Merlin Mann has a post on 43Folders concerning the repackaging of Apple’s .Mac web offering. I’m currently a .Mac subscriber and have been for a couple of years, but I’m undecided if I’ll renew my subscription again.

I joined when I made my switch to the Mac. When you’re changing platforms your looking for security and support. At that time I thought that .Mac would be of help and in many ways it has been. However, the times and Internet offerings have changed while .Mac hasn’t. There are now better and cheaper services out there. The one thing that I use at .Mac that couldn’t be easily replaced is syncing of my computers.

Apple needs to address this situation. As stated in the post, it will take more then a paint job to make .Mac relevant. If not, then I know of at least one account they will probably lose.

Part of the problem, in my opinion is that, in the absence of best-of-breed components, .Mac lacks any kind of meaningful focus. It screams “shovelware,” with a “Meh+” lineup of apps and functionality that any power user can find elsewhere in both cheaper and more powerful services (WordPress, rsync, Gmail, and Google Calendar all come to mind here). And really: how often are you sending out iCards and using the janky Backup? Yeah, me neither.

LifeClever: Dot Mac needs more than a paint job | 43 Folders

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