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The Cloud is not going away and it is going to become increasingly important in technology, not just with Apple. This is a step backward and will impede progress in technology. What valid reason could someone have for not wanting to use cloud technology? Don't say privacy or NSA is spying on me, etc. That's unfounded and not a valid reason. Most if not all cloud services are encrypted, including Apple's iCloud. Apple only extremely rarely releases limited information to authorities only in the most severe (court ordered) cases.

So you think that everybody on this planet have free/cheap, fast, reliable, uncapped broadband? Think again! 2/3 of global population will need to wait at least another decade so iCloud to those hundreds of millions is just nonexistent.

How do you sync through a cloud that isn't even there? You may not realise it, but there exists a bigger world out there. Factor that in, anticipate how they communicate via expensive gprs/edge before the next cloud appears in your mind. :)

Study this as it gives a clear picture. http://www.internetworldstats.com
 
Hate to point this out to you but it's just as damaging to even use a phone. If you call or send texts or use the internet, you're just as much a hypocrite as you called everyone else! Except, you know, you stand there preaching at everybody about how different you are. Here's a tin foil hat for you.

My 2 cents: Fair enough if that's how you feel, but don't go around labelling everyone else stupid and insulting folk because they don't think like you. That'll get you on the wrong side of many a person.

Please! The distinction you and a few others are missing is that when you give out your phone number or send a text, you're doing that WILLINGLY. That is far different from Apple FORCING you to send ALL your contact information into the cloud.

What I give out to people is my CHOICE. I want to retain that CHOICE. Obviously a ton of people feel the same way, since Apple has been bombarded with complaints about the change that iTunes and Mavericks made.
 
Can you give me some citation or source? I don't think it's true..

Lawyer here: I'm not aware if any privacy laws that would be violated by the mere act of syncing through a third-party server.

Really? That sounds a bit made-up to me. That's every CRM company in the world like Salesforce's entire business model.

I may have been mistaken, however I have updated my original post with a bit more detail.
 
So you think that everybody on this planet have free/cheap, fast, reliable, uncapped broadband? Think again! 2/3 of global population will need to wait at least another decade so iCloud to those hundreds of millions is just nonexistent.

How do you sync through a cloud that isn't even there? You may not realise it, but there exists a bigger world out there. Factor that in, anticipate how they communicate via expensive gprs/edge before the next cloud appears in your mind. :)

Study this as it gives a clear picture. http://www.internetworldstats.com
Yes, and people who live in developing and 3rd world countries do not buy devices that work on the cloud because they're out of reach. Example: look at the sales of iPhone 5s in India. Very poor. So clinging onto legacy technology hurts not only the 1st world, but developing countries as well, as we're not pushing them to develop and it keeps the cost of "premium" technology out of reach.

That's all I have to say on the subject. I realize many will have a different opinion, but I strongly believe needlessly holding on to legacy technology severely slows progress for all involved. We KNOW in 10 years or so there will be no one syncing a phone directly to their computer, so why are we putting it off and delaying the next generation of sync technology we'll inevitably use, whatever that may be?
 
That's all I have to say on the subject. I realize many will have a different opinion, but I strongly believe needlessly holding on to legacy technology severely slows progress for all involved. We KNOW in 10 years or so there will be no one syncing a phone directly to their computer, so why are we putting it off and delaying the next generation of sync technology we'll inevitably use, whatever that may be?
You keep saying that the current cloud-based solutions are the "next generation". Well, I disagree. I think they are pretty crappy when it comes to security and privacy. It is entirely possible to create cloud services that are secure and respect the user's privacy, e.g. by using client-side encryption. But there are far too few of those around (e.g. Spideroak or Wuala). Until the industry comes up with better solutions, there will always be a need for what you call "legacy technology". Obviously quite a few people feel the "next generation" is lacking, otherwise Apple wouldn't feel the need to bring back local syncing.

The good thing about all the NSA revelations (today there was a report that they have the capability to record every single phone call of an entire country :eek:) is that awareness is growing and Internet companies are starting to harden their services. But they still have a long way to go.
 
Ok, last post for real this time.

You keep saying that the current cloud-based solutions are the "next generation". Well, I disagree. I think they are pretty crappy when it comes to security and privacy. It is entirely possible to create cloud services that are secure and respect the user's privacy, e.g. by using client-side encryption. But there are far too few of those around (e.g. Spideroak or Wuala). Until the industry comes up with better solutions, there will always be a need for what you call "legacy technology". Obviously quite a few people feel the "next generation" is lacking, otherwise Apple wouldn't feel the need to bring back local syncing.

The good thing about all the NSA revelations (today there was a report that they have the capability to record every single phone call of an entire country :eek:) is that awareness is growing and Internet companies are starting to harden their services. But they still have a long way to go.
You just proved my point. We can't improve upon the technology while still supporting and giving up focus to legacy tech.

Except when it removes options, flexibility & forces linear functionality & thinking onto users...
Well, we happen to live in a linear world. We need A before B before C. But technology growth has been generally exponential when we are able to shed legacy tech that holds us back from progress. If computer sync is A and Cloud is B, how will we get to C, the next generation of technology if half of users are holding on to A, and C can't work with A?

Example 1. I'm a Pharmacist (Pharm.D.). I have to accept paper scripts and faxed scripts because some offices are hanging on to these technologies and not willing to eRx. If all prescribers were willing to move to all-electronic systems and the EHR (electronic health record), we'd be able to move on and progress. But I have to keep fax technology because I wouldn't be able to take in a good portion of scripts. Faxed and paper scripts take up more time, and result in more dispensing errors, because the data entry is 100% manual and mistakes obviously are inevitable as humans. Yet we have the technology to fix these two issues but not everyone will move to it. It hurts all involved.

Example 2. We have the technology for hybrid cars and even cars completely powered by cleanly generated electricity. But, we have to continue to deplete the non-renewable resource that runs combustion vehicles for the majority of people (myself included), because the cost is out of reach for the majority of people. Now if we were to let go of combustion vehicles and phase them out, the cost of these next generation vehicles is driven down (macroeconomics 101--S&D), and we're able to focus efforts on making this technology better and even the next generation, possibly hydrogen-powered vehicles. But we can't develop hydrogen-powered vehicles while we still have to put effort into combustion, let alone the hybrid and electric vehicles that are still too expensive for most people because combustion vehicles are still widely available. So progress is slowed because of these legacy engines, even though we do have the basis of the technology for the next generation.

Again, I know many will disagree. I just want what's best for progress, and for me, this view makes the most sense.
 
I'm not sure why you think you can't sync more than one device to iCloud. I do it and so do millions of others. It's pretty much why iCloud exists.

iCloud will (theoretically) sync contacts, calendars, photos ... anything that Apple is willing to stream. (Calendar has been particularly wonky.) However, photos are limited to just 1000 (for Photo Stream). Videos are only those that you've bought from iTunes or Ultraviolet. So any other media that I've place on my iDevices doesn't necessarily sync with iCloud. And even when it does, weird things happen; album art disappears, tracks sometimes get re-arranged.

I was referring mostly to backup, though. If I have both an iPhone and iPad, I have to choose which one I want to backup with iCloud. So if I use iCloud for my iPhone, I have no choice but to backup my iPad to my desktop computer. If I later have to get a new iPad, iCloud does me no good (except for what I've purchased from the iTunes or App store). All my other media and settings must be transferred from my desktop.

So iCloud still isn't quite there yet. Eventually it will all probably work smoothly. But for now there are plenty of kinks.
 
I just read an article yesterday about how tech companies are forcing us to use their cloud solutions, of which we have no control. The author included the example of how Apple removed local Calendar sync through iTunes and forced iCloud on its users.

Nobody is forcing you to use iCloud; that's either FUD or lack of understanding. Put your calendar, contacts and mail into Yahoo, Hotmail, Google or even AOL/AIM and turn off your iCloud mail/etc configuration. They are all "cloud" sync services, and in terms of the content synced through iTunes, they're interchangeable. Local syncing invariably results in the need to do conflict resolution, particularly when more than one device is involved; at the very least you have to connect and re-sync those other devices. It's archaic and clumsy and the way of the past. Like floppy disks and CDs.
 
Seriously who is still using iTunes to sync Contacts and Calendars in this day and age? :eek: iCloud does everything you need and is the most reliable cloud syncing service on earth.

1. iCloud isn't reliable. Plenty of people are still having issues with duplicate entries and sync failures.
2. Not everyone has internet connection when they need to sync.
3. Privacy is still a concern for many users
4. Many small business owners are contractually bound by what they can and can't do with client information, most of which dictates where it can and can't be stored. Non-personal servers are a big no-no in the business world.

Just because iCloud works for YOU, doesn't mean it's a viable option for everyone else. There was no reason to get rid of local sync in the first place.

Also, this was petitioned for and hundreds of thousands of signatures were added during the short time it was up before submission. A LOT of people were pissed off with this change.
 
Also, this was petitioned for and hundreds of thousands of signatures were added during the short time it was up before submission. A LOT of people were pissed off with this change.

Now that we're getting local sync back, can we also petition for the return of 2D Dock...? :D
 
Nobody is forcing you to use iCloud; that's either FUD or lack of understanding. Put your calendar, contacts and mail into Yahoo, Hotmail, Google or even AOL/AIM and turn off your iCloud mail/etc configuration. They are all "cloud" sync services, and in terms of the content synced through iTunes, they're interchangeable. Local syncing invariably results in the need to do conflict resolution, particularly when more than one device is involved; at the very least you have to connect and re-sync those other devices. It's archaic and clumsy and the way of the past. Like floppy disks and CDs.

The entire comment was full of ignorance. The point isn't that they're forcing you to use iCloud. The point is that they're forcing you to use THE CLOUD IN GENERAL. Not everybody wants all their **** being controlled by someone else. Some people prefer to manually sync their devices because it's easier to maintain.

I'll direct you to the other rely I posted in this thread for specific reasons why cloud services aren't appropriate for everyone. People like you are the reason internet rights are in question. You just blindly go with whatever a company tells you to do, rather than questioning the reason why.

Sync Services was already in OS X. No code needed to be written to leave it there. But Apple decided to get rid of it for what reason? That doesn't bother you? Knowing that Apple has been accused more than once of giving information to the NSA and allowing them to exploit backdoors in iCloud, you're okay with that? Even if you have nothing to hide, your privacy should still be valued.
 
I will never again upgrade to any OS before I make sure that important things such as local syncing is not removed from the new version. Apple's response was eminent because the SyncMate coming out was eminent. In addition, If SyncMate offers local syncing of bookmarks and notes, I will buy the app. Also, I will never put may financials and passwords info on any Cloud. Never.

Using Cloud does not make you to look anything more progressive or more techie. On the contrary.
 
Great news. I'd rather not sync at all than use any cloud.

It is no hassle to sync with an usb cable, I plug my iPhone into my computer anyway to charge it. From there it's just 1 click. But it seems 1 click is too much of a burden for some people.

The entire comment was full of ignorance. The point isn't that they're forcing you to use iCloud. The point is that they're forcing you to use THE CLOUD IN GENERAL. Not everybody wants all their **** being controlled by someone else. Some people prefer to manually sync their devices because it's easier to maintain.

I'll direct you to the other rely I posted in this thread for specific reasons why cloud services aren't appropriate for everyone. People like you are the reason internet rights are in question. You just blindly go with whatever a company tells you to do, rather than questioning the reason why.

Sync Services was already in OS X. No code needed to be written to leave it there. But Apple decided to get rid of it for what reason? That doesn't bother you? Knowing that Apple has been accused more than once of giving information to the NSA and allowing them to exploit backdoors in iCloud, you're okay with that? Even if you have nothing to hide, your privacy should still be valued.

Great response, I couldn't have said it any better.
 
Oh great, just as I sold my 2nd gen iPod Touch thinking it will be no more than a brick forever. Could be of use again now...
 
Seriously, who the frack are YOU to assume everyone thinks the same way you do? :eek:



Honest to god, I can't understand WTF people think they and what they do is the only damn thing other people also do and that the whole world somehow revolves around their decisions and that of their similar minded and/or aged friends. Some of us care about privacy and don't want all our information floating around the planet on every server owned by god only knows who that could potentially intercept that information when it's not necessary to do so. Believe it or not, I don't even own a "smart" phone. It's not worth $70+ a month to me to text people where I am and what I'm doing when neither I or they gives a crap what I'm doing or what they're doing. If I have something to say to someone, I do the ancient thing, CALL them instead of treating them like they're a mass chain mail with "text". And with the $62 on average I save a month, I can buy a brand new Macbook Pro every other year instead with that money which I actually use instead of walking around trying to surf the Internet while I'm walking with my thumbs which is in no way comfortable to do.

Young people today apparently don't gives two whole thoughts about PRIVACY at all and realize that putting all your personal information online and in some server called the "cloud" somewhere isn't really a smart thing to do. People wonder how and why their identities are being stolen like never before and it's because people don't do a damn thing to protect themselves like keeping private information private. You have zero expectancy of privacy when you post everything you do online and worse yet through open WiFi etc. Cyber-crime is rising at unprecedented rates and people are just willy-nilly throwing everything about themselves around the Internet when NO ONE and I mean NO ONE needs to know those things online.

WTF is the point of Facebook and Twitter and constantly texting everyone where you are and what you're doing 24/7? As if you're a superstar and the world is just utterly fascinated with every breath you take. Putting crap in the "Cloud" is a sure-fire way to hand your contacts and bookmarks to anyone that wants them, particularly the corporations that run them and promise privacy one day and then turn-around the next day and announced they've changed their privacy policy and here, it's 30 pages long, please read it and expect it to change again next week and every week until everyone is so sick of seeing it, that if they EVER took the time to read it even ONCE, they won't do it every week. Pretty soon you don't even realize you've given them permission to share your data with everyone on earth.

It amazes me that people are in such a rage about the NSA spying on them and yet they freely allow all their personal information to float around private corporate servers 24/7. It's unreal. People can't even see the sheer hypocrisy in it all.

So yeah, I'd like to sync my contacts and other personal information locally. It's none of Apple's business who I'm friends with, what plumber I use or what pizza places I frequent. And woe to all the short-sighted people that don't give two thoughts to privacy or security. They will be the first ones to have their backs up against the wall when the crap hits the proverbial fan. But hey, that's their choice. Just don't force me to sync everything I do online or buy some Chromebook POS that practically needs to be online to even use a calculator application....

Rampage!
 

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Great news. I'd rather not sync at all than use any cloud.

It is no hassle to sync with an usb cable, I plug my iPhone into my computer anyway to charge it. From there it's just 1 click. But it seems 1 click is too much of a burden for some people.



Great response, I couldn't have said it any better.

What's your solution to sync 4 macs and 10 iOS devices?
For one to one the local sync is fine and I think that Apple should have left it in place for legacy devices and offline sync for those with tinfoil hats, but some of us have a load of kit we like to keep synced so yes, that one click becomes a burden.
 
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So you think that everybody on this planet have free/cheap, fast, reliable, uncapped broadband? Think again! 2/3 of global population will need to wait at least another decade so iCloud to those hundreds of millions is just nonexistent.

How do you sync through a cloud that isn't even there? You may not realise it, but there exists a bigger world out there. Factor that in, anticipate how they communicate via expensive gprs/edge before the next cloud appears in your mind. :)

Study this as it gives a clear picture. http://www.internetworldstats.com

Whilst I agree with most of your sentiments. I wonder how much data is actually used up in a Contacts/Calendar sync, it has to be minimal surely, I'm talking 10s of Kb if that much?
 
What's your solution to sync 4 macs and 10 iOS devices?
For one to one the local sync is fine and I think that Apple should have left it in place for legacy devices and offline sync for those with tinfoil hats, but some of us have a load of kit we like to keep synced so yes, that one click becomes a burden.

A local network? I have 3 Macs and 1 iOS device and don't feel like I'm missing something by not using a cloud service. I'm not wearing a tinfoil hat either. It's not all or nothing you know. I like technology but that doesn't mean I have to use everything just because it is new when I don't see a real benefit for me and some disadvantages.

I have a steam account to play games but ignore facebook & twitter. Others might want or even need some kind of cloud service, have different interests and want to do completely different things with technology than me. That's a great thing about us humans, we are all different. So it is all about options for everyone. If someone wants to use iCloud or even spread every bit of his life around on google and facebook, fine. Just don't force me to do the same.

Personally I think registering everywhere and uploading pictures and files to every possible service without a second thought is stupid. If certain offerings really make your life easier please use them, so do I. Just think twice before giving away personal information on every possible occasion. Again, it is not all or nothing.
 
Can I have it now.

Can I have it now!!! PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE!!!!!!!!! I hope it gets relised to us relay quick.
 
Ok, so somebody.....

dare to put in writing a general public release date?....I can guess 1-3 months....:D


:):apple:
 
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