With each update to the Mac OS, Apple seems to add more integration and functionality with their .Mac service. Even if you don’t use it for email, the ease of publishing iPhoto and iMovie projects to the Web, syncing your bookmarks and other information between different Macs with iSync, backing up critical data off-site with Backup or just being able to drag-and-drop copy to your iDisk and have clients do the same all make it an important part of your Weapon of Mac Production toolkit.

Even with all that, though, sometimes the $99 price tag can be a bit difficult to justify, especially if you have more than one .Mac account. However, there’s nothing that says you have to pay full retail.

Amazon recently cut their price on the boxed version .Mac 4.0 to $79.99, or $20 off Apple’s retail price of $99.95, with free shipping. Since you already have all the software installed on your machine, just log in to your .Mac account and use the included code to update your subscription. Voila! You just saved $20! (More if you do this for multiple accounts).

Caution: There are a couple other vendors offering .Mac for less, but they include shipping charges. Even selecting the least expensive option doesn’t meet the Amazon price. When comparing, be sure to calculate it out to the bottom line before making the purchase.

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