Totally Web-based applications don't exactly spring to mind when you think about Apple. But that's true in part because of its shockingly archaic approach to them: It wants you to -- gasp! -- pay $99 a year for Mobile Me, a bundle of mail, calendaring, photo sharing, storage, and "Find My iPhone." Except for Find My iPhone, all of these services have solid free competitors; I've never been sure why anyone would pay Apple for something as readily available as e-mail.
Except . . . Apple has released a nice new version of Mobile Me Mail. (Click on the screen cap to see a close-up of Mobile Me's new look.) Like its predecessors it has a nicely Apple-esque user interface. But it's reasonably powerful, too, with features such as rules and the ability to handle external accounts. As before, it's ad-free, which adds to the clutter-free feel. It feels like what Gmail might be if it were designed by Apple, and it's worth checking out if you like slick Web apps. (Mobile Me offers a 60-day free trial.)
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