MobileMe rebate program ends, Apple’s cloud strategy advances

In another move that advances Apple’s cloud strategy, the company has ended the MobileMe rebate program, according to an internal memo 9to5Mac received.

The $30 instant rebate had been offered for several years with the purchase of primary Apple hardware such as Macs and iOS devices. In fact, a quick check at the online store this morning reveals that MobileMe is not even an add-on option when purchasing a MacBook Pro. In fact, I couldn’t even find it for purchase at all.

This move puts Apple one step closer to killing or revamping MobileMe as more than just a wimpy online photo gallery and contact sync tool. You can bet that Apple has big plans for the successor of MobileMe and for cutting the cord – they won’t be overshadowed by Amazon’s Cloud Drive. That big data center in North Carolina has got to be for more than just streaming video.

9to5Mac also reported that iWork is no longer discounted when pre-installed with a system. Indeed, a quick check online reveals only the regular price of $79 for a single user license. It sounds like we’ll see iWork ’11 announced soon, perhaps at June’s WWDC. The productivity suite was last updated in January 2009 so it is a bit overdue for a refresh.

Apple has proven in the past that they don’t have to be first to be the best. Bring on the cloud.

[via 9to5Mac]