Uninstall MobileMe

>>which was a huge complaint from previous iTunes versions<< It was? Among some perhaps, but the majority never even noticed it. It was a non-event.

Ocean, No, it really was a big deal, and this was something I originally didn't perceive to be a problem. But I received numerous emails about this, actually. I can only imagine what it was like for Apple. Actually, i don't have to imagine it. They made the change, obviously in response to complaints. Paul

@Mike - You continually referring to Apple's products by names such as MobileMess and the like or talking about the $20 Apple Tax is no better than those that Paul considers the iCabal calling Microsoft by M$ or Windows as Winblows. No difference at all...except that you will probably have some sort of long winded explanation as to why you are in the right and they are not. --tayme

@Mike. Like you ever trusted Apple anyway.

While I am sure Paul got some email about this, lets be honest, Joe/Jane user has no idea what the control panel is. I supported the SBS side of MS products for years and I have been to a lot of small companies. Most users dont even know what their username is, let alone the fact that iTunes put a MobileMe sync icon in the control panel. So yeah IT/geeks know, but of all of the Windows iTunes users out there I would bet maybe, 3% noticed. Not that I agree with Apple installing it, but its really a NON-issue for the vast Majority of iTunes users on Windows, and NON being the fact they dont even know it.

Finally, the pressure and the leverage of Windows users are finally becoming like a dual edged sword being pointed right at the throat of Apple, Inc. They've sat high and mighty on the protective side of that sword, but now they're experience the otherside. The side that cuts and causes bleeding. Its about time that Apple lived up to its responsibility. @bettieblu - You are 100% dead wrong. The amount of press coverage on iPhone 3G, the App Store, and Mobile Me had tremendous press coverage by mainstream media and by tech media. A lot more people are aware of Mobile Me, its utterly disasterous launch, and the problems of the iPhone 3G continue to make press on major networks. CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, G4 and others have covered this. Its on websites like PC World, PC Magazine, Ars Technica, ZD Net, and many others. To say that people don't know about this is a fallacy and falsehood, and you're seriously underestimating the intelligence. To say people don't know about the control panel? Where have you been? Under a PC history rock? The control panel has been apart of Windows since 1.0 (That would be the year 1985.) and apart of the Mac OS in various forms in many early versions. So a component that over a billion users end up using in some shape or form, nobody knows about? Really? I find that a stretch. Since my computer literacy classes back in 8th grade in 1993, computer teachers were teaching kids about the control panel in both Windows and Mac. I"m sure plenty ran into this in college. In many versions of Windows, it was right on the start menu. So, I'm sorry. I'm calling BS when I see it. Its pretty clear, Steve Jobs is morphing into Bill Gates pre-antitrust era. Apple, Inc is de-evolving into Microsoft of yesterday. Bad coding, anti-consumer practices, no corporate accountability, and losing the confidence of the IT community lately. When the community turns against you, its not long before consumers do. IT and geeks inform everyone else of what to pick and what to avoid. Our weight carries alot of resonance with people. Even the local overnight pharmacist asked me for advice about what should I pick in a notebook. He knew enough about Apple, to know he didn't want any part of it. So why don't you guys admit it. Apple is looking like the old Microsoft. Microsoft isn't looking like its old self, its changing to be different. Not everything has changed, but its certainly not the 1990's monopolistic giant of the past. Its figured out that interoperability and cooperation with partners gets you further than tight rigid controls. This whole year and all the events are proof. It just might be time to start getting rid of Apple stuff, until they learn to man up and do the business right.

@bettieblu: I wonder what's the point in your really long post. The fact that someone doesn't recognise his machine is being laden with things he doesn't want nor need makes it a non issue? You say yourself that you don't agree with that policy, and yet, as long as someone doesn't get it immediately, it's still a non-issue? Really strange...

We should be given a choice, that includes a box that is not checked by default in an update selection. Google and Yahoo totally tick me off as many small upgrades of programs have the box checked by default, and kids [mine] and ordinary Joe don't look as carefully as they should. This control panel does nothing until activated I guess, but it takes choice away if installed without our knowledge. We get fooled as we always expect it safe to click OK at the end, only to find that we added something that we did not want. IE7 has better security, but did not work with my work Active X control, but many people found it installed in autoupdate, even thought there was a choice at the end of the DL to install it. My 6 yr olds certainly can't read well but knew enough to click OK when asked on the computer. Many of my group of docs did as well. It was agood intension, and probably better for our computers, but the knee jerk, age old trusted method of updating was different. We still had a choice, but it was not the best way to execute it, no pun intended. Don't get me wrong as I now like Gmail, thanks to Paul T and google calendar, thanks to Mike G. This will help me dump Comcast. BTW, I just got an email from Comcast explaining why they will be putting a 250 GB DL monthly limit. It states to prevent abuse from 'the less than 1" DL too much. That's great that they know that they screwing the remaining 99.9%!

That comcast deal is BS. I agree right now that its probably less than 1% that use more than 250gig and they should shut down a P2P'er, or someone using a home line to run a business. However they are using that for the future. Imagine down the road when more and more video content is delivered to your house. You will have to upgrade or Comcast will continue its high pricing and do things like bump the speed or raise the 250gig limit they created to look good:) Scam.

I should preface my remarks by first stating that I don't use itunes as I don't have an ipod (I don't have a zune either, I use creative/sandisk/samsung players), so this really didn't affect me at all. I agree with those who believe that not many average users would notice the mobileme icon in the control panel as most people don't tend to go into the control panel. (note that people that emailed Paul would tend to be outside of the realm of "average users"). That is speaking from my personal experience, ymmv. That being said I also believe that it was bad form to include said service/control panel without any user notification. At least they have realized this and have included the uninstall option - maybe by v9 they will put in the checkmark to exclude it from being installed in the first place?

@DOC: Just so you know, my business internet service is with Rogers Canada. It's a 6Mbps downstream/1Mbps upstream service for $60CDN a month. The connection is ALWAYS fast, although power problems with the recent thunderstorms in the area have caused issues with the modem or router not resetting properly, and needing a full power down and reset. It's a slight inconvenience for the level of service that's provided for the cost though. It has unlimited bandwidth, since it's a business account. I use it with my server and workstations for Exchange email, my web server, Remote Web Workplace, Sharepoint, etc....(my server is currently running SBS 2008 RC1 - at least until the RTM comes in the October Action Pack update). Now I'm downloading Windows Updates on NUMEROUS PC's EVERY single day, and email and remote Sharepoint apps are a big part of my business, so my SBS server gets a real workout when new emails come streaming in from suppliers, and customer server installations sending daily status reports. I have YET to even breach the 60GB/month limit that Rogers has put on home users. I know - because my usage is outlined on every bill!

250 gigs is alot unless your illegally P2P'ing movies all the time. Video, as in Amazon, Netflix, Apple TV, blockbuster (non-cable company stuff) type of downloads, as they grow in popularity, will be the thing that pushes that limit someday.

Sub: Where is DISD? Dallas? Detroit?

"I would think that Comcast would have different rules for a business line vs a home user. They usually charge more that is for sure, come with at least 1 static IP." To get a static IP from Rogers, you have to get "Dedicated Business Internet" service which consists of "business-grade DSL". I say "No thanks!". The DSL service in this area is atrocious. DSL service here usually only goes up to about 3Mbps, even though Bell claims they have 7Mbps service. Here, it's 6-7Mbps for cable, EVERYWHERE cable is serviced! It just makes absolutely no sense to get DSL here. Why would I spend $200/month (!!!) for DSL service that is no faster than my current cable service, and have to put up with Bell's pathetic phone lines, JUST to get a dedicated IP address??? Cable is just better here. Instead, I use my existing cable service for less than 1/3 of the cost, and use No-IP.com for web and email functionality (including Backup MX service which holds emails on a backup server until my server responds, just in case it's not available or down). It's awesome, and saves a helluva lot of money over dedicated service!

Doesn't your "business grade" DSL usually have much faster UPloads than your "domstic" DSL though? That seems to be the differentiating factor in my neck of the woods. Hell, we can even get SDSL here, which gives you the exact same upload rate as your download.

"The moral of the story is..." No, the real moral of the story is that most technology salesmen don't know jack about what they are selling. The old joke is: Q - What's the difference between a Technology Salseman and a Used Car Salesman? A - The Used Car Salesman KNOWS when he is lying! --tayme

Business DSL from ATT in the midwest is more expensive but comes with 5 ip's and a Netopia Router. Its $69 for 6meg down, 768kup. The same speed at my home is $35 a month with a phone line or $45 a month for naked DSL. 1 dynamic IP and your choice of a 2wire wireless router or speedstream modem. The ATT reps will tell you the business lines get a higher repair priority than a home line, basically better SLA terms, which probably does not mean much. If your fed off the same DSLAM its not to probably matter which comes up first from an outage.

I actually noticed a post on Apple's MobileMe News page a few days ago at http://www.apple.com/mobileme/news/ that said that iTunes 8's installer only updates existing MobileMe Control Panel installs. New installs of iTunes 8 do not install the MobileMe Control Panel but it will be offered as an optional program in Apple Software Update.