.Mac

-- Steve Jobs announced the end of the iTools free lunch on September 30. For $99 per year thereafter, .Mac is taking over the iTools functions and will provide a few additional ones like expanded email storage (15 vs 5 MB), an expanded iDisk (100 vs 20 MB), backup software that adds writing to CDs and DVDs, Virex, support and web-based Address Book, iCal calendar publishing, etc. Apple provides a 60-day free trial, a $50 first year discount for iTools members, a free year for those who paid for increased iDisk space and up to 10 additional email addresses for $10 each per year, presumably for families. .Mac has its own web page on Apple's site.

Most of the cries are based on the claim that Apple promised a free email address for life. Maybe so, but we don't recall that. It seems to us that the cost of the .Mac services, including those that will be enabled in a future version of Mac OS X, is quite reasonable. Anyone who uses those services should be willing to pay the subscription. However, those who signed up for iTools just for the cool and free Mac.Com email address are basically out of luck and soon to be out in the cold. We think Apple is making a mistake by shutting them out. A Mac.com email address is a unifying force among Mac users. It is a small item that breeds loyalty to the Apple brand. We hope Apple will relent and continue to provide free Mac.com email addresses with the smaller 5 MB level of storage to all who own a Mac.