Apple welcomes some users to iCloud with early email
As Apple prepares to introduced its iCloud service alongside iOS 5 and its new iPhone hardware in the next two weeks, the company appears to have let some "Welcome to iCloud" emails slip out early.
An AppleInsider reader received one of the emails on Friday, welcoming him to iCloud and advising him that his email address is the Apple ID he'll use to get his iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and PC set up.
The email advises users to "follow these instructions and you’ll be up and running in no time," but unfortunately the instructions page on Apple's website is not yet available, suggesting the email was likely issued prematurely during testing.
"Once iCloud is set up, it stores your content and wirelessly pushes it to all your devices," the email says. "For example, buy a song with iTunes on your computer, and it will appear on your iPod touch and iPad."
It continues: "When you snap a photo on your iPhone it will automatically be sent to your iPad. You can start creating a Pages document on your iPhone, and put the finishing touches on it from your iPad. There’s no need to dock or sync to your computer. With iCloud, it just works."
Apple is currently evaluating portions of the iCloud service in beta versions of iOS 5.0 and Mac OS X 10.7.2, and its official iCloud web page still advertises the service as "Coming this fall."
An AppleInsider reader received one of the emails on Friday, welcoming him to iCloud and advising him that his email address is the Apple ID he'll use to get his iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and PC set up.
The email advises users to "follow these instructions and you’ll be up and running in no time," but unfortunately the instructions page on Apple's website is not yet available, suggesting the email was likely issued prematurely during testing.
"Once iCloud is set up, it stores your content and wirelessly pushes it to all your devices," the email says. "For example, buy a song with iTunes on your computer, and it will appear on your iPod touch and iPad."
It continues: "When you snap a photo on your iPhone it will automatically be sent to your iPad. You can start creating a Pages document on your iPhone, and put the finishing touches on it from your iPad. There’s no need to dock or sync to your computer. With iCloud, it just works."
Apple is currently evaluating portions of the iCloud service in beta versions of iOS 5.0 and Mac OS X 10.7.2, and its official iCloud web page still advertises the service as "Coming this fall."
Comments
Has it been determined yet if users who have multiple Apple IDs can use iCloud? I have a "family" ID that my wife and I share for iTunes purchases of music and apps so we can both use them, and we each have our own Mobile Me account for contact & calendar syncing. Am I out of luck when iOS 5/iCloud launches?
It will work exactly as it does now with MobileMe. You can have separate Apple IDs for iTunes purchases and contact/calendar syncing.
I wonder about the very common scenario where you have an Apple ID separate from a MobileMe account. All of my app purchases are on my Apple ID, but the cloud syncing is with MobileMe. They really need to merge the two into one.
I have exactly the same situation...
...damn this waiting.
Just to that almost-launched offsprings laptop?
OR, also to Mom, Dad and three siblings computers as well?
Just askin'.......
Has it been determined yet if users who have multiple Apple IDs can use iCloud? I have a "family" ID that my wife and I share for iTunes purchases of music and apps so we can both use them, and we each have our own Mobile Me account for contact & calendar syncing. Am I out of luck when iOS 5/iCloud launches?
Hint: Convert the master account last.
The other issue is going to be joint or family use of the same iTunes account tied to Dad or Mom's credit card. Where does the risqué photo snapped by one almost-launched adult (say middle of college) offspring get synced via iCloud?
Just to that almost-launched offsprings laptop?
OR, also to Mom, Dad and three siblings computers as well?
Just askin'.......
Sounds like a reason for the kids to get their OWN iTunes account!!
I wonder about the very common scenario where you have an Apple ID separate from a MobileMe account. All of my app purchases are on my Apple ID, but the cloud syncing is with MobileMe. They really need to merge the two into one.
They can be different and things work just fine. iTunes Store config and iCloud account configs are in different places and I can't think of a place they HAVE to converge where it created a problem. People can have several AppleIDs. Pain in the ass though if you create a new iCloud and try to get MobileMe syncing and iCloud sync with the same things. Lots of recursive sync. Took me weeks to clean up bookmarks.
I won't convert my AppleID until they make me. It's old school and lacks the @isp.com part.
They can be different and things work just fine. iTunes Store config and iCloud account configs are in different places and I can't think of a place they HAVE to converge where it created a problem. People can have several AppleIDs. Pain in the ass though if you create a new iCloud and try to get MobileMe syncing and iCloud sync with the same things. Lots of recursive sync. Took me weeks to clean up bookmarks.
I won't convert my AppleID until they make me. It's old school and lacks the @isp.com part.
I wonder about the very common scenario where you have an Apple ID separate from a MobileMe account. All of my app purchases are on my Apple ID, but the cloud syncing is with MobileMe. They really need to merge the two into one.
I have exactly the same situation...
...damn this waiting.
I asked an Apple support rep about this a few weeks ago, and posted it in threads here. Coincidentally, tonight I decided to share it more publicly (don't know why I didn't before). This is the relevant excerpt from the chat
Basically, you don't actually merge anything. The migration of MobileMe information can be done to any iCloud ID that doesn't already have associated email accounts, not necessarily to a new one. So you can move your primary Apple ID, with purchases, to a new iCloud ID, then move your MobileMe account information to that same iCloud ID.
I asked an Apple support rep about this a few weeks ago, and posted it in threads here. Coincidentally, tonight I decided to share it more publicly (don't know why I didn't before). This is the relevant excerpt from the chat
Basically, you don't actually merge anything. The migration of MobileMe information can be done to any iCloud ID that doesn't already have associated email accounts, not necessarily to a new one. So you can move your primary Apple ID, with purchases, to a new iCloud ID, then move your MobileMe account information to that same iCloud ID.
Been running this for a while. It won't migrate my AppleID because it does not meet the minimum requirement. You can migrate the primary MobileMe account first but there were problems doing MobileMe admin after.
So you can move your primary Apple ID, with purchases, to a new iCloud ID, then move your MobileMe account information to that same iCloud ID.
This description is a bit confusing to me. Are you saying once someone with a gmail Apple ID registers for iCould can change the Apple ID from a gmail address to an iCloud one? If so I think that's a pretty neat feature. Not really necessary, but neat.
This description is a bit confusing to me. Are you saying once someone with a gmail Apple ID registers for iCould can change the Apple ID from a gmail address to an iCloud one? If so I think that's a pretty neat feature. Not really necessary, but neat.
Any current AppleID that is a valid email address can be used to create the iCloud ID. It's the MobileMe ones that'll require a migration. You'll keep the gmail.com and it will be both your iTunes account AppleID and your iCloud name. My dev iCloud account was a gmail address I use for junk.
Any current AppleID that is a valid email address can be used to create the iCloud ID. It's the MobileMe ones that'll require a migration. You'll keep the gmail.com and it will be both your iTunes account AppleID and your iCloud name. My dev iCloud account was a gmail address I use for junk.
Which is really annoying for those of us that actually use MobileMe. It means we have to set our Apple ID to some email address we don't use first.
Which is really annoying for those of us that actually use MobileMe. It means we have to set our Apple ID to some email address we don't use first.
I stated a bit ago that i kept one appleID for my iTunes purchases (iOS apps, App store apps, music, movies, TV series) and a different Email address as my iCloud. Once I can give up the MobileMe services that don't map to iCloud, I'll migrate there. Until then, iCloud offers me nothing I don't already have. I'll probably never change my iTunes account AppleID.
I asked an Apple support rep about this a few weeks ago, and posted it in threads here. Coincidentally, tonight I decided to share it more publicly (don't know why I didn't before). This is the relevant excerpt from the chat
Basically, you don't actually merge anything. The migration of MobileMe information can be done to any iCloud ID that doesn't already have associated email accounts, not necessarily to a new one. So you can move your primary Apple ID, with purchases, to a new iCloud ID, then move your MobileMe account information to that same iCloud ID.
If what that Apple Rep told you is accurate, this would be a huge boon for me !!!!!
I too have an old school Apple ID; that is, without the @email.part. Just a username.
AND I also have a MobileMe account, with the Apple required @me.com trail.
I was under the impression that one would never sync (or more importantly, Merge) with the
other.
And that I would always and forever have to maintain two accounts; one for All my, purchases (old school Apple ID) and one for all my calendar, contacts, etc., syncing (MobileMe account).
I'll be waiting to find out.
So can we take our old, non-iCloud, [email protected] Apple IDs and have all their purchases transferred to our iCloud accounts yet or not?
If what that Apple Rep told you is accurate, this would be a huge boon for me !!!!!
I too have an old school Apple ID; that is, without the @email.part. Just a username.
AND I also have a MobileMe account, with the Apple required @me.com trail.
I was under the impression that one would never sync (or more importantly, Merge) with the
other.
And that I would always and forever have to maintain two accounts; one for All my, purchases (old school Apple ID) and one for all my calendar, contacts, etc., syncing (MobileMe account).
I'll be waiting to find out.
You can rename you AppleID here: https://appleid.apple.com/
I have an option toward the bottom saying,"Make your Apple ID and primary email address one and the same."
Be prepared to update all your iTunes. iP(devices), Home Sharing stuff with the change. I haven't cause I'm scared that Apple will jack up all my purchased content. I have quite a bit.
Edit: I think most people can edit their AppleID names now but they will HAVE to conform to an email name and I'd guess have to be verified for some services, like migration or activation wit iCloud to function.
All this is so confusing.
So can we take our old, non-iCloud, [email protected] Apple IDs and have all their purchases transferred to our iCloud accounts yet or not?
I think the base of the confusion is that you can have multiple AppleIDs. If you choose, (pre-iCloud) you can have one that's your apple.com account that your buy gear, another that's your iTunes account, another that's your Mac App Store, one that's mobileMe. In a few weeks you can get another for iCloud. Now, I'd recommend your don't try to sync on a Mac and iDevice with both MobileMe and iCloud because they get it an endless loop on things like bookmarks.
For most MobileMe ID users (like me), we have one iTunes Apple ID that wasusers for, (of course) music, movies, TV series, Movies, and iDevice Apps/books, and we also used the same for the Mac App Store probably just because. Then we have have a MobileMe account that Apple later called an AppleID also that was difficult to combine with pre-existing AppleID used for all that junk above.
The reality is, in the iCloud world, you can exist with both just like we existed with both pre-icloud. ICloud is configured outside of mail accounts and the iTunes config on devices, Macs and PCs. Now the trick is iTunes Match. Guess which it uses. Next becomes expanding storage with your new iCloud AppleID. I haven't done that yet cause I pay enough to beta this stuff.
Edit: Oh, I guess to answer your question - yes. You can use an existing AppleID when you first sign on to the iCloud world as long as it's a conventional non-Me email. There's a different migration process for MobileMe addresses. Again- there were reported problems with people migrating the primary MobileMe iD that admin'd family account ts to being about to admin their MobileMe anymore. I did not do any migration or reuse of existing IDs during the beta because all new iCloud IDs and data could be wiped at any time and would be wiped at the end of dev beta.
Damn, I hope this helps. Confusing at first, yes. Worse if you're a MobileMe user. Pretty painless if you're not.
Edit 2: it might help to realize that your purchases associated with the Mac App Store and iTunes IDs are associated with and AppleID but not a field that you can change. They say changing the name won't impact your credit for past purchases.
Editorial: IMHO the idea to make the Mac App Store AppleID that can be different than the others had to be necessary to support corporate environment software licensing.