MobileMe: Losing Contacts, Lost Reviewers?

"Another day, another MobileMe problem" is rapidly becoming a -- very tired -- cliche. This time around its with contacts and calendars. Or more accurately -- without them. Yesterday TUAW covered how some users' data would disappear from their iPhone after syncing from MobileMe (to be clear, it would disappear from the iPhone but remain in MobileMe).

Late yesterday evening, Apple posted a status update addressing the issue:

Some MobileMe members may be unable to sync new, edited, or deleted contacts, calendars, and bookmarks over the air between computers and mobile devices (iPhone and iPod Touch). Service will be restored ASAP. We apologize for any inconvenience.

An hour or so later still, Apple updated again:

Apple identified and resolved an issue with MobileMe Sync on iPhone and iPod touch. Although no action is required for most members, some may need to reset their data from MobileMe to sync normally again.

Is it safe yet to call MobileMe the "rockiest" launch in Apple's history? Read on to find out why it just might be...

Even the Big 3 reviewers have been giving MobileMe negative reviews -- quite atypical for anything Apple spun.

Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal says, "Apple's MobileMe is Far Too Flawed to Be Reliable". David Pogue of the New York Times is more blunt, "Apple's MobileMess".

On the plus side, Paul Thurrott reports that the gallery features are now working properly for Windows Users. Small miracles.

To be fair to Apple, they're new Status "Blog" is working towards addressing the concerns about the previously egregious lack of communication, and for my part, MobileMe is doing everything I need it to do -- keeping a laptop, desktop, and iPhone in synch (I hit the sync now menu item on the computers when I make a change, work-around'ing the 15-minute "non-push" problem). Likewise, I'm a big Mac sync and Back to My Mac user, and both have been fine previous to, during, and post transition.

But if I was still one of those 60% of the 1% who were STILL waiting on 90% of their email to be restored -- yup, easy bet -- I'd be feeling differently.