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http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=653
Dot Mac to Kill iTools?
By Remy Davison, Insanely Great Mac
July 15th 2002
The end of free iTools?
Apple may be prepping .Mac as the successor to iTools, Mac-speculation-and-rumor-site
SpyMac suggests. But David Coursey in his ZDNet column also thinks Jobs will pitch
.Mac as an integrated part of Jaguar during his MWNY keynote Wednesday.
SpyMac reports that iTools will be "scaled back to a bare minimum" and Mac users will
be able to purchase additional services. New Mac buyers may be able to get onto .Mac
at a discount. SpyMac''s source says at your @mac.com address is safe though.
Coursey argues that Apple will build a revenue stream through advertising and
partnerships, much as MS does with its Hotmail and .Net services.
But will this be part of MS''s .Net? asks Coursey. There is no indicated if and where
the Mac fits in, although MS executives have hinted at it previously.
Analysis: After Browne''s little speech in the WSJ? Not likely. Perhaps MS will offer
a few trinkets for Mac users, linked from Mactopia.
But let''s not forget eWorld. Ahead of its time, but a major failure. What makes
iTools appealing is the fact it''s a ''freebie''. Where better than the iTools site to
attract these ''affluent'' Mac users? (much reported recently).
If Apple starts charging, what''s the incentive to stay? Head on down to 500megs.com
or whatever and sign yourself up for a web page (or three) there.
Apple has the iTools users - all it needs is the advertisers. This is surely enough -
not the paltry few dollars it would make from users. Not, I''m betting, than more than
a handful would pay.
Keep iTools. Keep it free. Keep the users.
Post your comments at:
http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=653
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