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Another thought: Perhaps another expansion of the iTunes/App store model? Mac OS X software store? Buy and download all your mac os x software legally through iTunes/App store?

Apple has so far provided legitimate means for music/movies/tvshows/audiobooks why not keep going with this successful model and apply it to something else like computer software? Use the mac os x software app store to boost hw sales of macs, like it did for ipods and then iphones/itouches?

Consensus seems to be that the data center will be related to some combination of mobileme, itunes store, and/or iwork/ilife.
 
yeah it does sound like cloud computing. but i bet it will be awhile before we as consumers will see anything become of this

Maybe not. You can develop the software for your cloud computing solution while the data centre is being built. Once the data centre has been built, you only need to wait for large scale testing and last minute debugging.
 
Since when is 45Mb/s fast?

1. It is not a measure of a momentary speed experience, but a guaranteed 24/7 99.99% up time, backed by failure fines.

2. That performance is guaranteed to every subscriber anywhere on the system, no excuses.

3. 45 megabytes per second is a bit faster than 45 megabits per second.

When I had a cable modem I was guaranteed 768k and occasionally experienced 3100k. Pretty often actually, but as a shared service there were also a lot of times it was slow and there was no up time guarantee to the same degree.

The Apple NC location seems to emphasize low recurring costs, good access to trained labor, access to Internet 1 and 2, and a favorable tax environment.

May I locate a server building right next to them and run a fiber over please? :D

Rocketman
 
Newbie explanation needed please

Hi Guys,


Excuse a dumb newbie question for clarity, but is the idea of cloud computing that your apps and data are stored 'out there somewhere' and you can access them from anywhere on the net?

..and is the idea of the alternative data centres approach more or less the same (except no apps) ?

Thanks
 
Google

Maybe this data center and the operations it will perform, are also one of the many reasons Apple decided that Schmidt couldn't be in the board anymore? I mean, business of Apple and Google seem to start overlapping. Maybe they will, soon enough, compete in more and more businesses (browsers, mobile OSes, OSes, "cloud computing").

I am all in favour of digital deliver but cloud computing doesn't appeal at all to me. Someone here said that renting an app is better than owning. Well, I am in favour of ownership! And what if I don't want to upgrade, for a reason or another? WinVista was such a big mess people wanted to downgrade! And, before you all jump around telling me Apple doesn't suck that much, well... What happened when iMovie 08 was released? iMovie HD stuck around for almost a year! So yes, I want to choose when and if I update the software. After having seen if it crashes on many machines, how it works, if it's worth the money. If people are "renting" the software, then the vendor has a guaranteed income and can shove whatever small upgrade as a new version...
So, digital delivery: ANY DAY.
Ownership: EVEN MORE IMPORTANT FOR ME.
 
I live in Durham, NC next to RTP (Research Triangle Park). I think this is where Apple will come to. IBM, Oracle, Sony, GE, Bayer, Glaxo, and many other big name companies are here. Why not Apple?
 
I had originally thought that cloud computing meant that is syncs your own devices (your iPhone, your computer, your other computer, your tablet, your...). I didn't know that you had to give Steve a copy of your data too! :eek:

Really???

Online storage = big brother / socialism of computing.
I would prefer to store my own files on my own external hard drive, thank you very much!
Decentralization of power/storage/etc is a good thing. Humans learned that centuries ago. This way, if Apple's cloud is destroyed (hypothetical) by a tornado, terrorist, earth quake, hackers, or whatever, I will still have my data safe on my computer in my own house. Power surge? No problem, I unplug my external hard drive from my computer when I'm not actively backing up my computer.
I'm not trying to be over paranoid, but I see a lot of drawbacks to the whole new "online storage" concept that corporations are pushing so that they can charge consumers to store their data (data that we currently store ourselves for free after we purchase an external hard drive).

Wait until AT&T gets a hold of this.... :eek:
.

TinfoilHat.jpg
 
People that want everything easy and fast are setting themselves up for big problems in the future

Cloud will remove any privacy that you may still have when you store your own data on your own hard drive. And for what to save a few seconds?

If all this data is available for the good guys its also available for the bad guys and for misuse even from the people that should in theory be trusted.
 
Another thought: Perhaps another expansion of the iTunes/App store model? Mac OS X software store? Buy and download all your mac os x software legally through iTunes/App store?

1. Many customers have bandwidth caps. Large, monster 2-3GB downloads (plus your other more normal activity) will

2. At least for Mac OS X itself, the physical disc is also a support providing device. You can boot off it to run some simple diagnostics on the machine or in one of the worst cases re-install the software in the case of catastrophic main storage device failure. ( assuming everyone does back-ups is a big leap.)

Not all Macs come with a SuperDrive DVD writer. (although it is close.). However, if teach a million folks a year how to burn a bootable Mac OS X DVD care to guess some fraction of them are going to use that skill for things Apple isn't going to like.


3. To a large extent is already exists.....

http://www.apple.com/downloads/

What does iTunes like store really bringing to the what is there now? Why does everything have to track through iTunes ? ( Apple hosting for small vendors who don't want to run a webstore, but for folks who want to cut out the middleman. Why limit it to just Mac OS X software? If going generally going to host then a general software retail webstore... just be an Amazon. )

iTunes ads value when the target of the application's installation is not the machine that downloads the application. It helps in pushing the app on the second leg if its journey. If the computer downloading the app is the target for application installation you don't need iTunes. You will have downloaded a *.dmg file. Just open it after a simple file transfer( which any browser can do and you already have running to buy from the web store in the first place. )

I suppose Apple could push more sales through their "one click" store with a specialized app instead of a browser. However, it would be better if they split iTunes into iShop (the Apple web retail application) and iTunes ( manage music and bits pusher/syncher to iPhone/iPod ).
iShop can simply stick the files in a place where iTunes would get them later.
 
Take it a step further... What about iLife and iWork '10 being subscription based and all online? Lowers the cost of initial hw/sw, cheaper on the user's end for hw, and less worry about piracy since everyone using it has to pay per month...

yes but then it would be potentially available to macs and pcs. Apple doesn't want that, they are in the hardware business. They need it to be attached to the mac somehow.
 
Cloud will remove any privacy that you may still have when you store your own data on your own hard drive.

Not really. If store a encrypted sparse disk image in the cloud the data can be decrypted on the fly just on the client machine end. What is stored in the cloud is encrypted. NSA might be able to bust it if really wanted to, but pretty much private.

There is overhead in doing it, but can be done.

Stored as default iDisk. Yeah .... you are just spreading your 411 on the internet pipes in the clear.


And for what to save a few seconds?

Errr, access disk data over a random stretch of internet networking is generally going to be slower. Speed is not what is being sold by the cloud. It is primarily accessibility. If have 3 devices you can log into and use over the course of the day (e.g., home mac, touch on train to work , and work computer. ) , then it may be nice to have a mounted disk that follows you around where ever you log in.

If it is less that 8GB (or so) that could be a USB flash drive. (if all of the devices you log into allow you to plug in a USB flash drive. )

If you primarily accessing your from just one device... accessibility really isn't a big seller.

( if the cloud storage is large using it for off-site back-up is the other advantage. The "off site" being the primary attribute. Again speed may be a problem. Doing a restore of 100GB may be a problem too in terms of bandwidth caps too in addition to speed. )




If all this data is available for the good guys its also available for the bad guys and for misuse even from the people that should in theory be trusted.

If you don't want folks to see it, encrypt it.

The more relevant issue is that folks on the other side of the cloud can take it away. You can keep them from reading it, but they could possibly keep you from getting it. Can't run a decryption on something do not have access to.

The other major problem is that one of the other devices want to decrypt from won't have the software/keys to decrypt. If it is just one device where do reading pretty straightforward to make it almost painless to open read. If multiple devices then may/may not work as well. ( iPhone OS can read encrypted sparse image??? )
 
yes but then it would be potentially available to macs and pcs. Apple doesn't want that, they are in the hardware business. They need it to be attached to the mac somehow.

Apple sells much more than just Mac hardware. .... even if they just wanted to limit themselves to hardware business.

Apple is in the system solution selling business. Not the hardware business.

Selling subscription solutions is not about cutting down on piracy. It is about getting a regular income stream.

Selling increasingly relatively expensive hardware devices means folks only buy every couple of years. Sometimes longer. If the hardware from 4-5 years ago is good enough for their usage then they still not might buy.

In a subscription model you get a regular, largely predictable steady stream of revenue. Companies that make money predictably are generally valued higher.... and the executives of that company usually get bigger compensation as a result.


If application hosting of iWork will give the user a better experience with the set of OS X based devices/systems Apple has sold you then that is a value added benefit. If Apple's system have a better javascript runtime then will more likely run the apps on that run time. (that is a software and hardware) proposition; not a hardware one. In so far as it works on other "web standard" platforms that is a bonus benefit. If they are charging money , it isn't like they aren't making a profit off of providing the service. End of the day Apple wants to put money in the bank.


The upside of Apple promoting apps that run on web standards is that it cuts both ways. Windows folk can run their stuff on OS X devices more easily too. Apple doesn't have the largest percentage of systems people use right now. Blocking those folks from making an easier transition to your platform is narrow minded. That why have something like Bootcamp. Some folks were blocked from getting the Mac OS X system because had something on Windows that tilted the system purchase to windows. Removing that allows you to get more customers.

Similarly, having Safari as being the dominate "standards web app" platform is would be a good thing, not a bad thing. It would be an great benefit opening up the possibility of selling more OS X based systems.
 
It sounds like everybody is talking about an online iWork as if it doesn't exist. Am I really the first person to remember that iwork.com exists?

What's going on with that thing anyways? I'm not surprised that anybody would forget about it. I think even Apple has forgotten about it. I'm starting to suspect it will never become a finished service. Which is for the best.
 
I don't think this has been discussed.

Could this be used to take Time Machine online?

Yes. Apple has been bandwidth crippling applications.

Time Machine (remote backup), OS and software primary updates (usually relegated to DVD's), VoIP, video and online TV streaming, video downloads.

All high bandwidth uses of internet connections Apple has been "saving us from", because they are on the bleeding edge of technology as compared to bandwidth deployment (1999 crash killed that).

Could we please have governmental and telecon approval of high bandwidth uses of the internet so we can enjoy a lifestyle we are aware of? Please?

Rocketman

Please?
 
It's for iTunes Unlimited. $129 gets you a year of unlimited music, and you get to keep 1 album forever every month. The new data center is because all the people streaming the music from their Macs, iPhones, and iPods is going to be a huge demand. Also that new tablet could stream any movie on demand, over the cloud.
 
Could we please have governmental and telecon approval of high bandwidth uses of the internet so we can enjoy a lifestyle we are aware of? Please?

Rocketman

Please?

Why of course. Please fill out this tiny 25-page security form offline, in triplicate, make sure all the contact information on everyone in your family and the 10 personal and 10 business references are 100% accurate, because we will check, and once you pass our security check and all financial information proves accurate and we confirm you and/or someone with your name has not, nor have you ever been on any government no-fly potential terrorist list, upon confirmation we'll have you on US Gov Internet 2 within a minimum of six months. On a trial basis of course, to be revoked at any time we deem you a security risk or potential security risk due to your online and offline activities and communications.

People without bank accounts, debit cards, those who have ever attended a political rally, and those who have ever made a negative post on any internet forum against the government for any reason including parody or jest may apply, but your petition will be denied, and you will not be notified as to the denial or the reasons thereof.

Have a nice day.

Internet II: Change we can believe in.

:apple:
 
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