Edible Apple

There’s been a significant buildup of MobileMe rumors over the past few months, and now the typically reliable iLounge is reporting that Apple has plans to offer a brand spankin’ new and free version of MobileMe sometime next month.

The source, who works for a major educational institution, claims the school’s supplier has said the current version of MobileMe is no longer available, and that Apple is suggesting new students sign up for the 60-day trial to cover the gap between the final MobileMe shipment and the launch of the new version. In addition, the source was told that Apple will be supporting the existing version of MobileMe for the next year, suggesting that the new version will be quite different from the existing service; the extra year of support would likely cover those who recently paid for a full year of MobileMe, prior to Apple removing any method through which a user could pay for the service.

Specific details about a new MobileMe have been all over the map, with rumors of cloud storage for iTunes purchases being one of the more frequently mentioned rumors. Not that here have been previous reports suggesting a planned media event for April where Apple will reportedly showcase iOS 5 (rumored to be a major update) and a revamped MobileMe.

And going back a few months, Apple CEO Steve Jobs wrote via email in December 2010 that MobileMe will get “a lot better in 2011.”