I couldn’t have been more ready to fork over $100 for a web based service.  All the promise of the adverts and press that MobileMe received, I was ready.

The problem is, there are so many little things missing.  How could so many things be lacking from a service that costs $100/year that exist in so many other free options? Please someone send me a clue. There are a ton of minor annoyances, contact button from within a new message is still buggy, can’t modify calendar event invitees from the web, etc.  But here are a couple, in my book, show-stoppers:

1. Cannot send web mail from a domain address other than me.com (or mac.com).
2. Cannot connect via IMAP to any other mail service.
3. Cannot use https on any of the offered services.  Completely, outrageously unacceptable!  It’s just so damn easy to set up a SSL certificate on a domain that I have no idea how MobileMe got out the door without this option.  Beyond the ability to gain access to MobileMe, this is one of the first things Apple should have rectified.

These are things I would expect to be missing from a FREE service, not from a premium one!  Another thought - are these things issues that Apple didn’t get to due to the rush to get out the door or are they, dare I say, policy?  Anyone’s guess at this point.

The fact is: I STILL want to believe in this service.  The fact that my calendar can be pushed to my iPhone without hooking up to iTunes - simply awesome.  That works right now and is great.  But there are just too many things holding me back.  If they can iron them out, I’d still roll my trial right into a subscription.  I think Apple still has time to right this ship.  Here’s hoping they can do it quickly, before the trial runs out. If not, I’ll have to find another option.