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Apple restricting iDisk browser access

updated 04:30 pm EDT, Mon June 16, 2008

iDisk browser support

Apple has begun restricting the supported browsers for the iDisk storage component of .Mac, reports say. Where the service once supported virtually any standard browser, public iDisk access is now officially limited to Safari 1.3 or Firefox 1.0.4 or later, though people can still visit using the likes of Camino (which uses Firefox's Gecko technology) or Opera 9.5. Browsers blocked by iDisk include OmniWeb, and more crucially, the recent Firefox 3 release candidates, The MacObserver noted. The final version of Firefox 3 is due to release on Tuesday.

Windows users accessing an iDisk account are officially limited to either Firefox 1.0.4 or Internet Explorer 6 or better, a requirement which excludes Apple's own PC edition of Safari. The browser restrictions do not appear to affect the rest of .Mac though, as browser incompatibility warnings only appear on iDisk pages. It is unknown whether Apple is locking out browsers for security or purely technical reasons, though its revised MobileMe service premieres in July.

 
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I don't know

06/16, 04:47pm (2 replies) reply

I accessed it no problem using Safari for windows.

But it's nice to see Apple's doing the exact same thing mac users have long complained about other sites doing: Putting in restrictions on entering a site based on the browser you're using.

testudo

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

-19

whine

06/16, 05:49pm reply

"But it's nice to see Apple's doing the exact same thing mac users have long complained about other sites doing: Putting in restrictions on entering a site based on the browser you're using."

really? nice to see?

same ol' song, old and bitter. get a new schtik already. you're like an old woman.

nat

Junior Member

Joined: Mar 2002

+1

Security restrictions

06/16, 11:21pm reply

Why should anyone assume that Apple or any company for that matter would allow using a browser that hasn't been finalized by the developer? Also I don't know anyone either in corporate or private using OmniWeb. It's either IE, Safari or Firefox.

imagine engine

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2007

+1

This news story is c***

06/17, 12:37am reply

Sorry but it is. Why is everyone missing the "or later" bits which suggest that this is not an issue with FireFox 3.

I just connected to iDisk using Safari 4 (that's right 4) and it worked fine and considering I have yet to find word about anyone previewing Mobile Me I get the feeling this is just scare mongering.

There's no ability to see what address they are trying to connect to so I call c*** on this article.

And it's extremely trivial to fake identities on web browsers so there isn't an issue at all.

lowededwookie

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2008

-2

Re: security

06/17, 07:26am reply

No, the real question is why should Apple, or any company, allow or deny access to a site specifically from any browser. By saying "We'll let those who we want in, and if you don't use what we want you to use, or what we haven't the desire to test, we don't care" just shows that site isn't coding to the standards they claim to.

BTW, you all slammed PayPal a month or two ago when they produced a white paper with basically the same arguments. So, it's apple, so it's OK?

testudo

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

-1

Removing support?

06/17, 09:33am reply

What really sucks is that Apple is removing support for browsers. This has to be a temporary move. Why would they NOT support Safari on Windows???

bjojade

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jun 2007

+1

Balmer, we are for you!

06/17, 01:20pm reply

The quicker we choke out Billy's Evil Toy the better!

manleycreative

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2005

+1

Safari for Windows works

06/18, 04:12pm reply

Contrary to reports I can connect fine with Safari for Windows fine so I have no idea where these moron reports are coming from.

FireFox 3 did display a blank screen but that may have been due to the outages people have been reporting.

lowededwookie

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2008

+1

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