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Apple has finally announced the upgrade/replacement to the long ailing .Mac service, and the new service dubbed MobileMe seems to have some promising features.

First off, the MobileMe service will be priced at $99 per year, and current .Mac subscribers will be automatically switched over to the service once it launches, which coincidentally is the same time as the iPhone 3G launches and as the iPhone 2.0 software update, July 11, although the Apple online store currently has it listed as mid-July with a pre-order available.

Now moving on to the features, MobileMe will be like “Exchange for the rest of us” and provide users with push email, contacts and calendar events. The MobileMe service offers support for both Mac and PC users, and will work with the iPhone as well as the iPod Touch. On the Mac side, MobileMe supports Apple Mail, iCal and Address Book and Outlook on the PC.

In addition to the email, calendar and contact support, MobileMe also has a few other integrated apps. A MobileMe Gallery that allows you to upload and share your photos and a MobileMe iDisk to upload, share and access you documents where ever you may be.

The MobileMe service includes a total of 20GB of online storage for the individual user and also has the option for a family pack, which offers a total of 40GB of online storage.

Current .Mac users who are upgraded will be given the option to keep and use their current email address or switch to a me.com address. As a current, and long time .Mac user I can only hope that we have first dips for me.com usernames. Assuming I decide to move to and use my new me.com email address, I can only hope that I would be guaranteed my current username from the @mac.com email address for my new @me.com email address. However either way I am looking forward to using MobileMe.

[UPDATE] As per the .Mac to MobileMe transition FAQ, my main concern was addressed. Current .Mac users will receive the same username for their new email.

“In addition to your mac.com email address, you will also get an address at me.com with the same username when MobileMe is available.”

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