Not only is MobileMe one of the lamest names to spawn from the Apple team, but how about that logo? It…it looks like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man pinched a loaf on a pile of Apple apps, then tried to decorate it with blue cake frosting. And I’m not the only one who thinks it looks if not hideous, at least well below par by Apple’s standards.
Dr. Macenstein immediately pointed out the conspicuous similarities between MobileMe and Microsoft’s Windows Me logo. Gawker says the MobileMe design should be on the package of cheap Japanese soap, and the Manhattan Offender says it looks like the “poor cousin of the Intel logo” after blatantly posing the question “Is ‘MobileMe’ the worst logo in the history of the Mac?”
I don’t know if it’s the worst ever, but it’s gotta be in the top 3. What do you think?
I don't think it looks bad.
And besides, what a bunch of whining marys. Undoubtedly if it had been a glossy box with the words in Myriad, you would have all claimed that the logo was boring. They're mixing things up a little. So what?
I think Apple is doing extremely well with its strategy and message if the major things people can find to nitpick are Steve's health and what the logo looks like.
Why is this a big deal? It's just a cloud with apps in it. I doubt most people will think that it looks like loaf of poop, or even care.
Just tired of so many lame reviews on stupid stuff...
The logo is fine, with the possible exception of the text, which could be considered as unnecessary. The logo does a good job in that it, relatively speaking, communicates what it does by showing the cloud with icons of applications that we are already familiar with, even if we don't use a Mac. Communication of a purpose is more important than the overall aesthetic qualities. I mean, look at Windows Live - they couldn't even be bothered to make a logo beyond the words "Windows Live".
It looks perfectly fine. It's a service that allows you to access your favorite productivity apps through the proverbial "cloud". The logo is a bunch of apps in a cloud - why doesn't that make sense? Also - no one will/should care. If the service doesn't work, that's one thing, but the logo? It's hardly offensive. Apple knows what they're doing. I couldn't agree more with the comments above from Kelmon, kevster, Donn and Ivor. There is no problem with the logo.
I think that it looks like something for a Nintendo product. I'm OK with it.
Can we not think of more articulate ways to comment on it than "pinched a loaf?" Let's at least pretend to be professional.
I'm not saying it's great or even good, but I could easily find you 100 much worse logos. They do have some kind of consistency with the aqua feel to it. And also with their more eager attempts to attract the window scommunity with the service, perhaps some similiarities is calculated and for a greater good?
Anyway, just saying it could be worse...
Frankly, I don't want a '@me.com' email address. Yuck.
It's the me.com that kind of turns me off. It makes you sound a little self-centered to have an email bruce@me.com
Dr. Macenstein can be an idiot sometimes. Those logos couldn't be more dissimilar if one was in Arial and the other in Dingbat.
I think the world is going to end due to this logo, and it is all Steve Jobs' fault. Time to dump all the Apple gear, and start the talk of how this company is all but toast now
Its a cloud, get over yourself.
I agree "MobileMe" is one of the worst names & the logo is just as bad. What would be so bad with "MacMobile" or almost any other name. It's the "Me" part of the name that is so bad. "LookatMe" is all that kids are about, we shouldn't encourage this. We should help kids to grow up, not keep em down in the cradle.
I personally like it. As Aaron mentioned if anything it reminded me of the the little guy in the cloud dumping things on Mario in SuperMario. I like it and I like the whole change. May not care much for the name. But it works.
I have no problem with the description "it looks like the StayPuff Marshmallow Man pinched a loaf" here. Besides making me laugh all three times I read it, it communicates well. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck (smells like a duck)...
it's not "Mac" anything on purpose. Don't you see that?
It's meant for Macs and PCs, and iPhones and iPods.
And the "me" isn't anywhere near as similar to "Windows Me" as it is to the original Mac displaying "hello" cursively 24+ yrs ago.
And what's wrong with "me.com"? This is a *personal* service, and it's very likely you'll never have an email address with a two-letter domain.
Why are people panicking at a frickin' logo? Especially this one: it's apt, it's cleanly done and it communicates well what exactly it is.
@Larry, the Mac is exactly what Apple wants to get rid of. This is a cross-platform service especially useful to iPhone users. How can you miss that point?
As an Apple user, I've got better things to be concerned with than the name and graphics that are used, if a product does what I need it to do and the cost is reasonable.
As an AAPL shareholder, I trust Apples executive team and marketing department to maximize revenue as they see fit.
Another vote wondering "what's the big deal?"
Is it a big departure from traditional Apple graphics? Yes. It it different than we're used to? Yes. It it bad? I don't think so.
It's playful (hence the Nintendo cloud references), illustrative (highlights clouds and apps), and relatively clean.
And the name has depth I think you're missing. "Mobile Me" turns "mobile" into a verb. It makes me mobile, and also is a "mobile" version of "me" or my stuff: pictures, contacts, you name it. It's a solid name. Just simple, that's all.
You need a life if you care so much about what the damn logo looks like!
It looks like Gremlin has the upper hand
As a long-time (Mac+ era) Mac user, I have to say the MobileMe service sounds very interesting... and, as graphic designer by trade, I have to say that it is the best looking Microsoft logos I have ever seen.
Any Harry Potter fans out there? One of the characters (a pompous phony) wrote a book called "Magical Me." I fell over laughing when I saw the name of Apple's new service. With that in mind, I think it's a great way for Apple to expand its customer base beyond Mac users.
The cloud looks like the "Ghost Busters" final foe in the first movie.
@Mr.B: That would be the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, as referenced in my article. Glad I'm not the only one who saw the similarities!
Akula,
"Mobile" anything can NEVER be used as a verb; it is only an adjective or a noun. Grammar is one of the most important aspects of professionalism.
-Mikey