iCloud Drive app..?

[taldo]

This is great. I've cancelled my paid Dropbox subscriptions and upped my iCloud.

Now they just need to add (or rather, bring back) the ability to share and iCloud Drive file via URL and Dropbox will no longer have any meaning for me.

They also need to add iCloud Photo Library access to iCloud.com. I can't understand how they are launching iCloud Photo Library on iOS in a few days, and there is absolutely no Mac, Windows, or Web client for it....at all.

Yes, it works just like Dropbox

Well, i don't know what you expect from your cloud storage service - but until this point - iCloud drive is not like Dropbox or Google Drive.

You can upload any file from your computer, that's true (Mac or Pc now that there's a web app in iCloud.com), but there's no free access from your iPhone or iPad. There's no app for iCloud drive that allows you to view or change your files with free access.

If all you need is access from your computer, i guess it'll do ok (I give Apple the benefit of the doubt that the web app and sync feature to your computer will work good...) , but it's definitely not Dropbox.

Have to say this feels like false advertising. I meant, look at apples own website for icloud drive - what does it show a drop box like feature, what does it NOT have - exactly that.

If they are depending on others to enable this for a user why advertise it as their feature. Have their been cuts at apple programming or are they just determined to mess this up and annoy.

It's quite simple, if they are not intending on doing something, they shouldn't say that's what they are doing.

So true! Exactly what i thought!
The Apple website is very misleading in terms of how you will access your files from your iDevices.

Maybe they will surprise me and release an app like that like they did with the web service, but until now it seems like they've promised a lot, and in reality they have much less.

I'm pretty disappointed with the vagueness about iCloud drive. There are a lot of questions, but very few answers, especially from Apple.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I'm pretty disappointed with the vagueness about iCloud drive. There are a lot of questions, but very few answers, especially from Apple.

My thoughts exactly. I don't think Apple themselves know how to implement Drive in the most intuitive way, whilst maintaining the security of iOS 8. This must surely be one of the reasons why a dedicated file-viewing app isn't ready.

 

[Belmont31R]

Also misleading, if you buy 20GB from the phone or Mac, that 20GB includes the 5GB we already get for free. So 20GB for .99 cents a month is really 15GB paid + 5GB free.



Every other cloud storage lists the paid upgrades for the amount you are actually paying for not including the free storage you already get.

 

[burgman]

why do the developers not know the basic functionality of icloud drive.....

The website clearly shows that there is to be a document viewer of some form, asking why it's not there is an entirely reasonable question..... Any takers....

yea, im puzzled by this as well. Where can i see the contents of this drive?

isn't that what icloud drive was supposed to be?

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[Wbutchart]

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No, release date! They announced this (and photo library!) as features of ios 8, not features coming after, but these great new features we would have when it is released. They are not coming it seems.....it seems all we have from ios8 is an extra box when we swipe right on email!

Terrible release and we have to call them on it!

 

[taldo]

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No, release date! They announced this (and photo library!) as features of ios 8, not features coming after, but these great new features we would have when it is released. They are not coming it seems.....it seems all we have from ios8 is an extra box when we swipe right on email!

Terrible release and we have to call them on it!

I don't know about release date, but even if it is a beta, and an upcoming feature of iOS 8 and Yosemite, i would expect to see any signs of it in the beta of iOS 8.

If they didn't test it on the betas of iOS 8, when will they release it..?
The transition to iCloud drive is useless without an iCloud drive app for iOS 8.
It's just very disappointing that they have talked about a very interesting and important feature, and now it seems that they're just ignoring it...

 

[matttye]

Will email let us attach multiple files from iCloud Drive?

 

[iceman314]

I suppose you will need to use some app like Documents by Readdle, which is a "general" reader, and will give you the opportunity to open all the docs in your iCloud drive.

 

[Wbutchart]

I suppose you will need to use some app like Documents by Readdle, which is a "general" reader, and will give you the opportunity to open all the docs in your iCloud drive.

I would have thought the same, have tweeted them about that (readdle) and someone asked on facebook, they have not said they are doing this or it is possible.

So what we have is a feature Apple said they would incorporate that they have left to developers to produce instead.

 

[taldo]

I would have thought the same, have tweeted them about that (readdle) and someone asked on facebook, they have not said they are doing this or it is possible.

So what we have is a feature Apple said they would incorporate that they have left to developers to produce instead.

If that is the case - that's almost fraud to those who ditched their Dropbox and paid for iCloud drive - which Apple had promised that would be like it exactly.

 

[Wbutchart]

If that is the case - that's almost fraud to those who ditched their Dropbox and paid for iCloud drive - which Apple had promised that would be like it exactly.

Take it back, latest from readdle is that they will support iCloud Drive with documents, and it will be out on the 17th. So hopefully they and others can make something out of the chasm that Apple has made with its lack of effort in its latest os.

 

[taldo]

Take it back, latest from readdle is that they will support iCloud Drive with documents, and it will be out on the 17th. So hopefully they and others can make something out of the chasm that Apple has made with its lack of effort in its latest os.

Even if readdle would release an app for iCloud drive - is that what Apple had in mind when they thought about iCloud drive? Throw the responsibility for an iOS app on other companies..? That's against everything Apple stands for!

Their thing is not relying on no one and thinking they're the best at everything...

 

[Monique1]

I agree with the misleading hoopla regarding iCloud Drive. I brought this up a few weeks ago just got a lot of fanspeak thrown at me.

I was totally expecting a DropBox killer and basically a file organizer.

 

[Wbutchart]

Even if readdle would release an app for iCloud drive - is that what Apple had in mind when they thought about iCloud drive? Throw the responsibility for an iOS app on other companies..? That's against everything Apple stands for!

Their thing is not relying on no one and thinking they're the best at everything...

I agree - completely. But at least there is some hope that somehow the promised feature (for it was regardless of claims, the icloud drive pics in the website are what? Document pickers!).

I hope on Wednesday apple surprise us with an app, if not this is a worrying new direction.

 

[Toltepeceno]

I agree with the lack of an app to access icloud drive being a detriment. I can access it through my browser on computer using my icloud beta, but without an app to access the space on my iphone it does not compete with dropbox, onedrive or google drive.

This one feature will keep it apart unless they release something of course. Accessing it online it's not possible to see photos from the photo stream either, they seem to be keeping those separate. You CAN upload photos through the browser for storage.

As it is right now it's not a dropbox killer, far from it, but it could be without a lot of effort.

This is why I would not consider investing into more icloud storage before it's released. I will wait and see on the 17th if they come out with an app.

It would still be good for apps to use, etc. but without the ability to access icloud drive directly from the phone it would fall short of virtually all of the ones that have stand alone apps.

 

[bushido]

Also misleading, if you buy 20GB from the phone or Mac, that 20GB includes the 5GB we already get for free. So 20GB for .99 cents a month is really 15GB paid + 5GB free.



Every other cloud storage lists the paid upgrades for the amount you are actually paying for not including the free storage you already get.

what the heck? i didnt know that either i thought it would be 20GB on top of the free 5GB

 

[taldo]

I agree with the lack of an app to access icloud drive being a detriment. I can access it through my browser on computer using my icloud beta, but without an app to access the space on my iphone it does not compete with dropbox, onedrive or google drive.

This one feature will keep it apart unless they release something of course. Accessing it online it's not possible to see photos from the photo stream either, they seem to be keeping those separate. You CAN upload photos through the browser for storage.

As it is right now it's not a dropbox killer, far from it, but it could be without a lot of effort.

This is why I would not consider investing into more icloud storage before it's released. I will wait and see on the 17th if they come out with an app.

It would still be good for apps to use, etc. but without the ability to access icloud drive directly from the phone it would fall short of virtually all of the ones that have stand alone apps.

I think that sums up my entire perspective on iCloud drive and probably the whole discussion. Maybe this thread can be on what features an iCloud drive app should have in order for it to kill Dropbox and all other competitors.

Let's hope that they intend on releasing an iCloud drive app for iOS 8. I think that they will realise sooner or later that iCloud drive adoption rate will depend on a full cloud service solution and that a castrated one will just be a great failure.

 

[taedouni]

I was under the impression that they would have an app so that you could view all of your saved documents so in a way some sort of file finder. I like Dropbox because I can view almost everything. Even source files so that I can see my code and see what I did.

 

[FreeState]

Maybe i got the document picker wrong, but i'm sure that the features list specifically say that you will be able to save and open every file on every iDevice, including iPhones.

How do they intend to implement it without an iCloud drive app or a document picker app...?

Edit:
Look at this link from the Apple site - that's exactly the kind of app i'm talking about.
https://www.apple.com/icloud/icloud-drive/

Thats not a dedicated app - that is Keynote (look at the background and its clearly an overlay of a document in Keynote.)

 

[MattInOz]

I think that sums up my entire perspective on iCloud drive and probably the whole discussion. Maybe this thread can be on what features an iCloud drive app should have in order for it to kill Dropbox and all other competitors.

Let's hope that they intend on releasing an iCloud drive app for iOS 8. I think that they will realise sooner or later that iCloud drive adoption rate will depend on a full cloud service solution and that a castrated one will just be a great failure.

It doesn't need to kill to be successful...
If they saw it like that they wouldn't have let Document Picker see and use files from other storage service providers like Dropbox. They'd make a closed system to keep you locked in to iCloud.

To me they seem to see iCloud's one and possibly only job it take make sure a file is never trapped on a device and do it without seeming a pain.

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Thats not a dedicated app - that is Keynote (look at the background and its clearly an overlay of a document in Keynote.)

Yes.
If it was standalone you'd expect to see full screen or the left-hand side bar not a pop-over like shown in the iPad image.

 

[taldo]

Thats not a dedicated app - that is Keynote (look at the background and its clearly an overlay of a document in Keynote.)

In the iPad example you're right, but in the iPhone example there is no sign for a "background" app. The iCloud dialogue could've been opened from inside another app, or that it was opened from a dedicated app.

It doesn't need to kill to be successful...
If they saw it like that they wouldn't have let Document Picker see and use files from other storage service providers like Dropbox. They'd make a closed system to keep you locked in to iCloud.

To me they seem to see iCloud's one and possibly only job it take make sure a file is never trapped on a device and do it without seeming a pain.

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Yes.
If it was standalone you'd expect to see full screen or the left-hand side bar not a pop-over like shown in the iPad image.

If i understand you correctly,
I don't see why they wouldn't allow other apps to access your iCloud drive, and at the same time have an iCloud drive app. It shouldn't be one or the other - why not have both at the same time? Now that's a killer feature.

As i said before, the iPhone example has no sign for a background app what so ever.

Also, i think that it's pretty weird that every time you want to open a dedicated app file, you will have to open the app, browse from all files on your drive, and then open the specific file. Why not have a iCloud file browser that will open the file you have chosen in his dedicated app, like all other OS do in all other devices..? That's pretty odd.

I don't know what about you guys, but i almost never open a file through the "open file" dialogue in his dedicated app (On my mac). It's much easier to just open the file, and let the OS choose which app should open the file for you.

 

[FreeState]

In the iPad example you're right, but in the iPhone example there is no sign for a "background" app. The iCloud dialogue could've been opened from inside another app, or that it was opened from a dedicated app.

Actually the iPhone one is an obvious overlay as well. The top right has a "done" button - as do all overlays that cove the app that your working in of the iPhone.