.Mac (System Preferences)

The .Mac panel of System Preferences deals with Internet, .Mac and iDisk options of the Macintosh running Mac OS X.

Two panes, .Mac and iDisk, formed the panel under Mac OS X 10.3.x. With the expansion of .Mac services under Tiger, however, the .Mac preferences were expanded under Mac OS X 10.4.x.

.Mac pane
The user can input his or her .Mac membership info, including member name and password, in this section. If the user is not a .Mac member, there is an option to sign up by clicking a button.

iDisk pane
The user can check the current iDisk storage situation (and buy more space if needed). There are also options to create (with or without automatic synchronisation) a local copy of the iDisk.

Finally, options for the Public Folder can be set, including password protection.

Account pane
This pane allows you to change your user name and password. If you are connected to the Internet, Apple will also show you how much time you have until your account renews automatically. There is a button which allows you to change your Account Info.

Sync pane
As of Mac OS X 10.4, iSync is relieved of its duties to synchronise with .Mac. Instead, the .Mac System Preferences take over the job. In this pane, there are options to synchronise, with .Mac, the following:


 * Bookmarks
 * Calendars
 * Contacts
 * Keychains
 * Mail accounts
 * Mail rules, signatures and Smart Mailboxes.