Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

So how does iCloud work from a Mac?

Reach9

Reach9

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Aug 17, 2010
2,417
224
In America
The keynote presentation talked enough about iPhone to iPad, but what about using a Mac?
Is there going to be a specific folder that i'll need to save my documents to in iCloud?
Is there going to be an iCloud app? Will it be able to open .PDF files, i.e function as DropBox?
I apologize if these topics were covered before, but if someone can answer these questions it'd be great!
 
Reach9 said:
The keynote presentation talked enough about iPhone to iPad, but what about using a Mac?
Is there going to be a specific folder that i'll need to save my documents to in iCloud?
Is there going to be an iCloud app? Will it be able to open .PDF files, i.e function as DropBox?
I apologize if these topics were covered before, but if someone can answer these questions it'd be great!
Click to expand...

Programs like Pages, Keynote and Numbers will have a built in file system - like the iPad has now. However, you can fully edit the filies - and it keeps incremental updates of that file like Time Capsule. iCloud then syncs each applications files and shares them with other devices running the same applications.

In iPhoto on Mac, and Photo for iOS, you will have a "Photo Stream" album that shows all the pictures that iCloud has. You can choose which picture is stored permanently on which device - ones it's stored locally it's moved off of iCloud.

http://www.apple.com/icloud/features/
 
So if i'm working on a file on my Mac, and save it as a .RTF, how does it go to iCloud? Do i need to put it in a certain folder? I don't want everything i'm working on to go to the cloud, my 5GBs will be filled up quick then.
Then can I open it on iWork for iPhone? Will it be able to open .PDF files? Or are we hoping apps like GoodReader use the iOS 5 beta to read certain extensions. Can we access our files from the iPhone and choose "open with GoodReader"?

Sorry guys, i'm just kinda confused on how to use it with a Mac.
 
Last edited:
Reach9 said:
So if i'm working on a file on my Mac, and save it as a .RTF, how does it go to iCloud? Do i need to put it in a certain folder? I don't want everything i'm working on to go to the cloud, my 5GBs will be filled up quick then.
Then can I open it on iWork for iPhone? Will it be able to open .PDF files? Or are we hoping apps like GoodReader use the iOS 5 beta to read certain extensions. Can we access our files from the iPhone and choose "open with GoodReader"?

Sorry guys, i'm just kinda confused on how to use it with a Mac.
Click to expand...

No. Only applications that build in iCloud will be able to use it. Like Pages, Keynote and Numbers. So if you're working in Pages on a document - whatever format - and then save it, iCloud will update that file on all of your devices which are using Pages. It's applications-specific.
 
Gen said:
No. Only applications that build in iCloud will be able to use it. Like Pages, Keynote and Numbers. So if you're working in Pages on a document - whatever format - and then save it, iCloud will update that file on all of your devices which are using Pages. It's applications-specific.
Click to expand...

Ah i see, looks like i'll still be using GoodReader and Dropbox until we get more info about iCloud. Thanks for the help!
 
Reach9 said:
Ah i see, looks like i'll still be using GoodReader and Dropbox until we get more info about iCloud. Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...

I mean that's how I'm understanding it. Here is what Apple says;
Documents you’ve written, presentations you’ve prepared, spreadsheets you’ve made — your iWork apps can store them in iCloud. Which means you can view and edit the same document, in its latest state, on all your devices. And since iCloud automatically updates any changes you make, you don’t even have to remember to save your work. Apple apps are seamlessly integrated with iCloud, and we’ve given developers the tools to make their apps work with iCloud, too. So you’ll be able to paint a masterpiece, play a game, create reminders, edit stock lists, and more — and have it all stay with you on all your devices.
Click to expand...
 
Gotcha, that makes sense. But i hope this opens up for more than iWork apps, looking forward to what the devs do with iOS 5 and iCloud.
 
My question is this: how do we control what get's synced to the cloud in an app such as Keynote.

I am all for removing the file system from the user's minds and the management thereof, but there are some real world issue, such as:

1. Over the years, I don't want every Keynote file to sync to all devices. The list will become unwieldy. There needs to be an archive function.

2. Some individual files are too large, use custom type, etc., to be used on an iOS device.

3. Privacy & security. It would be helpful to have the choice not to sync, particularly with some business documents. (There are times when clients such as the government forbid their documents going on external servers. Plus, I'm not sure corporations want their documents on Apple's servers.)

I suspect part of it is my need to let go of part of the past and find new and better ways of working, but there seems to be some kinks in the new model. (All addressable.)
 
Gen said:
No. Only applications that build in iCloud will be able to use it. Like Pages, Keynote and Numbers. So if you're working in Pages on a document - whatever format - and then save it, iCloud will update that file on all of your devices which are using Pages. It's applications-specific.
Click to expand...

This is what I'm really puzzling over, I think it would be great if what you're saying is true (with an option to turn OFF/ON), but I don't see this anywhere. On the Apple website where there is a description of iCloud, there is one page with email/cal/contacts (iPad/iPhone/Mac icons shown) and docs/apps/books/backup (iPad/iPhone). I'm hoping the iCloud syncing will also work with Pages on a Mac, though I don't know how iCloud will know which files on all your hard disc it should be looking at.
 
Looks like all mobile docs are stored here:

~/Library/Mobile Documents/*com.company.application/*FILES/FOLDERS*

Dragging docs there will indeed sync them with the application as i have just proven with GoodReader.

I am assuming apps like GoodReader will need to create a Mac App Store version of the software to at least provide a front end to add/remove docs etc.
 
Goodreader and iCloud

Hmm.. I don't have this folder: ~/Library/Mobile Documents/

How do I access my Goodreader iCloud files from my Mac??


benkirton said:
Looks like all mobile docs are stored here:

~/Library/Mobile Documents/*com.company.application/*FILES/FOLDERS*

Dragging docs there will indeed sync them with the application as i have just proven with GoodReader.

I am assuming apps like GoodReader will need to create a Mac App Store version of the software to at least provide a front end to add/remove docs etc.
Click to expand...
 
Nope

Based on my experience so far and everything I've read, iCloud is in no way a replacement for Dropbox. iCloud ONLY syncs apps, music, photos, documents from iWork, and of course email. However, if a 3rd party app supports iCloud, then files within that app from one iDevice will be synced to another, which is pretty cool, assuming you own more than one device.

But the huge glaring flaw in this system is the inability to interface with iCloud in any sort of functional manner from the COMPUTER. With only an iPhone and a couple of Macs, I have 25GB of iCloud storage that is absolutely useless to me no matter how I approach it. (currently just syncing my iCal, Address Book, and bookmarks).

So to return to my previous question, is there any way to access GoodReader's iCloud files from my computer? If this were possible, as someone else suggested it is, then iCloud would be on track to compete with Dropbox. Until then, it's apples and oranges. I know I can mount GoodReader as a server over my WiFi network, but I'm looking for constant behind the scenes syncing for videos, PDFs, etc. Any thoughts?

karenforge said:
iCloud offers cloud solutions for so many services that it competes with: Google Docs, Megaupload, Dropbox, Gmail and other e-mail apps, etc. The major difference between iCloud and the rest is that all these solutions are offered with only one service in iCloud.

for more details, please check out this link:
http://www.techyv.com/article/detailed-description-cloud-computing
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
How on Earth Does iCloud Sync with Pages?

OK — I understand what icloud is supposed to do,but HOW does it do it?

I have the latest versions of Pages on my deskptop machine and on my IOS devices — as far as I can see.

I can create documents on either system — but how do they get synched?

I have Documents and Date ON but nothing seems to happen!
 
Andy-Howell said:
OK — I understand what icloud is supposed to do,but HOW does it do it?

I have the latest versions of Pages on my deskptop machine and on my IOS devices — as far as I can see.

I can create documents on either system — but how do they get synched?

I have Documents and Date ON but nothing seems to happen!
Click to expand...


They haven't updated desktop version of iWork yet....
 
Integration with iWork on the desktop means automatic document updates including versioning, in the cloud, immediately available on all devices.
 
Clearly not designed for low bandwidth or defined quotas.

I can't see the point. I certainly do not want all my recent photo's in sync.
There is no space for a personal web site. No real storage. I just sync with calendar and mail via Google. Share large apps/files with Skype or archive and share links in google docs.
The 'lock' in to Apple apps is really limiting.
Not a very generous serving. Not a lot of point to it really.
It just sucks up my data quota.:(
 
I think Apple have been pretty poor in their marketing of iCloud. Not many people actually know how to use it or what it does.

All a bit messy. I actually expected an iCloud icon on my dock or something, would've made things more simple to open it up from the dock.
 
iCloud

As @benkirton says, it works with Goodreader (and other iCloud-compatible apps of course), but ... you have to post a document in iCloud from GoodReader first. Only then everything will be synced the first time and this folder will be created on your Mac. From then on you can drag files in it to sync with iCloud - but only visible in Goodreader. But that's fine.

Same goes for iWork apps. See attached image.
 

Attachments

  • MobileDocuments.png
    MobileDocuments.png
    71.6 KB · Views: 109
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back