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Apple's .Mac service will be spotty during Tuesday's event

The .Mac service, just like Apple's iMac lineup, hasn't been updated in quite some time. That could change for both on Tuesday.

Tom Krazit Former Staff writer, CNET News
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Google, as the most prominent company on the Internet defends its search juggernaut while expanding into nearly anything it thinks possible. He has previously written about Apple, the traditional PC industry, and chip companies. E-mail Tom.
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Tom Krazit
2 min read

Update at 2:47 p.m. PDT:The headline on this story was changed from "Apple's .Mac service unavailable during Tuesday's event.")

Apple is expected to unveil new iMacs during an event Tuesday, but it could also have some improvements to its .Mac service up its sleeve.

Apple could be ready to update its .Mac service during Tuesday's Mac event. Apple

Mac Rumors noted that Apple's .Mac service, which allows subscribers access to e-mail, data storage and Web publishing tools for $99 a year, will be down for undergoing maintenance Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. PDT, which happens to be the exact same time that Apple is hosting a "product presentation" at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters. (Update at 2:47 p.m. PDT: The service won't be down the whole time.) Apple has said Tuesday's event will focus on the Mac, but that doesn't mean the company won't take the opportunity to launch a .Mac upgrade as well.

With everything else Apple's been doing over the past couple of years, including the Intel transition and the iPhone, the .Mac service has languished. CEO Steve Jobs acknowledged the dust growing on .Mac twice this year, during the company's annual meeting of shareholders as well as during an interview with The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg at the D: All Things Digital conference.

Apple usually takes its online store down when it's about to launch new products, such as the new iMacs that are expected to make their debut Tuesday in Cupertino. But shutting down the .Mac service seems a little more unusual. (Update at 2:47 p.m. PDT: The service won't be down the whole time.) It's possible the maintenance on the .Mac service might be required to introduce new features or capabilities.