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Users allege MobileMe lacks true 'push'

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

July 14, 2008, 4:48 PM

While it appears that information between Apple's new service and the iPhone are syncing as advertised, users are finding that push services between the computer and MobileMe don't work the same way.

Indeed, Apple has advertised the service using words such as "immediate," which would lead most to believe its service is exactly that fast. But even after applying an update said to enable computers for MobileMe, immediacy doesn't appear to be happening.

Both on Apple's own support forums and across the Web, users began to voice their disappointment with the discovery. A forum specifically on the subject of push services with MobileMe on Apple's support site included some 155 topics, most of which were complaints of some form.

"I'm running MobileMe 1.1 on both my MacBook Pro (10.5.4) and my Mac Pro (10.5.4) and this Push contact stuff is working nothing like how my Exchange account works with my work server," poster 'trackfive' wrote.

Over on MacRumors, there was much of the same. Many accused Apple of misleading consumers at the WWDC keynote where MobileMe was introduced, as well as in marketing material leading up to the launch.

A reader even took screenshots of the promotional text from before and after the issue came to a head, showing Apple had changed the text from "Push happens automatically, instantly, and continuously" to clarifying that the changes happen instantly from the iPhone and MobileMe to the computer, however at a regular interval from computer to MobileMe.

In an article on Apple's support site, the company admitted that those changes would only be delivered every 15 minutes (every hour in Mac OS X 10.4.11). Similarly, Windows computers would sync at the same interval.

Apple has not commented further on the sync issues. It is believed that the next release of Snow Leopard may fix the problem as it has built-in Exchange support, although it is not known if changes unveiled there would extend to MobileMe.

Essentially, since MobileMe sync is tied to the preexisting sync services functionality of Mac OS X that has been there for quite some time, it is also hamstrung by the architecture of those services.

It should be noted, tests of the service indicate that near-instantaneous sync does occur from iPhone to MobileMe and vice-versa, as well as from MobileMe to the Mac.


BETANEWS iPhone 3G launch coverage from Friday:


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By skimore

posted Jul 15, 2008 - 12:32 PM

be it immediate or unlimited. It's marketing not truth..

Does Marketing really have to live up to legal?

Score: 0

By Niro

posted Jul 15, 2008 - 7:53 PM

LOL ofcourse they do! What kind of excuse are you trying to give them? If fords marketing department told you you get 100 miles/gallon on all their new cars, and when you finally buy it they tell you it's actually 25 miles per gallon but you get 100 miles every 4 gallons instead of one...will you say "oh, it's ok...it's just marketing, you're not liable for that!".

LOL some people on this site really amaze me....you really do!

Score: 0

By gregmlr

posted Jul 15, 2008 - 12:32 PM

Apple can keep MobileMe just like they kept .Mac

I don't want it.

Score: 0

By Elric77

edited Jul 15, 2008 - 12:05 PM

The funny part is, it pushes EVERYTHING to your iphone. That's what they TELL you it does. People are b****ing because in 3 minutes they are going to forget what they JUST typed. And then have to WAIT another 12 to remember!
And the Email still pushes, that's the only thing important to have PUSH, oh no 15 minutes to sync! Find something to do in that time, work, talk to your kids, your wife, make love to your wife! That'll kill 4 minutes easy!

Score: 0

By Tenoq

posted Jul 15, 2008 - 12:42 AM

15 minutes! Damn, that's ridiculous! The world could end in that 15 minutes and I wouldn't have got the e-mail to tell me about it!

OH NOES! :p

Score: 0

By Niro

posted Jul 15, 2008 - 9:59 AM

Ha...I guess if you sign up for a trading account that promises "instant" quotes...you won't have a problem with the quotes being delayed by 15 minutes then...

Score: 0

By yountmj

posted Jul 15, 2008 - 12:14 AM

Many accused Apple of misleading consumers at the WWDC...

Many have been doing this for years, only now it's Mac iPhools doing the accusing... it must be true now.

*sigh*

Score: 0

By orizng

posted Jul 14, 2008 - 5:31 PM

Apple's PR are always misleading, sadly there are always ppl who fall for it. lol

Score: 0

By fatty

posted Jul 15, 2008 - 7:50 AM

You can pretty much guarantee the marketing droids at any company, not just Apple, really say some misleading / half truths. Everything in the world today is: "The best", "Most secure", "Fastest ever", etc....

Microsoft was saying Vista was faster than XP for a long time. We all know that is misleading statement.

Score: 0

By dkratter

posted Jul 15, 2008 - 9:52 AM

Microsoft was saying Vista was faster than XP for a long time. We all know that is misleading statement.

What do you mean? Vista is the "Bestest"!

Score: 0

By PhantomRider

posted Jul 14, 2008 - 8:27 PM

I second that! They walk a fine line between deceptive advertising practices and 'accidentally' omitting vital details in their claims.

Score: 0