X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Get one year of MobileMe for $67

Normally $99, the Apple service syncs all your data and helps you recover (or, if necessary, wipe) your lost iPhone. There's also a great deal on the five-account Family Pack.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida

The MobileMe service still isn't free, but at least you can save about 33 percent on a one-year subscription. Apple

Well, Apple never did make MobileMe free, despite the rumors. However, at least you don't have to pay the usual $99 for a year of service.

That's because Amazon currently has MobileMe Individual for $66.98 shipped. (Yep, that's the boxed, CD-ROM version of the software and service.)

As you probably know, MobileMe keeps your data (e-mail, contacts, appointments, etc.) in sync among your devices, your PCs, and the Web. It also provides the potentially invaluable Find My iPhone and Remote Wipe features (the former was just updated to include its own app).

Speaking of updates, be sure to check out last Friday's post about new MobileMe features, which includes a wealth of handy new knowledgebase info.

So, getting back to the deal: is $67 a reasonable price for MobileMe? It's better than $99, obviously, but still a little more than I'm willing to pay. Maybe that's because I don't rely quite so heavily on my calendar and contact list as some folks, and because I'm already syncing just fine with Gmail, thank you.

On the other hand, Find My iPhone alone might make this a worthwhile investment. But I'd be much happier with an investment of, say, $29. What do you think?

By the way, Amazon also has the MobileMe Family Pack for $99.49 shipped. That includes one individual account (with 20GB of storage) and four family-member accounts (with 5GB of storage each). It normally costs $149.