So Long MobileMe!
Breaking News: MobileMe will be discontinued June 30th!
Chances are this isn't actually breaking news to anyone. Apple made this announcement last year and has given users plenty of time to make the appropriate transitions in both technology and workflow.
I don't know about you, but I've procrastinated on this... Mostly because I was hoping an iDisk solution/replacement would materialize. But here we are, a little over a week from D-day and still we're left with the same options we had a year ago.
Anticipating the June 30th deadline, I've identified 3 areas of concern and possible solutions for MobileMe users:
- iDisk
- iChat
- iWeb
As I've lamented above, there doesn't seem to be a true iDisk replacement. There are alternatives like Dropbox or SkyDrive, but even with their bells and whistles there seems to be some essential functionality missing. Over the years I've used the public folder of the iDisk as a remote transfer point for large file transfers with clients. It offered both uploading/downloading capabilities for multiple users. It did not require users to create accounts or that any folders be shared. While it was extremely slow at times, it worked for my purposes. Many blog posts have been written about the pros and cons of various cloud storage options, and it seems like Dropbox or SkyDrive are your best bets. One thing is for sure... you better get hopping and clean out that iDisk!
Many of my clients use their MobileMe accounts to create iChat handles. If you're making the jump to iCloud, at a certain point in the process you will be prompted to input an email address for your messaging client. If you use your MobileMe address yourname@me.com, your current handle will carry over. That said, if you prefer to create a new AIM (AOL Instant Messenger), which is a highly compatible/ubiquitous messaging client, you can follow this AIM account creation tutorial.
Last, but certainly not least, is the iWeb debacle. iWeb hasn't been around for a while, but there are still a lot of legacy sites hosted on soon-to-go-bye-bye MobileMe accounts. Although it will entail some work on your end, if you want to retain the content of your iWeb site, you may want to copy/paste it onto a free hosted web site service such as WordPress.com or Google Sites. There will be a lot of formatting work to be done, but what a great opportunity to revisit your content, put a new coat of paint on it and potentially attract a new client base!
T-minus 10 days folks.
