iCloud™ and Apple Cloud Computing
What is a Cloud? A Cloud is a place where you store, find, and share all of your information.
FORECAST - IOS 5 and iCLOUD HAVE ARRIVED!!!!!!
News - When iTunes Match publicly launches, Apple fans in the United States will be able to subscribe to the service for $24.99/year. Once subscribed and activated, iTunes Match scans the tracks in your library that are available in the iTunes Store, and makes them available on all of your iTunes Match devices via iCloud. You only have to upload tracks that aren’t “matched.” [9 to 5 Mac]
Steve Jobs died Wednesday, October 5, 2011.
Regardless of personal feelings about Jobs, he was the person who designed and implemented the path that computing has taken. From the personal desktop Mac to graphic user interfaces to iPods to iMacs to iPhones to iPads to iCloud. Always leading toward the highest quality, simplest, fun, productive, safe, etc., computing environment that current technology would support.
Here is a YouTube ad that does a good job of explaining some business advantages of Cloud Computing,
most are just as beneficial for personal computing.
WHAT IS iCLOUD™?
Cloud Computing is the future of computing. The basic idea is to move you from your personal computers and local networks to data centers in the "clouds". The idea of an information Cloud floating over your head helps you visualize the revolution.
iCloud™, iPhones™, iPads™, and Macbooks™ put your documents (Documents in the Cloud), photos (Photo Stream), and music (iTunes in the Cloud) at your fingertips whenever and wherever you want them, all kept tidy and safe by Apple in a "walled garden".
Google has the opposite vision with Android, it tears down walls and gives open access to the Cloud.
There are plusses and minuses to both approaches. Follow the links below to find out which is best for you.
iCloud Overview
Apple's Introduction to iCloud and our look at what it does:
Simple - Apple makes devices that are simple and that just work. Explore the advantages with us.
Access - iCloud is available 24/7 wherever you my be.
Social - iCloud is made for Facebook, Twitter, and texting.
Entertain - iCloud manages your music and videos, you can access them from all your Apple devices.
Storage - Media files are gigantic, iCloud helps manage them.
Security - Apple engineers keep iCloud safe.
Applications - Apps and data are shared with family and coworkers.
Resources - iCloud gives you access to massive computing power.
Tech - tech notes about the cloud.
NEWS
Thunderbolt
Display ($999) Apple introduced Intel's Thunderbolt, the
replacement for USB and Firewire
ports. The real goal of the new technology is to eliminate
the need for desktop PC's. The display and cable "dock" any
MacBook so that you, over the next year, you will be able to
plug in lightening fast external
devices designed for the graphic artist, small business, and
everyday user. (09)
iCloud Betas (9/7/11) - Apple continues posting beta versions of iOS 5 headed toward an October release. AppleInsider has an excellent article about what developers are finding on the iCloud site. iCloud promises to "just work" without the user having to even think about the technology. iCloud comes with generous free storage that should be enough for most users. Per year prices for additional storage will be - $20 for 10Gb, $40 for 20Gb, and $100 for 50Gb (read our info on Storage).
iOS 5 - the iCloud base for iPhone / iPads is on schedule for
an early Sept release along with the new iPhone 5. The
recently released Mac OS, Lion, adds iPhone like
features to notebooks and desktops. Apple intends to blend
mobile devices and desktops so that anyone can surf the
net, listen to music, etc., anytime, anywhere. The device they
use will no longer matter. (7/25/11)
MobileMe is in transition to iCloud and is no longer available. As soon as iCloud is released there will be a gold rush for Apple email addresses. Mobile me subscribers can keep .mac and .me, if you need a new address be one of the first to sign up for iCloud. (6/6/11)
NEW MacBook Air & iMac The 2011 line of Apple notebooks and desktops, including a Mac mini, are state of the art. They are more expensive, yet given the specs, quality, and Apple support they represent real value. (7-1)
iPHONE-iPAD-iCLOUD APPS
Our reviews help you sort through the Apple Store's 350,000 Apps to find the best! Here are some of our favorites while we wait for iCloud specific apps.
Recommended App of the Week
Dragon Dictation - is a free app for iPhone that will let you try out Nuance's amazing speech recognition technology before iOS5 is released.
Angry Birds
For a bit of relaxation, the #1 app fills the bill.
iWork On a more serious note, iWork is worth considering. It includes Pages (word processing), Numbers (spreadsheet), and Keynote (presentation) software, It is not as full featured as MS Office, but with a little adjusting of expectations it will do the job.
There are versions
for iPad, iPhone
(works in a pinch),
and
the Mac.
You can
actually
download, edit,
and print a
document
on
your
iPhone.
There will be lots of iCloud related apps as soon as iOS 5 is released. Some of the best will be like MobileMe and Google Docs, just better. Mark our page and come back often top see the future unfold.
