worked with him, shove him back. Or send directly from Me.com, attachments can be taken from the network drive. But I personally much more familiar Google Docs and handier - worked, then sent the document as an annex to the letter, everyone is happy. Moreover, it turns a kind of archive of important documents on the network to which you can always ask more than once, he rescued me. Now, though, moving to iDisk, one must somehow justify the money invested in the purchase. I'd like to believe that developers will continue to improve MobileMe, and will bring it up to the ideal that all right.

Incidentally, the updated software is quite briskly, the latest update made the system more reliable. Members complained about the disappearing contacts, calendar entries, others are not very interesting moments. Frankly, I thought with horror that my contacts suddenly "will be reset, it is good that there are two Simka with stored numbers of friends, comrades, colleagues and so on. Otherwise it may be bad, engineering and services to trust one hundred percent is still too early. From his experience of communicating, I can say that a bunch of working correctly, the mail arrives quickly, calendar notes about the new "opening event," quickly added to the phone, and photos from MobileMe can look at Apple TV. Accordingly, if you add a new contact in the iPhone, then when syncing with iTunes it will appear in the list of contacts and on Me.com. This is just an example of the work.

Conclusions

I love Gmail, and in particular Google services in general. There is a mailbox, use the documents, I use Picasa, but that's not use the calendar. Well aware that the possibility of MobileMe achievable and free way, you can list quite a lot. Therefore it is impossible to say that MobileMe unique, unrepeatable software is not so. It is something else: in my opinion, this is software for the business person who uses the full range of technology from Apple and does not have the time, desire to set up such services, to use some things that are outside the Mac-and iPhone-universe. When viewed from this perspective, then MobileMe is made entirely in the style of the company's products - easy to configure, the web interface looks nice and tidy, there is a network drive, from which you can use the needed files from anywhere. I'd like to be able to use the network drive with your iPhone or iPod Touch, you want to synchronize your notes - this is my main complaint. If we talk about our reality, then a full-fledged three thousand six hundred rubles for the boxed version - it's cool, lowest price, which is found, it is three and three hundred. However, in this store delivery somehow all very strange, with her the same money and receive. There is also a Family Pack, is just four account for the whole family, such a box would cost over six thousand. For a small company it makes sense to take such a thing, the savings are obvious. If we consider that the annual subscription by credit card will cost around a hundred dollars, sellers can only envy.I'd like to believe that the year 2009 problem with Russian credit cards will be at least partially solved, as experience shows, many enthusiastic users of technology from Apple gladly buy software, music, movies take on hire for their money. Say, the trouble with perekonvertatsiey movies to Apple TV I personally would love to escape, is willing to pay for it, but alas, these things impossible.

IPhone 3G phone provided for testing by "The Messenger".