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.Mac connections are secured by [[Secure Socket Layer|SSL]] encryption. In addition, iChat users using a .Mac account can encrypt their chats with other iChat .Mac users.
.Mac connections are secured by [[Secure Socket Layer|SSL]] encryption. In addition, iChat users using a .Mac account can encrypt their chats with other iChat .Mac users.

==Great Firewall of China==
On [[April 16]], [[2008]], it is reported that .Mac homepage service is blocked by the [[GFW||Great Firewall of China]]. Whether the service will be permanently blocked in China is still unclear.


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 12:08, 16 April 2008

.Mac
Developer(s)Apple Inc.
Operating systemMac OS X / Web Based
TypeInternet suite
Websitedotmac

.Mac (pronounced and sometimes written as "Dot Mac") is a collection of online services and software offered by Apple Inc. Originally and collectively provided as a free service called iTools (and at the time offered exclusively to Mac OS users), .Mac is now a subscription-based service with features applicable to users of all current, major computer platforms.

History of .Mac

The original Internet software and services today known as .Mac were first called "iTools"; it had no relation to Tenon's Web application with the same name. Announced and released at Macworld Expo San Francisco on January 5, 2000, iTools was made available free of charge for Mac OS 8 and 9 users. While some features of iTools were accessible via non-Mac platforms (such as modifying HomePage content with Internet Explorer on a Microsoft Windows-based PC, or accessing an iDisk via WebDAV in later iterations), iTools was primarily a Mac-only offering and provided only limited, discussion board-based technical support.

As costs rose (most particularly due to iDisk storage space; the wide demand for vanity E-mail accounts ending in "@mac.com"; and increasing support needs), iTools was relaunched as a subscription-based suite of services with a dedicated technical support team and was renamed as ".Mac" at Macworld Expo New York on July 17, 2002[1]. The new .Mac initially offered several new or upgraded tools to subscribers:

  • HomePage - a personal web hosting service
  • iDisk - an online disk storage service
  • @mac.com - e-mail service provider offering both POP and IMAP protocols
  • Backup - a personal back-up solution that allows users to archive data to their iDisk, CD or DVD.
  • iCards - an online greeting card service
  • iReview - a website review service

As iDisk made use of WebDAV technology and mac.com was an IMAP service, these services could be accessed from any other computer platform (although a Mac was needed to establish an account).

On September 17, 2002 Apple announced that more than 100,000 .Mac users had subscribed to the company’s .Mac suite of Internet services and software since its launch in July.[2]

On September 30, 2002, the iTools service was discontinued, though .Mac continued as a subscription service. This move generated a mixed reaction among the Macintosh community, with some believing that .Mac was overpriced.[3] Until June 15, 2005, .Mac subscribers received a free copy of McAfee's Virex virus scanner.

In October 2006, Apple launched an update to its .Mac Mail service that now closely resembles the experience of the Mac OS X Mail application. The new functionality is built on top of AJAX and provides rich user experience such as drag-and-drop, a live-updating three-way split view, and ability to resize panels.[4]

In a special event in August 2007, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the following changes to .mac:

  • A new Web Gallery feature, similar to Flickr and YouTube combined
  • 10 Gigabytes of total storage for all standard customers (meaning that 1GB customers now have 10GB) for no additional charge; 2GB/5GB users now have 20GB/30GB respectively
  • 100/200/300 GB transfer at no additional charge

Mac OS X v10.5 "Leopard" uses .Mac to provide dynamic DNS services for its Back to My Mac feature, a remote desktop service.

Pricing

.Mac is a subscription-based service priced at $99.95 USD per year. Existing iTools accounts were transitioned to .Mac accounts during a free trial period which ended on September 30, 2002. As of August 7, 2007, each .Mac account comes with 10 GB of storage space that can be divided between E-mail storage for an "@mac.com" email address, and the user's iDisk. An account preference allows the user to decide how much storage space to allocate to either service as they see fit. Users who desire additional storage capacity can purchase some for a higher annual fee, up to 30 GB total (before August 7, 2007 it was 4GB). The storage space for both E-mail and an iDisk can be used in any manner the user deems necessary, subject to the terms of the .Mac license agreement). The iDisk can be mounted as a normal volume on any Mac OS desktop, and it is also accessible to any computer that is able to connect to a WebDAV-enabled volume.

The annual fee for .Mac can be reduced either through Apple's referral program, which offers a 20% discount for the following year for each referral or by purchasing a subscription with a new Mac, which gives one a 30% discount.

Apple also offers a US$30 Instant Savings off the cost of the first year of a .Mac membership with the purchase of a new Mac. [5]

Mac OS integration

.Mac is closely integrated with the Mac OS, and having .Mac can extend the functions of many programs, most notably within the iLife suite. Among the most notable:

  • iDisks can be mounted as any other volume on the Mac OS desktop. Furthermore, it is possible to mount the public portion of another user's iDisk. This mechanism was one of the early ways to receive free software as part of .Mac. It is possible to queue files for upload to an iDisk that is offline, though actual uploading will be done only when the iDisk is mounted. iDisk commands are located in the 'Go' menu of the Finder.
  • Address Book entries, iCal dates, Safari bookmarks and, as of Mac OS X 10.4, keychains, mail accounts, mail rules, mail signatures, and smart mailboxes can be synced with the iDisk through iSync (prior to 10.4) or .Mac syncing (in 10.4), allowing easy synchronization between multiple computers.
  • iWeb allows users to create web pages that can be uploaded to iDisk and published.
  • Similarly, the iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand, and iTunes libraries can easily be uploaded to iDisk (subject to various licensing agreements).
  • Backup can be used to make backups to iDisk or local media.
  • iPhoto can be used for one-click web-publishing of photo albums. Although support of iPhoto 2 has been dropped, this feature still works for versions of iPhoto shipped with iLife '04 and later.[6]
  • iCal can be used to publish calendars to the web. [7]

Security

.Mac connections are secured by SSL encryption. In addition, iChat users using a .Mac account can encrypt their chats with other iChat .Mac users.

Great Firewall of China

On April 16, 2008, it is reported that .Mac homepage service is blocked by the |Great Firewall of China. Whether the service will be permanently blocked in China is still unclear.

References

  1. ^ .Mac announcement
  2. ^ .Mac users
  3. ^ "Net surfers are getting the message: Pay up" Seattle Post-Intelligencer Reporter, August 13, 2002
  4. ^ .Mac mail
  5. ^ The Apple Store (U.S.) - .Mac - Your life. On the Internet
  6. ^ .Mac Support, Article dated 19 December 2007
  7. ^ Sharing Your Calendar
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