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Most Mac users are well aware that Apple offers them an Internet-based service called .Mac. While many users have used this service for personal purposes, there are many practical uses for education.
The .Mac service offers users a suite of tools, mostly Internet-based, that help them make the most of both their Mac and the Internet. The service offers: Email, data synchronization, Web-based access to Address Book contacts and Bookmarks, Web space and file storage. In addition to these services, .Mac members enjoy other benefits such as free training and free software. Reading through the list of services, many can see the advantages for personal use. But, the uses of .Mac in education may not be so clear.
Before we begin to look at these features, and their uses in education, it is important to note, that despite the plethora of services offered, .Mac is not an Internet Service Provider (ISP). To use .Mac you must already have an ISP.

Email

The most popular of the offered services is email. For most users, email may not be a make-it-or-break it decision. We all have email accounts provided to us by our institutions. Because of this, some may see an additional email account as a burden, while others will see it as a benefit. Personally speaking, I love having a second email account. It allows me to keep personal email in one location and professional email in another location. For me, this is a great system and something that I need.
The benefit to using this email account is that you can access your email through both a client and through the .Mac Web site. You can always have access to your email, whether you are at home, using an email client, or at work, using the Web. Additionally, .Mac provides each user with 15MB of email storage.

Data Synchronization

Apple provides a free software tool called iSync that can help you make the most of .Mac. With this utility, you can synchronize data between your .Mac account, other Macs and select peripheral devices. This utility will transfer your Address Book contacts, Safari Bookmarks, appointments and to do lists (from Apple’s iCal calendar software). Once this data is sent to your .Mac account, it can then be synchronized with other Mac computers and with other devices such as Palm Pilots, Bluetooth enabled cellular phones and iPods.
Another benefit of synchronizing your data with .Mac is that you will be able to access the data from the Web. You can access it from any computer, as long as you have a Web browser and an active Internet connection.

Address Book

Using Apple’s built in Address Book application (in OS X), you can enter in all of your contacts and all of their information. With Apple’s iSync software, you can then synchronize your contacts with the .Mac servers and access this information anywhere. As previously mentioned, once you have synchronized your contacts, you will be able to access them from the Web. All you need to do is log into .Mac and you can the access all of your contacts in an easy to use interface.
For educators, this is a great tool. For example, if you have an entry in your Address Book for a colleague, and you need that information in your class, you can simply log into .Mac, via the Web, and retrieve that information. And because the Address Book can store a virtually unlimited number of contacts, you can add your students, colleagues, peers, friends and family with ease and access this data anywhere you might be.

Bookmarks

One of the newest features of .Mac is the ability to synchronize your Bookmarks between multiple Mac computers and your .Mac account. One of the biggest challenges in any Web surfer’s life is the ability to keep a set of bookmarks up-to-date on multiple machines. With iSync, now you can do this without any problems. This is a great way to keep your bookmarks current across multiple machines and always accessible.
But, the best attribute of this is the ability use your bookmarks from any computer, via the Web. Personally, I find this very useful in the classroom. I have a certain set of Web sites that I love to use in class (or even in meetings). I have these sites bookmarked, and synchronized with .Mac. So, when I walk into any classroom (or meeting), I can log in to the .Mac Web site and access all of my bookmarks. Clicking on a bookmark, from the .Mac Web site, will open the URL in a new window, and keep my bookmarks open and available for use until I log out.

Create a Web Site

If your institution does not provide space for your Web site, or you need a space for a personal Web site, .Mac provides you with 100MB of space to create a Web site. This is a great opportunity to make your C.V. available on-line.
If you are new to Web design, the .Mac Web site provides you with a series of templates that are easy to use and require no coding. But, if you are experienced with Web design, you are free to create your own site in any way you want.

File Storage

The .Mac service provides you with 100MB of space for file storage. I mentioned above that this space can be used for a Web site, but it can also store files for you. You can upload and download files from any Mac, or PC (there is a client for Windows XP, or you can do this over the Web).
The best part about this service is that the files you copy to your space can be accessed from anywhere. I have uploaded a number of PowerPoint files to my .Mac account and I can access these files anywhere I go. To me, this is better than a Zip Disk, floppy disk or even a USB memory device because I don’t have to carry (or loose) these devices. And, I know that this will work no matter where I go, regardless of hardware.
Apple offers all of these services to their customers for $99 a year. They do offer an educational discount, $69 a year, but it comes with only 50MB of disk space (compared to 100MB at full price). For an educator on a budget, this might be a bit pricy. But, if you can afford it, this service is well worth the price. In the time that I have used it, I have found it to be always available, highly reliable and able to fill a number of uses. The best part of the service, to me, is the ability to access my synchronized data over the Web. The ability to view my data anywhere I go is a major benefit, and worth the cost!
Additional Resources
.Mac Home Page
http://www.mac.com
Dot Mac Dot Info
http://www.dotmac.info