Preparing for iOS 5

mac2thefuture said:

Hello.

We have multiple iDevices within our household and most of us use have google email addresses.
Do you think it's best to change this to .me addresses to take full use of iOS 5 (iMeassage, share calendars, FaceTime etc) or will google accounts suffice for all features?
Thanks for any help.

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Yes who wouldn't want all iOS 5's great features

I guess me for one, I am not changing my email address for this

it's your apple ID that gives you all the features of iCloud, I personally won't be switching away from gmail, so I'll use gmail for email contacts and calender, and my apple id (which is my gmail) for everything else and get a free me.com email therefore I can use both the gmail and me.com for imessage ect. cause it's all under one apple ID.

androiphone said:

it's your apple ID that gives you all the features of iCloud, I personally won't be switching away from gmail, so I'll use gmail for email contacts and calender, and my apple id (which is my gmail) for everything else and get a free me.com email therefore I can use both the gmail and me.com for imessage ect. cause it's all under one apple ID.

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Exactly. You don't have to get a me.com address to use iCloud. In OP's case, he WILL want to make sure everyone in the household has a different Apple ID to take advantage of iCloud, but they don't have to be me.com Apple IDs.

BACK. EVERYTHING. UP.

Export your Address Book, your iCal, your bookmarks. Leave nothing to chance.

So far iCloud has worked for me but it's not public yet, not fully functioning yet and Apple have me a bit worried about their internet services clout after MobileMe went bung so many times.

Yes, you can use a different iTunes Store ID and iCloud ID, that works fine.

Why would you change your email address? You can already set up your google account to sync contacts, calendars and push email to your devices.

mac2thefuture said:

Ah great. It's seem you can split it then. Thanks.

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further to my earlier post to get your free me.com email using your apple ID you sign into iCloud with your apple ID and then follow this: guide

Chundles said:

BACK. EVERYTHING. UP.

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I can't reiterate this enough, if you are using gmail, log into webmail and export your contacts and calender, and save then in a folder on your computer, that way if anything goes wrong (if you decide to switch) then you can't loose any data.

mac2thefuture said:

The reason for the confusion.
2 children, a wife and I. My wife and i would like to share the calendar, we'd all like to iMessage and importantly, we'd all like to continue buying content/apps BUT as far as this is concerned, only from the one Apple ID account. I don't want my children having access to iTunes etc without my consent/ me typing in the password. Still as murky as mud.

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What I'd do.

1 iTunes Account - shared amongst your family. You hold the password.

2 iCloud accounts - one for you, one for your wife, this way you can share calendars and they will auto-update over the air as you both change things. Use these accounts for iMessage.

Chundles said:

What I'd do.

1 iTunes Account - shared amongst your family. You hold the password.

2 iCloud accounts - one for you, one for your wife, this way you can share calendars and they will auto-update over the air as you both change things. Use these accounts for iMessage.

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I also have one Apple ID between me and the wife. She uses the iPad and I have my iPhone. So how would she create an iCloud account on the iPad with just our one ID? I do have her gmail email address as a secondary on the Apple ID.

whsbuss said:

I also have one Apple ID between me and the wife. She uses the iPad and I have my iPhone. So how would she create an iCloud account on the iPad with just our one ID? I do have her gmail email address as a secondary on the Apple ID.

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just share a google calendar and be done with it.

steve dave said:

just share a google calendar and be done with it.

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We already do that. I want to use iCloud.

whsbuss said:

We already do that. I want to use iCloud.

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you already have 1 apple ID that is used for buying apps, one of you take that and sign into iCloud with it, the other make a new apple ID either using their email or create one (on device) with a free me.com email, then both of you use your separate apple ID/iCloud on all your devices,
but (if you only want to buy all your apps once) you have to buy all of them on itunes and then you sync with both devices with itunes to get the apps on both.

that is the only way you can do it afaik

whsbuss said:

We already do that. I want to use iCloud.

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right, but it sounds like you already have everything set up through google. Is there a reason you want to use iCloud other than just to be able to say you are using icloud to share a calendar?

Use iCloud for :

1) Sharing Calendars
2) Use/Share Reminders
3) Sync Notes
4) Sync Bookmarks
5) Photostream
6) Documents & Data for Apps
7) Wireless Backup to Cloud

Thats the list I know of and use personally ...

Stealthipad said:

I guess me for one, I am not changing my email address for this

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same here

androiphone said:

further to my earlier post to get your free me.com email using your apple ID you sign into iCloud with your apple ID and then follow this: guide



I can't reiterate this enough, if you are using gmail, log into webmail and export your contacts and calender, and save then in a folder on your computer, that way if anything goes wrong (if you decide to switch) then you can't loose any data.

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How do you back up gmail and your calendar? I never knew you could do that, lol.

Also, I plan on using icloud because I can never get my gmail calendar to sync properly between my iphone, ipad, macbook pro and imac. I've tried everything I've read and it drives me nuts because I have 3 emails now from everybody whenever I receive an email.

Karenl39 said:

Also, I plan on using icloud because I can never get my gmail calendar to sync properly between my iphone, ipad, macbook pro and imac. I've tried everything I've read and it drives me nuts because I have 3 emails now from everybody whenever I receive an email.

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I know you've said you've tried everything, but did that include setting up the iphone and ipad as Exchange to gmail?

I have ipad and iphone set this way, and use Outlook 2011 on my Macbook Air set to Gmail as IMAP for calendar & email. Everything remains in sync.

I'm sticking with Google for calendar, contacts and mail. Everything else iCloud. You can have multiple email accounts setup on your iPhone. I have gmail and a .me email setup.

As far as a family goes.. You have 1 master iTunes apple ID which you use on all your family devices so you can share music and apps. Then you have an iCloud apple ID setup for each family member for their personal iCloud.

deeddawg said:

I know you've said you've tried everything, but did that include setting up the iphone and ipad as Exchange to gmail?

I have ipad and iphone set this way, and use Outlook 2011 on my Macbook Air set to Gmail as IMAP for calendar & email. Everything remains in sync.

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Yes! The problems started when I set it up as an exchange. Somehow I messed it up on my mac and my iphone and haven't had the time to really dig into it to fix it.