Dot Mac has been flying under the radar for a while now, until I read that it had been upgraded with some Leopard specific enhancements. Apparently, users will now be able to synchronize their Dashboard widget preferences, Dock items, application and system preferences, and Mail notes. You’ve got to wonder — where’s Apple going with this service?

Dot Mac gives you the above conveniences, as well as online storage, website hosting, IMAP mail and some other goodies. It’s a service that really enhances your Mac experience in terms of integration and for some people it’s worth the $99 it costs. Yes, I’ve tried it. Now, let’s take a moment to think ahead — to the future.

Surely, Apple must have a plan for Dot Mac. Right now, I would imagine that only a very small percentage of the Mac users out there uses this service. And I tell you, this just isn’t in align with the company’s philosophy. The people at Apple has greatness in mind for everything they create, and certainly for everything they release to the public.

Just as the Apple TV will become bigger and bigger in the coming months and years, I think Apple has great plans for Dot Mac. Why am I saying this? As mentioned, they just have a habit of really thinking things through, so I believe we haven’t seen Dot Mac at it’s full potential yet.

Again like the Apple TV, Dot Mac seems to be a hobby for Apple — something they are serious about but don’t yet spend too much money on. Every product has it’s time and perhaps they’re just waiting for the tide to be right until they unleash the power of Dot Mac integration. It may already have some heavy features such as 10 GB online storage and iLife integration but as technology advances, so does ideas.

I mean, the service is great as it is today but it’s not as overwhelming as I want it to be. First of all, I’d like to see more storage space. Right now, it would be pretty much useless for regular users but as internet connections get faster, all of us will be able to store huge backups online. By doing so, we can hand over the responsibility to Apple which has a lot more resources to keep your files safe.

Second, I’d like to see a faster and more system-wide synchronization. Again, this is pretty much a question of connection speeds and most of us don’t have enough. Even so, I have to say the new enhancements are a great step in the right directions. But I don’t want synchronization in seconds, I want it at the speed of light. No matter which one of your computers you’re using, or where you’re using it — boom, it’s like using the same one every time. No delays, no incompatible applications, just instant and system-wide synchronization.

I could spend all day dreaming about this technological utopia where everything works fast and perfect. It’s not Dot Mac that isn’t there yet, it’s the technology it needs. When it comes down to it, I think Dot Mac does pretty much what it can, as good as it can, with todays global technology.

However, it’s not all about technology but also very much about creating a trend. As Mac usage become more wide-spread, I think we’ll see more people using Dot Mac and it’s convenient iLife integration to share pictures and movies with their friends and family. I also think we’ll see a greater marketing effort from Apple later on.

The future of Dot Mac is not clear but it’s certain. I’m confident that Apple will push this service forward whenever they can, just like they’re doing right now. It isn’t ready to become revolutionary just yet but I strongly believe the time will come when Dot Mac becomes a giant piece of Apple’s integration puzzle.