Does MobileMe support NON "...@me.com" email addresses?

umbrabellator · 06-10-2008, 01:29 PM

Here's a good one: I LOVE the concept of MobileMe, but I do not want to use a "myemailaddress@me.com" address.

I have my own email address which I got by registering a web address, and I am quite happy with it.

Can I use that address with MobileMe? It is the address that I use everywhere--on my Mac, on my iPhone, etc. Will this address somehow work with MobileMe?

Lincoln · 06-10-2008, 02:14 PM

No, I don't believe so. However, you can have your current email forward the emails it receives to the MobileMe address.

- John

umbrabellator · 06-10-2008, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by John

No, I don't believe so. However, you can have your current email forward the emails it receives to the MobileMe address.

- John

Yeh, that's kind of what I am guessing too. That's how .Mac works.

So! With that being the probable case, how would I set up my current email address to be "pushable"? My provider does support IMAP email and Exchange Hosting. Would that do it?

If so, how do I set that up on the phone and on my Mac? I know how to set it up on my provider's site, but have no idea how to do it locally.

i robot · 06-10-2008, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by umbrabellator

Yeh, that's kind of what I am guessing too. That's how .Mac works.

So! With that being the probable case, how would I set up my current email address to be "pushable"? My provider does support IMAP email and Exchange Hosting. Would that do it?

If so, how do I set that up on the phone and on my Mac? I know how to set it up on my provider's site, but have no idea how to do it locally.

I used to forward my gmail to my work address on my blackberry. That worked no problem. The only issue for me is what you do when you want to respond to the forwarded emails. Then your returning email from .mac/mobile me. Will there be an option to send from???? in mobile me as there is in gmail?

up10ad · 06-10-2008, 06:47 PM

If they don't provide a method for allowing other domain emails to get messages to the CLOUD (something other than forwarding), the usefulness to the enterprise will be very limited. And although Exchange is popular, the large majority of businesses with domain names do NOT use Exchange. This one non-feature will certainly keep me from using it. If Google can do it, so can Apple.

chris · 06-10-2008, 07:01 PM

That's a big issue for me. I'm forwarding a bulk of email accounts to my gmail account. This allows me IMAP access, great spam filtering and the ability to reply from any of my accounts.

I just checked the Mail video on the MobileMe section of Apple's site. Outside of push, it looks the same as .mac. I wish they would have bulked up Mail's features.

Ohmster · 06-11-2008, 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by chris

I wish they would have bulked up Mail's features.

Yup. I wonder if the mobileme concept will make mail Rules server based or should I say, cloud based?

umbrabellator · 06-11-2008, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by i robot

I used to forward my gmail to my work address on my blackberry. That worked no problem. The only issue for me is what you do when you want to respond to the forwarded emails. Then your returning email from .mac/mobile me. Will there be an option to send from???? in mobile me as there is in gmail?

Exactly! That is precisely the issue that I have with forwarding emails from my primary address to my .Mac (or MobileMe) account.

So, I guess I'll get an Exchange account and go that route. It costs more, but this push stuff is just too cool not to use.

Spin This! · 06-11-2008, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by up10ad

although Exchange is popular, the large majority of businesses with domain names do NOT use Exchange.

Really? Every business I've ever worked for/at has used an Exchange server for e-mail. I have friends who are IT guys and all their support is on Exchange. It scales well and it's pretty reliable. There's not many good open-source alternatives that work as well as Exchange, unfortunately. If I was running a business, I would definitely consider Exchange, especially if you have more than a few users. It's hard to ignore, despite being M$.

Originally Posted by chris

Outside of push, it looks the same as .mac. I wish they would have bulked up Mail's features.

Yeh, it would be cool if you set your mobileme e-mail for your own domain name. Right now can have your domain point to .mac but its hosting capabilities are pretty limited.

Originally Posted by Ohmster

Yup. I wonder if the mobileme concept will make mail Rules server based or should I say, cloud based?

Yeh, things like spam filtering, moving messages based on sender or criteria, contacts, etc. would be awesome. The traditional way to do forwarding, moving, and filtering on a non-Exchange server is using a procmailrc file (I'm currently doing this), but the syntax isn't very user friendly and unless you know what you're doing, it can be difficult to setup.

That said, I'm wondering how Apple plans on doing this. There's no way they're running a bona fide M$ Exchange server for mobileme—since it also works with Apple's own address book and calendaring apps.

For e-mail, my guess is they've adopted the open-source push-imap on the servers and revised the iPhone client. If that's true, it's entirely possible to get push email with your own domain using the same technologies Apple is using—without using MobileMe. This should be very interesting to see what kinds of open source solutions come about as people come up with a "free" alternative to mobileme.

up10ad · 06-11-2008, 12:18 PM

The stats in eWeek suggest that although major companies do use Exchange, and it IS a great product, it is not used by many small businesses with a domain name of their own. They simply host mail as a pop account. They really have no need for Exchange, and the cost and experience needed to manage it are beyond their scope. As an example, I run a regional ISP and we don't have one business using Exchange despite hosting some 200 domain names for businesses, schools, county, town governments and many more. They all just use pop. Don't take me wrong, I like Exchange and have implemented it in a number of prior businesses in which I was affiliated.

I guess what I'm really saying is that, like Exchange, MobileMe will need to offer support for outside domain email if they are truly going to be "Exchange for the rest of us"