Apple's MobileMe service set to go live July 9

The revamped version of Apple's former .Mac service is slated to arrive Wednesday evening, adding features such as over-the-air syncing of events and contacts for iPhones as well as a gussied-up online interface.

According to the .Mac system status page, the MobileMe launch will take place Wednesday, July 9 between 6 p.m. and 12 a.m. PT, which means that anyone with current .Mac service (myself included) may notice a disruption in service during that time.

Once the MobileMe rollout is completed, however, expect a slick new interface, iCal, Mail, and Address Book UIs that'll look like their desktop counterparts, and push support for MobileMe e-mail accounts, photos, events, and contacts (including those in iCal, Address Book, and Outlook) across all your devices—including the iPhone and iPod Touch, once the promised firmware 2.0 upgrade arrives.

It's worth noting that on the MobileMe support page, Apple says that firmware 2.0 (which also adds App Store access and Exchange support to the iPhone) will be available once MobileMe launches; however, Apple hasn't confirmed whether the firmware update will actually go live Wednesday.

A few notes for existing .Mac users:

• Your .Mac account will get the MobileMe upgrade automatically;
• Expect your storage space to double in the next week or so (Apple says the change could take as long as 10 days, so be patient);
• You'll still be able to use your mac.com e-mail address, although you'll also get a me.com address with the same username;
• All existing e-mail and stores files should be safe after the changeover;
• URLs for iWeb sites and Web Galleries will remain unchanged.

Some old .Mac services are going away, however, including Web bookmarks (although bookmarks can still be synched across all your devices) and the .Mac slides publisher.

A one-year individual MobileMe subscription goes for $99 a year, same as with .Mac, and includes 20GB of e-mail and file storage; a $149, 40GB family pack (one individual account plus four family members) is also available.

Related:
.Mac to MobileMe transition FAQ [Apple Support]