Apple Admits that MobileMe Push Isn’t Really Pushed

I, as well as many former .Mac users received an email today mentioning that Apple has decided to stop using the term “Push” and gave a re-definition of exactly what takes place with email, contacts and syncing.

While running into problems with the .Mac to MobileMe transition, Apple also decided to give its loyal .Mac customers a 30-day extension on their plans.

We have recently completed the transition from .Mac to MobileMe. Unfortunately, it was a lot rockier than we had hoped.
Although core services such as Mail, iDisk, Sync, Back to My Mac, and Gallery went relatively smoothly, the new MobileMe web applications had lots of problems initially. Fortunately we have worked through those problems and the web apps are now up and running.
Another snag we have run into is our use of the word “push” in describing everything under the MobileMe umbrella. While all email, contact or calendar changes on the iPhone and the web apps are immediately synced to and from the MobileMe “cloud,” changes made on a PC or Mac take up to 15 minutes to sync with the cloud and your other devices. So even though things are indeed instantly pushed to and from your iPhone and the web apps today, we are going to stop using the word “push” until it is near-instant on PCs and Macs, too.
We want to apologize to our loyal customers and express our appreciation for their patience by giving all current subscribers an automatic 30-day extension to their MobileMe subscription free of charge. Your extension will be reflected in your account settings within the next few weeks.
We hope you enjoy your new suite of web applications at me.com, in addition to keeping your iPhone and iPod touch wirelessly in sync with these new web applications and your Mac or PC.
Thank you,

Now I honestly think that MobileMe should be offered as a tiered service with the email option being free.  Many could care less about iDisk and all that other stuff… but paying $99 per year just to have an email address is nuts.

For more details on the extension eligibility please visit the MobileMe support page.

Related News:

1. Apple - No plans to bring MobileMe multi licensing to SME’s
2. MobileMe - “Exchange for the rest of us” - said Steve Jobs, but do consumers really need it?
3. Funambol’s free alternative to Apple’s MobileMe
4. Apple release iPhone configuration utilities for business
5. Live from Apple WWDC 2008 - 3G iPhone announced