Inside OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion: a Preview of how Apple is enhancing the file system with iCloud

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  • Reply 21 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    Then use Dropbox. You gain a lot more functionality over iDisk. That includes delta encoding so that only the changed pieces are uploaded and you get 30 days of version history on the free account. iDisk is complete shit in comparison.



    You can pay for excessive amounts of data and have your entire user folder media and documents on some server somewhere but that doesn't make sense. iCloud is for accessing from the cloud n your iDevices with ease. It's not meant to be a remote server between 100 Enterprise Macs. This isn't a sly move from Apple to get Macs into the business sector. It's a simple interface to a complicated issue for the majority. You need something more robust there are still the other options available.



    If Dropbox were as deeply integrate in iDevices as iCloud is, sure that would be an option down the line. But right now iCloud looks much more appealing to me. Also, I'd have considered Dropbox but right now Apple gives me 25gb free, which I can't get with Dropbox. And I'm not a business user. I have a work desktop in my office, a laptop, and idevices. I just want everything always in sync, for all my documents, pdfs, books, etc. The dream is looking better every day. Apple is moving in the right direction.
  • Reply 22 of 52
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by johndoe98 View Post


    Well that's inconvenient. In that regard I liked iDisk. I could work both locally and remotely off the same folder. Everything was always in sync and also backed up and accessible, easily, locally and remotely. I hope iCloud achieves the same. I don't want double copies to keep track of. That's what my time machine is for.



    I use Sugarsync. My documents folder automatically syncs to the Sugarsync cloud. All my docs acked up and always available locally as well as remotely on every device without the slightest effort. (I don't generate that many documents so 6 free gb's serves me fine.
  • Reply 23 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by johndoe98 View Post


    Sandboxing according to file types strikes me as a good compromise, where you need to give permission for each app to be allowed to work on that file type.



    That is a brilliant compromise.



    iOS allows contacts/photos/videos/music to be shared between apps. A better solution than data silos built around apps would be to extend these API's to bring in other document types.



    Apple could then implement some kind of point-of-access security permissions (like they do with location) to get access to documents.



    I want to start rambling about the "File Picker" contract in Windows 8 and how it offers a much better compromise, but I know nobody here gives a shit
  • Reply 24 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Macky the Macky View Post


    If more then one device can see a document, how does Apple prevent various users from attempting to edit that document at the same time and not end up with a mess of versions, none of which contain all changes?



    iCloud like the iOS devices are intended to be used by a single user so it is unlikely that Apple has done anything in regards to such preventions since it is unlikely that said single user would be editing a file on a computer or a device at the same time.



    If folks are sharing iCloud accounts and thus screw something up, that's on them since they are using the service outside of how Apple set it up and intended it to be used.
  • Reply 25 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by johndoe98 View Post


    Much better is to open MS Word, make the changes, and be done.



    For that you would need Microsoft to revamp Word to work with iCloud and iOS. So far they haven't bothered to revamp it for all the features of Lion so I wouldn't hold your breath on anything else in the near future. Then again, they could surprise us
  • Reply 26 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Pendergast View Post


    This really sounds awesome for the average home user, while still retaining functionality for pro users who want more control.



    For business use though, I still will prefer Dropbox. I like the philosophy of having local copies saved on each machine, in addition to in the cloud. While it may be redundant, storage is cheap and it makes it pretty much disaster-proof. Very important for critical data.



    I'm assuming iCloud files aren't really on your machine, only in the cloud.



    They are on your machine and if you're using iCloud now you can go check it in ~/Library/Mobile Documents. That's your Dropbox right there and it will work for any doc you put there..
  • Reply 27 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by webfrasse View Post


    They are on your machine and if you're using iCloud now you can go check it in ~/Library/Mobile Documents. That's your Dropbox right there and it will work for any doc you put there..



    iCloud is pretty much nothing more then DropBox on steroids.
  • Reply 28 of 52
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by webfrasse View Post


    They are on your machine and if you're using iCloud now you can go check it in ~/Library/Mobile Documents. That's your Dropbox right there and it will work for any doc you put there..



    I'm surprised that I'm not seeing any apps use the iCloud APIs. I see no reason why a developer can't create a modern iDisk that's a 3rd-party app that uses Apple's servers for storing your data. If I could write code I would have been to work on this last October.



    PS: It also wouldn't be hard to write a Mac app that will allow you to access files between different iCloud app folders. If in you access the path you mention above and create an alias and then stick in another folder for another app it will open that file just fine. You can also add files that the app can't open and it will show them with a slight graying which you obviously can't click. For instance, moving a .TXT file to the folder for Preview.



    As you state it's just like Dropbox... except it's app organized from within File » Open.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Therbo View Post


    iCloud is pretty much nothing more then DropBox on steroids.



    The underling tech certainly does same things with delta encodings. Now is this a patent violation from one or the other? Dropbox was first compared to iCloud but this same tech is used in Apple's Time Machine.
  • Reply 29 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by charlituna View Post


    For that you would need Microsoft to revamp Word to work with iCloud and iOS. So far they haven't bothered to revamp it for all the features of Lion so I wouldn't hold your breath on anything else in the near future. Then again, they could surprise us



    Obviously, that's why I said it was a hypothetical example.
  • Reply 30 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    PS: It also wouldn't be hard to write a Mac app that will allow you to access files between different iCloud app folders.



    I don't think Apple's sandboxing allows that.
  • Reply 31 of 52
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by johndoe98 View Post


    I don't think Apple's sandboxing allows that.



    Is that's only an issue with Mac App Store apps?



    edit: I just checked. I only see info for many MAS apps sandboxed, not even signed apps will be vetted this way as far as I can see.
  • Reply 32 of 52
    dacloodacloo Posts: 890member
    Thanks for the advertisement AppleInsider.

    Now does someone has a decent review with concerns and without the praising?



    And how the hell am I supposed store files the way I want?

    I want to organize files in the cloud the way I want. Who wants their documents to be tied to Pages in a progressional collaborative environment? Ah, who am I asking, some kind of biased 'iJournalist'...
  • Reply 33 of 52
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dacloo View Post


    And how the hell am I supposed store files the way I want?

    I want to organize files in the cloud the way I want.



    Why is this is an issue? Apple is giving you an option but they are not taking away other options. You can use one of many options to store your files in the "cloud".



    Remember it's iCloud®, not the cloud.



    Quote:

    Who wants their documents to be tied to Pages in a progressional collaborative environment?



    That makes no sense.
  • Reply 34 of 52
    Am I missing something here? I have been a loyal .Mac member for 10 years. I'm one of those who insisted on paying each year for a .mac (MobileMe) membership so that my email didn't come from Google, Yahoo!, or any other "free" but ad-sponsored service. Then Apple sends me a message telling me I have to move my account to iCloud. When I begin making the switch, I am told that I will lose synchronization of my Mail accounts. Really? I am having to give up synchronizing my email across my home and work Macs, my iPhone, and my iPad, just so that my iTunes will remember what songs I have been playing?! PLEASE, tell me that I'm wrong and set me straight on this.
  • Reply 35 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    Is that's only an issue with Mac App Store apps?



    edit: I just checked. I only see info for many MAS apps sandboxed, not even signed apps will be vetted this way as far as I can see.



    Right but I think the iCloud APIs are restricted to the MAS no? I thought I read that somewhere. I could be wrong though.
  • Reply 36 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by starship captain View Post


    Am I missing something here? I have been a loyal .Mac member for 10 years. I'm one of those who insisted on paying each year for a .mac (MobileMe) membership so that my email didn't come from Google, Yahoo!, or any other "free" but ad-sponsored service. Then Apple sends me a message telling me I have to move my account to iCloud. When I begin making the switch, I am told that I will lose synchronization of my Mail accounts. Really? I am having to give up synchronizing my email across my home and work Macs, my iPhone, and my iPad, just so that my iTunes will remember what songs I have been playing?! PLEASE, tell me that I'm wrong and set me straight on this.



    The only bit of email that doesn't sync is the account info. The emails themselves still do. You can use a (poorly-named) program callee iPhone Configuration Utility (included with OS X Server, but a free download from Apple for OS X client) to make profiles that contain all your common WiFi, email, calendar, etc settings. This profile can then be imported into any iOS or OS X device, allowing you to have the same accounts set up on everything.
  • Reply 37 of 52
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    I love to see iCloud grow up. But the challenge will be to make it really simple and useful without being confusing. At the moment for instance, photo stream doesn't quite cut it. The fact that I can't control it, image by image, is frustrating.



    All they deed to add in iOS 6 for photo stream is the ability to edit and delete images. "Controlling" in image by image is no solution at all.
  • Reply 38 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dacloo View Post


    Thanks for the advertisement AppleInsider.

    Now does someone has a decent review with concerns and without the praising?



    And how the hell am I supposed store files the way I want?

    I want to organize files in the cloud the way I want. Who wants their documents to be tied to Pages in a progressional collaborative environment? Ah, who am I asking, some kind of biased 'iJournalist'...



    This is for the average user, and no functionality has been removed. You can still save files normally, and you can continue to use a third party solution like Dropbox.



    For the average user, this makes creating a document on their iMac and instantly having it on their iPad super easy and intuitive.
  • Reply 39 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Pendergast View Post


    no functionality has been removed.



    iDisk.
  • Reply 40 of 52
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by minderbinder View Post


    iDisk.



    They're designing something better, as the article is stating.
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