Apple begins testing Mac OS X 10.7.3 with focus on iCloud storage
Apple on Tuesday began widespread testing of Mac OS X 10.7.3, the third maintenance update to its relatively new Lion operating system that will improve upon iCloud's Documents in the Cloud, among a handful of other areas.
People familiar with the first external build of the forthcoming update -- labeled OS X Lion 10.7.3 build 11D16 -- say the Mac maker has requested developers to focus their evaluation efforts on iCal calendars, Mail, AddressBook and iCloud's document storage.
The 633MB delta update is reported to have no known issues at this time. It was accompanied by a pre-release copy of OS X Lion Server 10.7.3 that carried the same build number and set of focus areas.
Apple last updated Mac OS X 10.7 Lion in mid-October when it released Mac OS X 10.7.2, which delivered initial Mac support for iCloud.
People familiar with the first external build of the forthcoming update -- labeled OS X Lion 10.7.3 build 11D16 -- say the Mac maker has requested developers to focus their evaluation efforts on iCal calendars, Mail, AddressBook and iCloud's document storage.
The 633MB delta update is reported to have no known issues at this time. It was accompanied by a pre-release copy of OS X Lion Server 10.7.3 that carried the same build number and set of focus areas.
Apple last updated Mac OS X 10.7 Lion in mid-October when it released Mac OS X 10.7.2, which delivered initial Mac support for iCloud.
Comments
A guy can dream.
Can anyone offer anecdotes on how they use it on a day-to-day basis?
Although iCloud seems like an great idea, I wonder how much use the average user (like me) would get out of it.
Can anyone offer anecdotes on how they use it on a day-to-day basis?
You're not gonna get much other than "Astounding" from anyone.
At least, people who aren't missing iDisk.
Although iCloud seems like an great idea, I wonder how much use the average user (like me) would get out of it.
Can anyone offer anecdotes on how they use it on a day-to-day basis?
It allows me to pick up my iPad and know that my Calendar, Bookmarks, Photos and other data is in sync. Pretty soon you grow so accustomed to effortless sync that you demand it in all apps that create documents or need to update smaller bits of data.
"Focus on iCloud storage" in the sense that we'll see an 'iCloud' option in the Finder Sidebar below AirDrop where we can drag and drop files directly, or??
A guy can dream.
I hope so. The current solution is REALLY inconvenient. Your documents are pushed to every device BUT YOUR MAIN COMPUTER. However, I realize infrastructure takes time. I do hope this is high on their priority list. Apple's attempt to buy out dropbox gives me hope that it is
Apple on Tuesday began widespread testing of Mac OS X 10.7.3, the third maintenance update to its relatively new Lion operating system that will improve upon iCloud's Documents in the Cloud, among a handful of other areas.
People familiar with the first external build of the forthcoming update -- labeled OS X Lion 10.7.3 build 11D16 -- say the Mac maker has requested developers to focus their evaluation efforts on iCal calendars, Mail, AddressBook and iCloud's document storage.
The 633MB delta update is reported to have no known issues at this time. It was accompanied by a pre-release copy of OS X Lion Server 10.7.3 that carried the same build number and set of focus areas.
Apple last updated Mac OS X 10.7 Lion in mid-October when it released Mac OS X 10.7.2, which delivered initial Mac support for iCloud.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Blah blah blah- I could have summarized it. Apple is wanting to fix the "drop box" loophole ASAP.
If they made it legitimized- that'd be awesome- but I highly doubt at this infancy stage of iCloud they want to take that burden on. My iCal and contacts sync perfect currently- my mail still won't work right on my iMacs (iMac cant pull old sent files from my phone via att.net acct. no settings fix it).
Although iCloud seems like an great idea, I wonder how much use the average user (like me) would get out of it.
Can anyone offer anecdotes on how they use it on a day-to-day basis?
I enter a contact on my phone and it shows up on my MacBook Pro and my iPad nearly instantaneously.
I buy a song or download an app on my iPad and it shows up in iTunes and on my iPhone.
Just two of many.
Although iCloud seems like an great idea, I wonder how much use the average user (like me) would get out of it.
Can anyone offer anecdotes on how they use it on a day-to-day basis?
Once I set it up, I didn't think about it. Thereafter, it Just Worked(TM).
I have a Mac at home and two iDevices: an iPod touch and an iPad. I have it configured to synchronize Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Bookmarks, plus have Photo Stream and Documents & Data turned on, as well as Find My iPad/iPod.
It is also wirelessly backing up my iDevices to iCloud (typically in the middle of the night), so synchronizing iTunes via USB is rather quick (I haven't enabled wireless iTunes syncing yet).
You're perfectly free to switch on/off the services you don't want to use with iCloud. Even if you don't use it for anything else, it's still worth it just for the Find My i(Device) feature.
Just keeping the basics (contacts, calendars, reminders, bookmarks, and photos) synced on a computer and two mobile devices is immensely convenient.
Although iCloud seems like an great idea, I wonder how much use the average user (like me) would get out of it.
Can anyone offer anecdotes on how they use it on a day-to-day basis?
I'm not counting iCal and Contacts sync as they where around before iCloud but I do use those feature regularly. In fact Cal and Contacts have become very important.
iClould to me though means new syncing services. Here I'm just getting up to speed, but things like Numbers spread sheet syncing is really moving forward. It is very nice to be able to develop a spread sheet on a Mac and then populate it with data over time anywhere you may be.
So I'm just beginning to come to grips with some of iClouds newer capabilities. In the end i looks to be very handy.
Although iCloud seems like an great idea, I wonder how much use the average user (like me) would get out of it.
Can anyone offer anecdotes on how they use it on a day-to-day basis?
Very little that MobileMe and Dropbox doesn't do better.
I like iCloud's Photo Stream feature which I don't recall seeing on MobileMe (which I had through May of this year). Nor do I remember cloud-based backups of iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches, probably because they didn't exist until iOS 5.
Dropbox is an awesome service. I can't disagree there.
Although iCloud seems like an great idea, I wonder how much use the average user (like me) would get out of it.
Can anyone offer anecdotes on how they use it on a day-to-day basis?
I can offer a couple unique situations (my wife uses her iPhone and MacBook air- so I'll leave those devices out)
I have an iMac at home and an iMac at work. As well as an iPad and iPhone I use for work and personal.
My contacts are huge, as are my calendars. Those are things I live by and the auto synching is fantastic for business.
On a personal level- my wife and I had another daughter a month ago who had a heart defect that required surgery at 9 days (not to bore you with the details). She would take a pictures with her phone of her at the heart unit, I'd see it on any of my devices instantly. She uploaded pictures from her dslr on her MacBook air, I'd see it instantly. All of them. Just a real life ancdedote that allows me to see dozens of pics instantly instead of getting a couple in a text or waiting until I got home.
Bottom line: iCloud + Dropbox > MobileMe + Dropbox. Did I mention it was free?
Can't wait. It should clean up some rough edges to iCloud.
I'd like the ability to control my photostream in more detail. I still find synching slow at time (not much different than mm) I also think iCloud needs to announce its presence more often.
I'd like the ability to control my photostream in more detail. I still find synching slow at time (not much different than mm) I also think iCloud needs to announce its presence more often.
I agree. I think the most needed feature with photo stream is the ability to delete pics from the cloud. Me and Brett Favre are waiting...
Very little that MobileMe and Dropbox doesn't do better.
MobileMe is a Model-T compared to iCloud
for instance
MobileMe had an external API that developers really didn't want to leverage. iCloud is built right to the standard Cocoa API which makes it far easier to incorporate into an app as a developer.
iCloud does key value data which MobileMe didn't.
iCloud handles conflict resolution which MobileMe didn't which meant that often I had to do this myself when too many of my contacts or calendar data changed.
iCloud does LAN sync. If I've got multiple Macs and I need to move a large file that file never goes across the WAN into the Cloud...iCloud sends the file to the other Macs over the LAN and then updates the metadata in the cloud.
MobileMe and Dropbox both have an issue. They really only sync documents they don't sync small bits of info. Therefore you see Dropbox as a solution for apps that you can save a document or database file to. iCloud isn't encumbered with this and it works right in Core Data (OS X persistent storage API) for documents, packaged files and key value.
iCloud may not be perfect in 1.0 but architecturally it's light years beyond MobileMe or Dropbox IMO.
Although iCloud seems like an great idea, I wonder how much use the average user (like me) would get out of it.
Can anyone offer anecdotes on how they use it on a day-to-day basis?
Syncing calendars, contacts, bookmarks and reading list between devices.
Syncing data between devices when apps support iCloud Storage (work in progress)
On the Mac side you get Back To My Mac which is pretty neat. Basically you can remotely access your Macs. So if you have an iMac at home and a MacBook you just see your iMac at all times. You can screen share, transfer files, etc. It will even wake up your iMac at home if it's asleep.
Find my iPhone/Mac/iPad
(with iTunes Match) Have your entire music library in the cloud so all devices can share it.
Backup your iOS devices to the cloud. So say you drop your iPhone into a black hole. You go buy a new one, login to iCloud, and it restores everything down to your icon placement, text messages, applications, settings, etc. It's a perfect 1:1 clone.
PhotoStream -- take a photo with your iPhone. Go home and sit in front of your computer and it's already there waiting for you.
iCloud definitely benefits people the most who own multiple iOS devices and Macs though there is a Windows iCloud syncing agent as well. Just the device backup stuff alone is worth the 5 minutes required to sign-up for a free service.
I seem not to experience the feature that allows a user to have a Pages document synced with all their devices. I have an iMac, iPhone, and iPad all running up-to-date software, all of which have "Documents & Data" turned on in iCloud settings, and have "use iCloud" turned on in Pages settings etc., and still I do not see files synced across all of my devices. Am I missing something, or has this feature not fully up and running?
I was confused by this too, but my understanding is you need Pages on both your Mac and iPhone for it to work. I have Pages on the Mac, but not on my iPhone. I expected that my pages documents would be seen via the web icloud, but it's not the case.