11Jun Is MobileMe An Outlook Web Access Killer?
With the announcement of Snow Leopard Server and its new features driving it closer to an actual Microsoft Exchange competitor, it would seem that one critical component was needed.
Outlook Web Access basically gives the PC user web based email, calendaring, address book and file access from any web browser, all linked to the company Exchange Server.
Sound like MobileMe to the rescue. Outlook Web Access, except better, newer, more features, easier to use and open standards based.
Now its getting interesting…
10Jun Snow Leopard + MobileMe = Apple Exchange 1.0
Is Apple truly unconcerned with the Enterprise market. Obviously not. Look at the new iPhone “push” features. What about the constant reference to “Exchange for the rest of us…”.
Well, if MobileMe is Exchange for the rest of us, then Snow Leopard and MobileMe together must be the beginnings of a version Exchange built by Apple to compete directly with Microsoft’s Exchange.
Just read the features list of the OSX Snow Leopard Server.
- Calendar Server
- Address Book Server
- Email Server
- etc…
Sure, the current version of Leopard Server has a calendar server and an email server, but NOT an address book server. Want to bet it will be a “push” server. Sound familar?
How about the “new” email server. What new email server? Up to now Apple has used a collection of open source products, like Postfix for email.
Look at the actual text from the Snow Leopard Server page…
Mac OS X Server’s open standards-based mail service is the ideal server for small businesses or companies looking to bring email in-house. Snow Leopard Server dramatically increases its performance and scalability with an overhauled engine designed to handle thousands of simultaneous connections. Mail services have been enhanced to include server-side email rules and vacation messages.
How is Apple going to “dramatically increase performance and scalability” of this “overhauled engine”? Perhaps by using the existing open source products as a jumping off point to build their own version of Exchange. Modular perhaps, but Exchange none the less. I might be wrong, but I don’t think Postfix currently supports server-side email rules or vacation messages.
Just a hunch, but most small businesses don’t need “thousands of simultaneous connections”. Sounds like an move to the enterprise to me. Lots of Macs, iPhones, iPod Touch and other upcoming products, all synchronized and available from the users Outlook Web Access MobileMe account, anywhere.
Well see in… “about a year”.
10Jun iPhone 2.0 Still Lacks Basic Features
Yesterday Apple announced the release of the iPhone 2.0 software and the actual iPhone 3G itself.
However, no mention of whether the most basic of all software features would finally be added.
Cut, Copy and Paste!
Why not? Is it security issue? Does it drain the battery life? Is there just no place on the screen for the buttons? No menu bar…no place for an Edit menu. Huh. Maybe…
You tell me. Why do you think this simple feature has failed to make the cut. There must be a very good reason. I hope it’s not as simple as “nobody ever uses it.” Maybe it’s true.
If you have an iPhone tell me, do you miss it? Have you learned to live without it? Has it absense made you be better user and therefore has reduced your typing errors?
Lets talk.
10Jun Welcome to Apple In Business
Here I will be discussing various topics, ideas and concepts about using the Apple computer platform, including the Mac, it’s operating system OS X, the iPhone and any other item of Apple technology that need discussion.
We will also be discussing topics for those considering the switch from Windows to Mac. We will share our experiences, both good and bad in transitioning our company to the Mac in June 2007.
Stay tuned, as we will be discussing some unique ideas and innovative uses about Apple and their technology, that you can use in your business.
03Jan Apple iWork for Web vs Google Docs vs MS Office
Will Apple release iWork for web and compete with Google Docs and Microsoft Office. With the recent investment in SproutCore, the javascript framework used to develop MobileMe, it would seem inevitable.
Apple has already started laying the groundwork by developing the integration components of mail, contacts, calendar, photos and iDisk. An iWork/Web Pages document could start on the web, be continued on the iPhone and finished on Mac since it would be sitting on the users iDisk as a Pages document. Speculation already abounds about iWork for the iPhone. Why not have complete web to desktop and back integration. Look at www.280slides.com for evidence that it can be done.
Reports are starting to surface about Apple’s move toward rich internet applications. For the non-buzzword compliant folks this means web applications that look and work like desktop applications.
With Microsoft rushing toward an online application presence with Live Mesh, I wonder if they notice Apple just strolling along patiently toward the same goal. Apple doesn’t seem to care about the business market or the impending move of everything to the web, but at the same time they are moving into Google’s and Microsoft’s domain without being noticed.
Keep your eyes open to this one. Next years MacWorld will be exciting.