Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I guess I should complain about getting charged $3.99 for this month for my 200GB plan, but I think that the dollar that Apple got is not that much to whine about.

(heck, they'll be getting about $1800 from me with the new stuff - :apple:Watch for Mrs. thequik, :apple:tv 64GB for family, 6S+ for Mrs. thequik, iPad Pro for me... heck she wants a new iMac too... It's her turn for upgrades this year.)
 
Oh it's a steal alright, a steal of your money. Apple really needs to charge a whole whopping dollar just to give you 50 gigs? You have services like Flickr that gives 1 terabyte of storage for FREE. Granted it's only for photos and videos, but still.
TANSTAAFL - There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

I haven't looked at the details of the Terms of Use, but it may be that you're giving them rights to your photos. That may be nothing to you (there is nothing wrong with that, mind you), but it does to me. With a 1TB (cheap) drive costing $50-60, and maintaining it being another $10/year (power, RAID, a person to watch all of these, Flickr has to get money coming in from somewhere.
 
  • Like
Reactions: co.ag.2005
Why backup to the cloud?

Backing up to iTunes over WiFi is as simple as eating a cake.
Also you don't put ALL OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA on a server.
I understand that for US-Americans that might not be much of an issue, but many parts in the remaining world don't take quite so kindly to that idea.
That's why Apple can suggest me to use iCloud over using a higher capacity iPhone all they want, it's not gonna happen.
That and that you're always dependent on internet connectivity.
Or data caps. Or paying to keep the files alive. And you can't install an app to iCloud. (it seems they want to get into this with the Apple TV, great, more reason to stick to low base models and ask for cloud money...)

I digress sorry, iCloud storage is different from backups, but I love me some tangents. :D

Glassed Silver:mac
I am privacy conscience as well, but suggest you think through this a bit more. First, the fact that you have a phone and email means your information is already in the cloud whether you like it or not -- EU laws makes it a requirement for the server to be in-country, but that doesn't really mean much these days. Also, losing all your pictures could be devastating. Making sure you have redundant backups is critical in the digital world.

I have a Time Machine which backs up all my computers locally in my house. So backing up to itunes on your Mac would work if you have the local backup system working. However, if you house burns down, you would still lose everything, which is why having a off-site backup is also important. I do use iCloud, because I trust them more than google or dropbox to keep my data private. I have heard other services that are very good, but an all Apple solution works well due to the integration and that means I don't have to think about this too much. Everything is backed up at home and in the cloud. That makes me feel safe that I will never lose my pictures, music, movies, documents, etc.
 
I would like to take advantage of the new pricing tier. Unfortunately, the lack of selective sync is keeping that from happening. One of the reasons I store files on OneDrive and Dropbox is so I don't have to have them on my Mac. Going with iCloud means losing more hard drive space due to the lack of selective sync.
 
  • Like
Reactions: B60boy
Exactly! Or at least, share iCloud Photo Library with the space taken from the "creator" of the family.
Ditto x 10. It's not even the issue of money really. My family wants all of our photo library pooled into one library. I really want to believe that someone at Apple (Chris Espinosa?) is working on adding Family Sharing to iCloud Photo Library.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mackiwilad
I am privacy conscience as well, but suggest you think through this a bit more. First, the fact that you have a phone and email means your information is already in the cloud whether you like it or not -- EU laws makes it a requirement for the server to be in-country, but that doesn't really mean much these days. Also, losing all your pictures could be devastating. Making sure you have redundant backups is critical in the digital world.

There is the EU safe harbour agreement that allows US companies to store EU data in the US, provided that they comply with some of the relevant EU data protection law. There are also US companies who don’t care about this and do it anyway, like Facebook. Your data will get onto American soil one way or another. But depending on which services you are using, not much has to be stored on Apple’s servers or any commercial server for that matter. E-mail comes from your provider, which may be local or national (e.g. company or university server), phone calls and SMS are not sent over the Internet and many other things, like your documents, contacts, calendars, photos and so on can be completely local. An iCloud Backup will put everything into the cloud and will make you completely dependent upon Apple in case something goes wrong and in case someone else wants to get access to your data and goes after Apple instead.
 
The free GB account should equal at least half the size of the product you purchase. So my 64GB iPhone 6 should give me 32GB free storage...

I like this idea. It would be practical for backups, and reward users proportionately for their investment into the Apple hardware. Register your NEW device with an Apple ID, and get credit toward iCloud or whatever for 18 months. Add AppleCare, get an additional 12 months.
 
Why backup to the cloud?

Backing up to iTunes over WiFi is as simple as eating a cake.
Also you don't put ALL OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA on a server.
I understand that for US-Americans that might not be much of an issue, but many parts in the remaining world don't take quite so kindly to that idea.
That's why Apple can suggest me to use iCloud over using a higher capacity iPhone all they want, it's not gonna happen.
That and that you're always dependent on internet connectivity.
Or data caps. Or paying to keep the files alive. And you can't install an app to iCloud. (it seems they want to get into this with the Apple TV, great, more reason to stick to low base models and ask for cloud money...)

I digress sorry, iCloud storage is different from backups, but I love me some tangents. :D

Glassed Silver:mac
Actually iTunes backup over WiFi isn't "as simple as eating a cake" for my personal situation. I don't have an always on/awake computer. I haven't had a desktop computer in my home for at least 5 or 6 years. My wife and I both own Macbook Pros, we each have an iPhone, we have an iPad. I also have a Raspberry Pi running a media center on Linux, and an Android tablet. A desktop computer that would be on daily and regularly for iTunes WiFi backups just doesn't fit into our work/play flow. Instead, my iPhone backs up to iCloud every single night while I'm sleeping. I know that if my phone were to ever bite the dust, all of my "stuff" would be right there waiting for me to load onto a new iPhone. I wouldn't even have to go home to get it, I could do it right from the store/work.
 
I am privacy conscience as well, but suggest you think through this a bit more. First, the fact that you have a phone and email means your information is already in the cloud whether you like it or not -- EU laws makes it a requirement for the server to be in-country, but that doesn't really mean much these days. Also, losing all your pictures could be devastating. Making sure you have redundant backups is critical in the digital world.

I have a Time Machine which backs up all my computers locally in my house. So backing up to itunes on your Mac would work if you have the local backup system working. However, if you house burns down, you would still lose everything, which is why having a off-site backup is also important. I do use iCloud, because I trust them more than google or dropbox to keep my data private. I have heard other services that are very good, but an all Apple solution works well due to the integration and that means I don't have to think about this too much. Everything is backed up at home and in the cloud. That makes me feel safe that I will never lose my pictures, music, movies, documents, etc.
If I even TRIED backing up all my files to iCloud, I couldn't do it.
I exceed 1TB GREATLY.

Also, I didn't claim to have the solution that will fit everyone, I understand that different folks will like different things, me personally my data, that I don't have publicly coming in anyways (your hint at emails etc) stays under my control.
The backups too, as do off-site backups. To have one you don't HAVE to have a web backup.
So yes, I thought this through fairly well, of course, for me personally.

Sniff.. sniff.. what's that smell...? OHMYGOD your house is burning down!!!!!

That's why.
See above.

Actually iTunes backup over WiFi isn't "as simple as eating a cake" for my personal situation. I don't have an always on/awake computer. I haven't had a desktop computer in my home for at least 5 or 6 years. My wife and I both own Macbook Pros, we each have an iPhone, we have an iPad. I also have a Raspberry Pi running a media center on Linux, and an Android tablet. A desktop computer that would be on daily and regularly for iTunes WiFi backups just doesn't fit into our work/play flow. Instead, my iPhone backs up to iCloud every single night while I'm sleeping. I know that if my phone were to ever bite the dust, all of my "stuff" would be right there waiting for me to load onto a new iPhone. I wouldn't even have to go home to get it, I could do it right from the store/work.
Well, fair enough, in that scenario a cloud backup can make sense provided the (for my taste) drawbacks don't have you reconsider this.
It just emphasizes though, why I wished you could backup to one Time Capsule from Mac, iPad and iPhone. iTunes, for restoring from backups, would then just grab the Time Capsule backup of your phone, well that's how I'd like it. (before someone pops in trying to give me a reality check: I know Apple won't do it, they are in the business to sell me backup storage monthly now, they have no interesting giving me a second local option)

Glassed Silver:mac
 
Eh?
You're holding off upgrading to 50GB a year for a dollar a month which makes it $11.88 right? You're now paying $10.99 dollars for 20 gig, so you're actually considering holding out to save $0.89
Yes actually. It's less about the cost, more about the I'd rather pay once a year than once a month.
 
Apple and "reduced prices" rarely appear together. This reveals how so many customers prefer Google Drive, or one of the plethora of "other" choices. Apple and the Cloud have been also rans. If not for Apples brilliant highly successful marketing iCloud would be DOA.
 
An issue I've mentioned for years: Why don't you get free storage for each device you own? It should stack. I mean even with that it's not enough for me because I buy 128GB iOS devices, but still. Buying a higher-tier device should also come with more free storage.

I have the 200GB plan right now. 104GB used and of that, 94GB is photos. And that's after I recently cleaned out my entire photo library of all the dark and blurry shots, screenshots and other random crap I don't need. I can't wait to see how much 12mp live photos and 4K video uses up on my 6S!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Palliser
I would like to take advantage of the new pricing tier. Unfortunately, the lack of selective sync is keeping that from happening. One of the reasons I store files on OneDrive and Dropbox is so I don't have to have them on my Mac. Going with iCloud means losing more hard drive space due to the lack of selective sync.

Same for me. Give me selective sync and I"m all in. Till that happens, it's a combination of dropbox and one drive. One Drive is way to slow so that creates another issue of using the web version of Office. This combo seems to work so far but if we get selective sync, then I'm all in with iCloud.
 
If I even TRIED backing up all my files to iCloud, I couldn't do it.
I exceed 1TB GREATLY.

Also, I didn't claim to have the solution that will fit everyone, I understand that different folks will like different things, me personally my data, that I don't have publicly coming in anyways (your hint at emails etc) stays under my control.
The backups too, as do off-site backups. To have one you don't HAVE to have a web backup.
So yes, I thought this through fairly well, of course, for me personally.


See above.


Well, fair enough, in that scenario a cloud backup can make sense provided the (for my taste) drawbacks don't have you reconsider this.
It just emphasizes though, why I wished you could backup to one Time Capsule from Mac, iPad and iPhone. iTunes, for restoring from backups, would then just grab the Time Capsule backup of your phone, well that's how I'd like it. (before someone pops in trying to give me a reality check: I know Apple won't do it, they are in the business to sell me backup storage monthly now, they have no interesting giving me a second local option)

Glassed Silver:mac
So what are you saying exactly? If I interpret you correctly, you have a time machine and a Mac. You back all your idevices to itunes on the the mac and then backup the mac to Time Machine. Did I get that right? And then what do you do for off site back ups?

Apps don't need to be backed up since you can always redownload them from the App store, so what, may I ask other than emails and music and movies that you get from the outside do you have that requires over 1TB of backup storage? Just curious. Even with my 20k photos, I don't exceed 200gig.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.