eWorld 3.5-inch disk (1995)

eWorld was a relatively short-lived online service operated by Apple from June 1994—March 1996. eWorld’s services included email, news, a bulletin board system, and access to Apple software. According to the website, Remember eWorld, “eWorld competed directly against AOL, CompuServe, and MSN, and finally lost this competition.”

The service was available for Apple IIGS, Macintosh, and offered limited support for the Newton. Although AOL (America Online) was, by far, the most popular service of the time, Cult of Mac author Rob LeFebvre wrote fondly about eWorld, remembering, “When eWorld went online…the combination of real time chat and a distinct graphical style really made it stand out.”

Several historical references to eWorld noted its relatively high price. A Business Insider article reported that eWorld cost “$8.95 per month, which included two hours of evening or weekend use, with each additional hour costing $4.95.”

This 3.5-inch disk contains the software (Version 1.1) that allowed a Macintosh to access eWorld. According to TechNotif, “Users accessed eWorld through Apple’s custom client software and connected by way of a dial-up modem. Once you connected, the eWorld software displayed a playfully illustrated aerial view of a small city.”

Sources: Wikipedia, Remember eWorld, Cult of Mac, Business Insider, TechNotif

Mobile Me box (2010)

MobileMe is the third in Apple’s iterations of online tools suites. This boxed version of MobileMe was available in 2010 and matched other Apple retail packaging of the time.

The history of Apple’s online services has included:

iTools (released 1-5-2000) with services including @mac.com email addresses (accessed through the Mail app), iCards free greeting card service, iReview web site reviews, HomePage free web page publishing, iDisk online data storage, and a KidSafe directory of child-friendly web sites.

.Mac (pronounced “dot Mac,” released 7-17-2002) with services including HomePage web hosting, iDisk online disk storage service, @mac.com email service (POP and IMAP), iCards online greeting cards, Backup personal backup (to iDisk, CD, or DVD), and McAfee Virex. Later enhancements included an online Mail interface, Back to My Mac remote desktop, Web Gallery, and the ability to add more online web storage and segment it according to purpose.

MobileMe (released 7-9-2008) had a difficult rollout where some users experienced instability over a period of several weeks. Steve Jobs later wrote, “it was a mistake to launch MobileMe at the same time as iPhone 3G, iPhone 2.0 software, and the App Store.” Customers received a free 60-day extension of MobileMe services. Although .Mac removed some services, including iCards and some specific web services, greater iLife integration was added and primary services continued to be expanded and upgraded.

iCloud (beginning Fall 2011) was released with iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S. iCloud includes email, calendar, file across multiple devices, 5 GB of free cloud storage, and offers additional paid tiers for more storage.

For users like me who have been customers since the iTools era, all email domains remain available, including @mac.com, @me.com, and @icloud.com.

This MobileMe software box is from 2010 and features several services on the packaging: online syncing of email, calendar, and contacts; the Find My iPhone or iPad service; online photo and file storage; and an image depicting the ability of MobileMe to share files and information among iPhone, Mac/Windows, and iPad via “the Cloud.”

Source: Wikipedia

Mobile Me box (2008)

MobileMe is the third in Apple’s iterations of online tools suites. This boxed version of MobileMe was available in 2008 and matched other Apple retail packaging of the time.

The history of Apple’s online services has included:

iTools (released 1-5-2000) with services including @mac.com email addresses (accessed through the Mail app), iCards free greeting card service, iReview web site reviews, HomePage free web page publishing, iDisk online data storage, and a KidSafe directory of child-friendly web sites.

.Mac (pronounced “dot Mac,” released 7-17-2002) with services including HomePage web hosting, iDisk online disk storage service, @mac.com email service (POP and IMAP), iCards online greeting cards, Backup personal backup (to iDisk, CD, or DVD), and McAfee Virex. Later enhancements included an online Mail interface, Back to My Mac remote desktop, Web Gallery, and the ability to add more online web storage and segment it according to purpose.

MobileMe (released 7-9-2008) had a difficult rollout where some users experienced instability over a period of several weeks. Steve Jobs later wrote, “it was a mistake to launch MobileMe at the same time as iPhone 3G, iPhone 2.0 software, and the App Store.” Customers received a free 60-day extension of MobileMe services. Although .Mac removed some services, including iCards and some specific web services, greater iLife integration was added and primary services continued to be expanded and upgraded.

iCloud (beginning Fall 2011) was released with iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S. iCloud includes email, calendar, file across multiple devices, 5 GB of free cloud storage, and offers additional paid tiers for more storage.

For users like me who have been customers since the iTools era, all email domains remain available, including @mac.com, @me.com, and @icloud.com.

This MobileMe software box is from 2008 and features several services on the packaging: online syncing of email, calendar, and contacts; online Photo gallery; online storage; and an image depicting the ability of MobileMe to share files and information among a Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, and Windows via “the Cloud.”

Source: Wikipedia