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

[justinfreid]

1. Will your email aliases also transfer over? I use 4 alias email accounts and 1 main account.
2. Is "Documents in the cloud" the same thing as iDisk? I currently use iDisk.

Those are both good questions.
For number 1, reading this page from Apple indicates that they haven't answered this question yet. I think the me.com to icloud.com transition will be fleshed out as things go forward, maybe this is one item that's up in the air. My bet is that your aliases will be transferred just as your main account will.

For number 2, I think this refers explicitly to auto-syncing of iWork documents, Apple hasn't alluded to DropBox-like (that is old iDisk-like) straight file syncing. They might add that functionality in, too, but it seems most of the files will tie in directly with apps.

 

[maveness]

Keychain sync is the single most useful thing about MobileMe. I am SHOCKED that it is being omitted from iCloud.

 

[Starhawk]

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?

Ha, Peter, I am in exactly the same boat that you are, and I JUST asked Mobile Me support this exact questions. It took her a second to get what I was actually asking. She eventually understood but was not sure as more iCloud info hadn't officially been released yet.

But I'm thinking about doing just like you said.

1. Cancel Mobile Me account and get a partial refund.
2. Hopefully this will free up my me.com email address
3. Quickly sign up my main Apple ID with iCloud and grab my me.com email again.

I keep thinking the main reason they can't "merge" the two accounts is that they are assuming there are purchases and other info in BOTH accounts. I just want to move my me.com email address over, that's it. I have all my purchases on my main Apple ID and do not need to merge anything.

Send them some feedback about this: http://www.apple.com/feedback/mobileme.html I did.

 

[Eduardo1971]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8F190 Safari/6533.18.5)

Galleries a big loss. Better than picassa and the alternatives for sharing pics with family and friends.

I'll stick with google (Apps) for e mail though - brilliant.

Gosh-I'm also going to miss gallery. So simple and elegant.

I'm both sad and bugged.

 

[mdelvecchio]

This is a huge kick in the teeth for everyone using iWeb. It's a pity that FrontPage isn't available for Mac.

why cant you continue using your iWeb and publish to a different host?

or use dreamweaver?

 

[zim]

I had high expectations for iCloud and am trying to keep them but this listing of stuff not carrying over has me down. I feel like iCloud isn't going to make my life any easier and dread gong back to the manual syncing of my three machines.... ugh!

Sigh.. now that I think of it.. I use all the MobileMe features.. iDisk on a daily basis, gallery monthly, sync every hour, the basic Web hosting for quick stuff.

Also just remembered that I have 4 alias to my email account.. please Apple show some kindness.. you made our lives so much easier by giving us stuff we didn't even know we wanted and now you are taking them away!!!

 

[scottwaugh]

As a long time MobileMe user with iWeb it is dissapointing today the least. I have a lot of websites hosted on my mobile me storage space, I was happy paying for the service for over 10 years and now it feels like Apple are rewarding users of their mobile me iDisk and iWeb programmes with a big finger.....

iCloud is wonderful, but it should not be to th detriment of existing loyal users.

I agree. I keep hoping that they'll have something in iCloud to cover it but it seems like its gone, have to host it somewhere else.

Regarding Apple and giving its users a big finger - I don't think they are doing it on purpose, but they do this kind of thing constantly. Once they see a new vista they want to go to they throw existing customers under the bus without pause (or much thought apparently). Its an issue of their corporate personality - as they could do things so much better and make more money in the end (and goodwill).

Some examples, just go ask the current Final Cut Pro professional users (i.e. folks that have multi-user workflow environments for FCP) who can't get a copy of the old Final Cut Studio (Apple has bought up all the copies from the retail channel - so if you waited to see what the new one was like and decided you wanted to get another copy of FCP 7 you can't) even though the new Final Cut Pro isn't capable of working in a professional multiuser environment anymore or ask the G5 PowerPC users who figured they'd get the 64 bit Snow Leopard since their G5's were 64 bit and it was talked about early on or ask the G5 PowerPC users who thought they could get a copy of Leopard (the last PowerPC Mac OS) after Snow Leopard was released (Apple bought up existing copies of Leopard from the channel on Snow Leopard release day and the price for Leopard on eBay went to 3 times retail price at one point cause the guys still running Tiger couldn't get Leopard in the retail channel).

back off tangent...

 

[mdelvecchio]

its odd the Apple PR would tell him one thing, and then today announce something different. They could have said their usual "No Comment" remark instead of lying to Josh.

how do you know they lied? maybe they were misinformed, maybe things changed, or maybe he got it wrong. but lying? youd have to know more than you do to believe that.

 

[PeterM11]

Ha, Peter, I am in exactly the same boat that you are, and I JUST asked Mobile Me support this exact questions. It took her a second to get what I was actually asking. She eventually understood but was not sure as more iCloud info hadn't officially been released yet.

But I'm thinking about doing just like you said.

1. Cancel Mobile Me account and get a partial refund.
2. Hopefully this will free up my me.com email address
3. Quickly sign up my main Apple ID with iCloud and grab my me.com email again.

I keep thinking the main reason they can't "merge" the two accounts is that they are assuming there are purchases and other info in BOTH accounts. I just want to move my me.com email address over, that's it. I have all my purchases on my main Apple ID and do not need to merge anything.

Send them some feedback about this: http://www.apple.com/feedback/mobileme.html I did.

Yeah, we're definitely in the exact same boat. I think I'll just go the route of using an itunes.xyz@me.com or maybe just apple.xyz.com instead though. I'm worried if I cancel my MobileMe it might still keep the address tangled up and won't allow someone else (in this case the same person) to take that name. Maybe if someone did it successfully but I'm a bit too cautious to try it.

 

[RTee]

idisk will be missed.

MYOB has a save to mobile me - idisk option which we use everyday to store our backups, this will be missed!

 

[kurzz]

Yeah, we're definitely in the exact same boat. I think I'll just go the route of using an itunes.xyz@me.com or maybe just apple.xyz.com instead though. I'm worried if I cancel my MobileMe it might still keep the address tangled up and won't allow someone else (in this case the same person) to take that name. Maybe if someone did it successfully but I'm a bit too cautious to try it.

I would not try that now. Apparently all the mobile me addresses and aliases are frozen until the launch of icloud this fall. i.e. currently we can't add or delete any aliases.

 

[Dr McKay]

Im really hating the idea of this iCloud transition.

 

[VulchR]

Apple's PR machine should get its finger out of its backside and start explaining. I used a lot of features of MobileMe and I'm annoyed that it appears some of them have been canceled but that we can't really tell yet because the FAQ are seemingly self-contradictory.

For example:

You will be able to continue using MobileMe iDisk through June 30, 2012, even after moving to iCloud. You should save copies of all files stored on iDisk before that date. Please read this article for details...
Other MobileMe services that are not transitioning to iCloud (iWeb publishing, Gallery, and iDisk) will continue to be available through June 30, 2012, even after you move to iCloud.
​

vs

iCloud includes 5GB of free storage for mail, documents, and backup, which should be enough for most users. Purchased music, apps, and books do not count against this 5GB of storage, nor do the photos in your Photo Stream. If you still need more storage, you will be able to buy it. Details will be provided when iCloud is available this fall.​

Seriously, huh?

I wonder if this is Apple's way of locking us into using iWork and Apple devices only. In effect, synching could mean that iCloud doesn't allow transfer of files via a web interface, which is essential if one is using Windows or using shared machines. If so, iCloud can go somewhere and evaporate for all I will care... what a fail. @

 

[haydn!]

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.

So are you not capable of using Flickr, Facebook, and the countless other online photo sharing sites?

 

[mdelvecchio]

Im really hating the idea of this iCloud transition.

change sucks, huh?

 

[Morod]

So are you not capable of using Flickr, Facebook, and the countless other online photo sharing sites?

I have a Photobucket account right now, but comparing it or Flickr to MM Gallery is apples to oranges in the display, presentation, and ease of use.

 

[thesaint580]

I think SJ and Apple are starting to lose their minds. I never can trust Apple from here on that a feature now in iCloud will be available in 2014/2015. This is just a plain simple slap on the face for people who paid for a $99 service.

 

[kurzz]

I think SJ and Apple are starting to lose their minds. I never can trust Apple from here on that a feature now in iCloud will be available in 2014/2015. This is just a plain simple slap on the face for people who paid for a $99 service.

That $99 is for a year, not until the end of the universe.

 

[thesaint580]

That $99 is for a year, not until the end of the universe.

I dont care about $99. I still am ready to pay $99 for iCloud. What I am trying to convey is the transition or whatever they call has to be done in a proper way. I have been using MobileMe since day one and the money that I was paying for was Gallery, Keychain, iDisk and hosting. Now, Apple is asking us to take it or leave it. There are no options from Apple and that is why I am frustrated.

 

[1984world]

What if i would be happy to pay for the mobileme-features they are canceling?!
I would pay $10 a year for a great photogallery function added to my iCloud-account. Just give us a way to expand the iCloud-features by paying for it. Not everything has to be for free, but cancelling the features is just a loss of good products.

You can pay 5$ a year with google to get web storage. Put all photos in picasa and upload. Then get the mypics app on itunes-this is what I do, and it works great! You can even add multiple gmail accounts to have photos from different users. good times.

 

[wolfpackfan]

I am having a hard time understanding the backlash on Gallery, iDisk maybe yes, but Gallery? I have been a long time user of Picasa and have never found Gallery anywhere close in features. Now iDisk I will miss but I also use Dropbox, so I'll just use iCloud for my iWorks files and Dropbox for everything else. No big deal IMO. Plus it's now all free.

 

[dethmaShine]

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.

With you on that.

I don't synchronise dock items but that's about. Almost everything else is synchronised for e.g. Preferences, Keychains, dashboard, etc. I am quite devastated with Apple doing this to the present users.

The good thing? I am a paid MobileMe user and will have access to these services for the next 1 year or so. Maybe they implement something good in b/w so that these things become possible with OS X.

 

[NAG]

I'm mixed about them removing some of the syncing features. I'm not surprised though. Beyond Job's war on the word "sync", the syncing features were pretty buggy. Preferences never worked. It routinely corrupted them. Keychains were corrupted occasionally. Dock and Dashboard were okay but I can live without it. Good thing I recently switched back over to 1Password (I've been unlinking myself from MobileMe ever since I heard the it was being killed...apparently I correctly predicted that the only things to make the cut from MobileMe would be the stuff that your iOS devices can use too...although I'm happy about Back to My Mac not dying).

I do hope that they explain what iCloud Documents is. All we know is that it is magic. Sigh. I'm not expecting you to ever be able to use it in Finder but it would be nice to know if we can use a share link like iDisk so you don't have to email a huge document.

Apple's PR machine should get its finger out of its backside and start explaining. I used a lot of features of MobileMe and I'm annoyed that it appears some of them have been canceled but that we can't really tell yet because the FAQ are seemingly self-contradictory.

For example:

You will be able to continue using MobileMe iDisk through June 30, 2012, even after moving to iCloud. You should save copies of all files stored on iDisk before that date. Please read this article for details...
Other MobileMe services that are not transitioning to iCloud (iWeb publishing, Gallery, and iDisk) will continue to be available through June 30, 2012, even after you move to iCloud.
​

vs

iCloud includes 5GB of free storage for mail, documents, and backup, which should be enough for most users. Purchased music, apps, and books do not count against this 5GB of storage, nor do the photos in your Photo Stream. If you still need more storage, you will be able to buy it. Details will be provided when iCloud is available this fall.​

Seriously, huh?

I wonder if this is Apple's way of locking us into using iWork and Apple devices only. In effect, synching could mean that iCloud doesn't allow transfer of files via a web interface, which is essential if one is using Windows or using shared machines. If so, iCloud can go somewhere and evaporate for all I will care... what a fail. @

What is contradictory there? Paragraph one says remove your stuff from iDisk and Gallery before you transition. Paragraph two says your new iCloud account will have 5Gb standard. Things like Photostream and iTunes downloads won't count to the 5Gb but things like iCloud documents and Mail will.

As far as locking you in, we have any info about if iCloud Documents has APIs for Windows? If not, it still isn't a lock in. They aren't holding your stuff hostage. You can put it all in Drop Box if you want even if you've transitioned to iCloud.

 

[Henk Poley]

No more website / galleries ?

I wonder if they make a deal with Yahoo / Google or somesuch to host the existing galleries and websites. There are a lot of mom and pop shops and small projects on .mac websites.

 

[neko girl]

I don't understand 5 GB for "backup". The smallest mobile device I have is 16 GB, so what does that mean?