Apple Confirms iCloud Web Apps for Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Find My iPhone

[roland.g]

I'm surprised at some of the comments here, I thought Apple made it pretty clear iCloud was less about 'cloud storage' and more about 'cloud syncing'

The point if iCloud is to ensure all your devices, including iOS, Mac and PC devices are all perfectly in sync. All of the time. Not provide online storage so you can access data from your devices anywhere.

Because of this, you won't need cloud storage because all your content will be available on your devices.

There is no need for the Gallery feature because your photos will already be available on your devices. Why view them over the net when it's quicker and easier to view them directly from your device?

Personally, I think this is the safer, better way of approaching 'cloud' services.

I don't care if my photos are available on my devices. I want to share photos and videos with friends and family on the web, wherever they are, and regardless on platform on a nicely designed black ad-free interface with great slideshows and animations. And they built the sharing right into iPhoto, Aperture and iMovie. They even have an iOS app for Gallery and iDisk.

 

[paulsalter]

You cannot trust anybody. Any service that is not popular will be shutdown at some point. Remember Google Wave?

It is up to you to figure out whether a service is likely to be around for a while. Any service that does not have a multi-year track record, carries a significant risk of market failure.

Thats very true

I thought MM was quite popular though, seems a lot of people use the features

 

[PeterM11]

Okay then, from the replies I've gotten I guess it would be easier to just switch sides on this one.

My new question to Apple would be are @me.com aliases coming back? I was even suggested by MobileMe support to use them after they were already disabled so I hope they do. I never really had a reason to use them until now.

Edit:

Currently active email aliases will continue to work for sending and receiving emails.

The ability to add, delete, or change an email alias will be available for MobileMe members that move to iCloud, once it is available this fall.

Found that on their site in a support page.

 

[andiwm2003]

I'm surprised at some of the comments here, I thought Apple made it pretty clear iCloud was less about 'cloud storage' and more about 'cloud syncing'

The point if iCloud is to ensure all your devices, including iOS, Mac and PC devices are all perfectly in sync. All of the time. Not provide online storage so you can access data from your devices anywhere.

Because of this, you won't need cloud storage because all your content will be available on your devices.

There is no need for the Gallery feature because your photos will already be available on your devices. Why view them over the net when it's quicker and easier to view them directly from your device?

Personally, I think this is the safer, better way of approaching 'cloud' services.

i'm surprised of this comment. you obviously haven't used MobileMe and .Mac before that and have features taken away from the service after Apple promised for years they will improve and develop them. There are a million people out there that have an established setup using services that get now cancelled.

 

[MRU]

i'm surprised of this comment. you obviously haven't used MobileMe and .Mac before that and have features taken away from the service after Apple promised for years they will improve and develop them. There are a million people out there that have an established setup using services that get now cancelled.

Exactly mine and many others situation summed up.


I do not understand how Apple are abandoning a paid service that many customers are happy and willing to pay, for a 'free' service without the option at least for upgradeable tiered service. Penalise those that are giving us money, to offer a somewhat dumbed down service to those that are not. How is this business sense is beyond me.

 

[Robin4]

Have they posted everything about the iCloud package? What's in, what's out, what's new.

I think i'll reserve my thoughts (and aggravations) until I know the whole story. I'm glad to hear what's in so far.

 

[manu chao]

i'm surprised of this comment. you obviously haven't used MobileMe and .Mac before that and have features taken away from the service after Apple promised for years they will improve and develop them. There are a million people out there that have an established setup using services that get now cancelled.

You know what is sometime jokingly cited as article zero of many constitutions?
The right that nothing will change and that whatever you have acquired be it your own possessions or entitlements of any kind of sorts or features in software products will always be yours.

If you had bought a succession of a 12-cylinder cars and then at some point the manufacturer decides to not offer a 12-cylinder engine in the next model, would you feel let down?

 

[Sora]

The two features that hurt me the most:

1. Gallery
2. Keychain Sync

C'mon Apple. Keychain Sync? It's probably the last thing I want you take away from iCloud. Sad.

I agree completely. I would expand #2 and say the entire "Synchronize with MobileMe" capability (bookmarks, dashboard, dock items, keychain, mail, notes, preferences). Made the process of setting up my back after a reload very efficient and easy.
I have had this service since it was iTools (in 2001), and somehow, I feel as though this next phase is a step back.

I fail to see how they cannot somehow implement a Gallery/iDisk/Synch feature, possibly even iWeb or an iBlog/Apple Blogging tool (considering everyone has 5GB of space).

Time will tell.

 

[RangerOne]

It's a shame that iWeb and Gallery won't be supported.

iWeb was insanely easy and convenient for beginners. Gallery was simply beautiful -- I hate the idea of using ugly Facebook/Flickr/etc. photo galleries.

The beauty of these products is that they were all integrated with Apple's iLife suite. My photos in iPhoto can easily be published to beautiful Galleries. Those same photos can be dropped right into iWeb pages and stylized. Apple letting third parties offer sub-par replacements to this kind of smooth integration is a disservice to customers.

iDisk seems like it would be replicated by "documents in the cloud." I live and die by iDisk -- I have 5 macs, 3 of which I use daily. Having right-there access to my files on every machine plus my iPad and iPhone is insanely useful. I have all my documents (except photos, videos, music) in iDisk.

 

[diamond.g]

Does anyone know if they are going to provide an update to make 10.5/10.6 compatible with iCloud, like they did MobileMe?

 

[edwurtle]

Screw that man... I m a long time dot mac user, first the dot mac album, and than the gallery, and now you wipe the gallery function off... totally WTF... and the thing is, is Apple think 5GB is enough for current dotmac and mobile me user? I have more than 8GB of files and mail in my iDisk already....

5GB is free and you will have the ability to buy more storage space for significantly less price then mobileme.

 

[ginkobiloba]

i don't care much for galleries/iweb/etc.. . No iDisk hurts, but i will get over it...

But..

No keychain sync ?? wow..

No bookmarks syncing ? double wow...Am i supposed to enter manually my Safari bookmarks on my iPhone each time i add one on my Mac ? Or do i have to go thru iTunes every time to sync bookmarks between my iPad and iPhone ?
That's sooo 5 year backwards . Very , Very strange decision by Apple.

 

[Stella]

I am very surprised to see no web space. Odd decision IMO.

 

[edwurtle]

I'm surprised at some of the comments here, I thought Apple made it pretty clear iCloud was less about 'cloud storage' and more about 'cloud syncing'

The point if iCloud is to ensure all your devices, including iOS, Mac and PC devices are all perfectly in sync. All of the time. Not provide online storage so you can access data from your devices anywhere.

Because of this, you won't need cloud storage because all your content will be available on your devices.

There is no need for the Gallery feature because your photos will already be available on your devices. Why view them over the net when it's quicker and easier to view them directly from your device?

Personally, I think this is the safer, better way of approaching 'cloud' services.

This is all true, however many people have more content then iDevice small storage space. Once your content exceeds storage space of your smallest device, or storage space in iCloud the entire concept "everything is in sync and locally" goes up in flames.

 

[PeterM11]

i don't care much for galleries/iweb/etc.. . No iDisk hurts, but i will get over it...

But..

No keychain sync ?? wow..

No bookmarks syncing ? double wow...Am i supposed to enter manually my Safari bookmarks on my iPhone each time i add one on my Mac ? Or do i have to go thru iTunes every time to sync bookmarks between my iPad and iPhone ?
That's sooo 5 year backwards . Very , Very strange decision by Apple.

Bookmarks are clearly checked in the image. They will be staying.

 

[maclaptop]

Interesting about iDisk. I wonder what will happen there?

Apple probably realized they had no chance compared to Dropbox.

 

[ginkobiloba]

Bookmarks are clearly checked in the image. They will be staying.

ooops .. right.

Still, no keychain sync sucks..

I guess all this stuff that's gonna disappear can be more or less replaced by a multitude of services.. but that was the point of MobileMe for me. It was all regrouped pretty elegantly under one roof.

 

[edwurtle]

I have a feeling apple will bring back some of these features in a different way. Perhaps a separate new Gallery app that works with iCloud and provides a web interface to share your photos. Photostream would be used to ease syncing between devices. While a separate Gallery app implementing iCloud api to share photos via web interface. Apps like these would encourage users to upgrade iCloud 5GB storage.

Currently I haven't even seen a way to store videos directly on iCloud, but I'm sure apple will implement it into one or more of their apps.

 

[hayesk]

Here's a question. If I canceled my MobileMe account and signed up for a new iCloud account what are the odds I could use my current @me.com address?
ex. I currently use xyz@me.com. If I delete this account would the address be up for grabs?

You should be ok because you can still use that address for iChat, AppleID on the store, iTunes, store, etc. even after you cancelled. Just don't forget the password after you cancel.

 

[PeterM11]

ooops .. right.

Still, no keychain sync sucks..

I guess all this stuff that's gonna disappear can be more or less replaced by a multitude of services.. but that was the point of MobileMe for me. It was all regrouped pretty elegantly under one roof.

I completely agree. I'll deal with it. I'll even grow to love iCloud I'm sure but this was kind of harsh. I loved MobileMe through all of it's problems because it just worked. I'm already in the Apple ecosystem and it just made it a tighter system. When I would tell people I paid $99 a year for it and they said why not just Google services for free? It's because of how clean MobileMe is. How it just works without me knowing. How it's simple without losing functionality. How it's just so Apple.

I kinda thought when iWeb didn't get updated in iLife it meant it was dying. Hoped I was wrong but knew it might be coming. Not sure what service I'll use now. Or what App. I'm sure iWeb as an App will be gone soon enough too. All I really use it for is a custom Start Page anyway.

iDisk leaving is also not very surprising but sad. It's been stated they'll offer more space so maybe Documents in the Cloud will work similarly. (Name isn't nearly as catchy though.)

Gallery is really a sad thing to hear about. I didn't really use it that much but when I did I loved it. And I loved being able to use it to just keep backups of all my photos.

As for keychain, system preferences, etc. sync. Now that was a shocker. Never expected that to leave. I've always heard people regarding it as one of the best feature of MobileMe.

 

[ScottishDuck]

They forgot:

Hacked by LulzSec ✓

 

[jive turkey]

Like so many, I am very disappointed that KeyChain sync is being dropped. I know there are a few third party apps available to do some of what KeyChain does (web logins for sure, IDK about app credentials, etc), and there will no doubt be more pop up. Perhaps I'm being a little paranoid, but with all the security breeches lately and with other crap going on (like developers mapping passwords and clouding it as "research"), I am not too keen on storing this info with a third party who I haven't had a long relationship with and is big enough to trust (like Apple). I have some very, very important details in Keychain that go way beyond login info for MacRumors or my PayPal account.

 

[rmwebs]

Dreamhost and 1and1 are two that I recommend. Dreamhost recently had a sale where you got unlimited hosting for a year and a free domain name for 9 bucks. I've been using them for a few months now and haven't had any issues.

Dreamhost have that offer on all the time and its been active for about 4 years now. They are also one of the wost hosts out there, closely followed by 1&1.

If you want hosting, get on WebHostingTalk, dont take advice without a backing of a large number of people...read reviews in the WHT forums.

 

[dukeblue91]

"Syncing of Mac Dashboard widgets, keychains, Dock items, and System Preferences will not be part of iCloud."

What the hell? Seriously? I use those features constantly.

Me too! This really sucks.

 

[Morod]

I'm surprised at some of the comments here, I thought Apple made it pretty clear iCloud was less about 'cloud storage' and more about 'cloud syncing'

The point if iCloud is to ensure all your devices, including iOS, Mac and PC devices are all perfectly in sync. All of the time. Not provide online storage so you can access data from your devices anywhere.

Because of this, you won't need cloud storage because all your content will be available on your devices.

There is no need for the Gallery feature because your photos will already be available on your devices. Why view them over the net when it's quicker and easier to view them directly from your device?

Personally, I think this is the safer, better way of approaching 'cloud' services.

Umm, I have only one "device" my desktop iMac. This is the only "device" I want or need. Not being able to share photos with distant family members is bad news all the way around.