Me.com and MobileMe.com

Apparently it’s both. I posed the question before – me.com or mobileme.com? and today Apple announced that there .mac service is now me.com. But in reality both websites get you to the same place. At least for now.

So Steve Jobs unveiled the 3G iPhone today as expected. My first impression is always “Wow” when it comes to the latest and the greatest Apple devices. And the new iPhone is perfect if you use Apple Mac laptops or iMacs at home or work. The ease of integration is such a big factor. The most useful features of the new iPhone are the push sync features of iCal, AddressBook, and Mail. What could be better? And the ability to sync all your media seamlessly  makes it even more attractive. Of course, these features will also be available to “old” iPhone owners for free and to iPod Touch owners for a $9.99 fee.

On top of all the new features of the 3G iPod (including, obviously, the fast 3G data network) the best news was the price of the iPhone itself was being dropped to $199 for the 8 GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. It seems really fantastic.

But once the initial excitement wore off, a bit of reality set in. And I realized that as much as I love Apple, the iPhone may still not be the right device for me. Why? Well, here are my reasons:

• First, the state I live in has a “hands-free” rule. The one feature that I use most on my current phone is voice dial via my bluetooth headset. Nothing was said today at WWDC about voice dial for iPhone. I would sorely miss the ability to make a call without having to navigate the phone. Is it enough to keep me from switching to iPhone. Not by itself but there are other issues.
• Coverage. AT&T claims to have my area covered. But I know from others that dropped calls on the ATT Wireless network are not uncommon on local roads. Could be a potential source of frustration.
• Insurance. Currently my carrier is Verizon Wireless, which has the best coverage in this area. Verizon wireless offers optional insurance through Asurion on all of it’s phones including smartphones. While I do take care of the devices I own, accidents do happen – and insurance provides peace of mind. In contrast, ATT Wireless does not offer insurance on the iPhone.
• Cost. The price of the new iPhone is definitely more affordable than the old one. But once you add the activation fee, taxes and surcharges, additional text plans, and the voice and data plan itself the monthly charges start to add up. On top of that you will need to spend at least $99 for the me.com or mobileme.com service ($149 for a family plan). I know that any plan on any carrier that has a data plan will have charges that are comparable so this may not be such a big factor if you compare apples to apples. Also, if you use an iPod Touch as PDA, you may still incur the charge for mobileme.com because it seems that you can use this service to push changes through when you are connected via wi-fi. Also, if you are in a contract with another carrier, then you will need to weigh in early termination fees (etf’s) as well.

All in all, I can’t wait to see the new 3G iPhone. And once all the frenzy has died down and the reviews are in, then I will take another look. The biggest pro to me is that it just works with Apple Mac laptops. Any other smartphone has sync issues or requires third party software to play nice. The learning curve, time involved, and frustration factors may be just enough to make me to go the iPhone route.