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Just got around to watching this, which also discussed next month's release of OS X v10.7 Lion. I was impressed with the features of OS 5, but absolutely amazed with iCloud.
In a nutshell:
My wife is volunteering at an event at my daughter's elementary school; I'm sick and couldn't make it. She takes some video with her iPhone, then calls me to tell me to check it out. I turn on the TV, switch the input to HDMI 2 (on my TV) and AppleTV, and watch the video she took just a few minutes ago, 15 miles away. It synched automatically, wirelessly.
I create a document on my Macbook, close it down to go to work. I get to the office, turn on my iPad, open Pages--and there's the document, automatically downloaded.
I buy an audiobook from iTunes on my iMac. I jump in the car the next morning, plug in the iPod Touch and there's the new Stephen King audiobook auto-added to my library and ready to carry me through the traffic, and synched with where I stopped back in the house on the computer.
5 GB for all my junk (docs, etc.)
All my iTunes purchases and App Store purchases--ever, in the history of the store and my account with it-- are backed up in the Cloud for free.
Photos don't count against the 5 GB.
All the music I own that wasn't purchased through iTunes--whether I ripped it from CDs or stole it off the Pirate Bay--, from a single 3 MB song to the 102 GB of music I've collected over the last 10 years, is backed up and stored for a paltry $25 a year.
I forgot to mention, there's no longer any need to tether your iDevice to a computer: everything has been softdesigned to operate autonomously--no Mac or PC required.
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I've been having my documents synced across devices for two years already with Google Docs. I've never had to have my tablet or my phone attached to a computer to update it or transfer files. Never had to use proprietary software to manage my music or data. I can upload 140GB of music for free to listen to on any computer or my phone or tablet. So to me its not much of a benchmark for them adding stuff I've had access to for free and not corporate for a while already (in the case of some services).
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I've been having my documents synced across devices for two years already with Google Docs. I've never had to have my tablet or my phone attached to a computer to update it or transfer files. Never had to use proprietary software to manage my music or data. I can upload 140GB of music for free to listen to on any computer or my phone or tablet. So to me its not much of a benchmark for them adding stuff I've had access to for free and not corporate for a while already (in the case of some services).
All of this is automatic and seamless, with no input from you?
Documents sync from one device to another and open exactly as they were closed?
Items from one device automatically sync across all devices--the photo you take with your phone right now automatically and immediately, and though no action on your part, syncs to all your other devices?
Your music software (whatever application you use to store and listen to your digital collection) automatically scans your library, uploads to the cloud what doesn't already exist in an online catalog, tags all the rest, and allows you to download that music as desired or stream it to your music player?
When you buy a song or download software, it's automatically available on all your devices?
You can do all this with a simple wifi connection or across a cellular network without actually accessing the internet with a browser?
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I've been having my documents synced across devices for two years already with Google Docs. I've never had to have my tablet or my phone attached to a computer to update it or transfer files. Never had to use proprietary software to manage my music or data. I can upload 140GB of music for free to listen to on any computer or my phone or tablet. So to me its not much of a benchmark for them adding stuff I've had access to for free and not corporate for a while already (in the case of some services).
Sounds like you have to consciously upload your music and you get 1 GB of doc storage.
Plus I didn't see any where pictures where automatically synced.
;-).
In the case of some services....?
What tablet have you had for two years?
That didn't have to attach initially?
Plus it was in Beta up to Jan 13 2010.
They acquired Doc verse in March of 2010 to finally allow multiple user to Collaborate on MS documents for the first time, which Mac had been since 2009 easily (Had classes where I used it with MS collaborating with other students at least from fall of 2009 so yea seems some one is catching up).
Any ways.
To each their own.
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Picasa autosyncs pictures. And actually Docs can be unlimited if they are in the Google Docs format, which can be exported to many different formats. I save a doc and it is immediately available on any other computer I've logged in to, plus my phone and tablet, plus I can share it with anyone I want with a couple of clicks. When I buy an MP3 from Amazon it is automatically available on all devices.
I haven't had a tablet for two years. And I did say only some services I've been using for over two years.
I know I fight a losing battle, but I do like the fact that Apple acknowledges that they are no longer number one in the smart phone field (although Jobs does it by saying that Apple "never wanted to be number one").
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They just said in this last keynote I linked to that they're number one (though I thought nokia was still first in sales).
Also, I get what you're saying with picasa ( which I also use, and find way easier than MobileMe as it currently-- not for much longer--exists), Kindle, and the others, but the key feature to these iCloud services is that, by automatic, Apple means they happen in the background with no input or actions from the user--that photo you just took with your phone is on your iPad when you turn it on, on your Mac when you turn it on--as though they were always there.
Kindle and iBooks will no linger ask if you want to sync to the last page read, they will autosync in the background even with the device in standby: read on your kindle for Mac, then on the train, open kindle for iPad and the book is instantly at the point you left off, with no messages.
The iTunes album you just bought is instantly available on all your devices without your having to touch a single key...
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My only worries about iCloud are:
- How do I stop vast amounts of photos and music that I want on most of my devices from filling up my work laptop?
- No mention of iWeb and website hosting in iCloud
That said, the keynote sold me on all of the UI improvements in Lion that I was dubious about to the extent that I bought a Magic Trackpad for my MacPro yesterday.
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My only worries about iCloud are:
- How do I stop vast amounts of photos and music that I want on most of my devices from filling up my work laptop?
- No mention of iWeb and website hosting in iCloud
That said, the keynote sold me on all of the UI improvements in Lion that I was dubious about to the extent that I bought a Magic Trackpad for my MacPro yesterday.
iWeb is also something I was thinking about today, since MobileMe is going away. I have several sites I manage for family and that's not to mention the very family account itself.
I experienced the first hiccup today with the iTunes in the Cloud beta. I manage my ginormous iTunes collection, including movies, photos, tv shows and music, all from a server in a nook of my study. That server sustains the AppleTVs, LaCie Media Centre and all the Macs and iDevices in the house. This means with AirPlay and Homesharing I keep very empty disk drives...that after updating iTunes last night are suddenly full: iTunes beta downloaded as much as possible, overnight, to every device in the house. This is not what I want.
Luckily, it was easily remedied, and by deselecting a few values across the machines I'm back to managing from the server.
LazarX keep in mind that Apple is gaming the definition of success here by using ALL iOS devices as their point. Me with my iPad and iPod, neither of which are 3G, are included in Apples total. IMO as well they should.
If you look strictly at iPhones you really loose a big chunck of space iOS is occupying.
Back to WWDC. While the improvements in iOS5 look good across the board I think Apple missed the critical points of the excersise for Enterpries (schools and small business). Frankly I don't like iCloud. I don't like that Apple is setting up the hooks solely through them, I don't like the fact that it seems Lion Server will have very little impact on helping to manage PCs-less iPads in an Enterprise Environment.
I still maintain that the Cloud is best done on a local network scale. I would much rather run a private cloud based at my home or other site that is under my (or the local admins) control. I would prefer my Pages documents and nightly backups sync right back to my Mac (Server) instead of Apple's iCloud.
On other notes. YA! Lion Server is only a 79.99 dollar upgrade. For gaming groups with a Mac going Lion that's a number of handy tools such as a Wiki, Blogs, file hosting, WebDAV and CalDAV that can be brought into use at and beyond the table. iPad2 wifi video mirroring, Rich Text iOS wide, multiple concurrent remote uses in Lion, AirDrop (hope to gods it's also in iOS), iMessage (hope it will integrate with iChat on local network).
Also turn based asyncrious games over GameCenter. A useful step toward an iOS VTT :D
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LazarX keep in mind that Apple is gaming the definition of success here by using ALL iOS devices as their point. Me with my iPad and iPod, neither of which are 3G, are included in Apples total. IMO as well they should.
If you look strictly at iPhones you really loose a big chunck of space iOS is occupying.
Back to WWDC. While the improvements in iOS5 look good across the board I think Apple missed the critical points of the excersise for Enterpries (schools and small business). Frankly I don't like iCloud. I don't like that Apple is setting up the hooks solely through them, I don't like the fact that it seems Lion Server will have very little impact on helping to manage PCs-less iPads in an Enterprise Environment.
I still maintain that the Cloud is best done on a local network scale. I would much rather run a private cloud based at my home or other site that is under my (or the local admins) control. I would prefer my Pages documents and nightly backups sync right back to my Mac (Server) instead of Apple's iCloud.
On other notes. YA! Lion Server is only a 79.99 dollar upgrade. For gaming groups with a Mac going Lion that's a number of handy tools such as a Wiki, Blogs, file hosting, WebDAV and CalDAV that can be brought into use at and beyond the table. iPad2 wifi video mirroring, Rich Text iOS wide, multiple concurrent remote uses in Lion, AirDrop (hope to gods it's also in iOS), iMessage (hope it will integrate with iChat on local network).O
Also turn based asyncrious games over GameCenter. A useful step toward an iOS VTT :D
The iPad touch I think the last annocment was at 20 million units so they are not as significant portion of the total 200 million they announced of IOS users. iPad maybe but think that was at 40 million ish so that means the rest was iPhone.
The iPad touch I think the last annocment was at 20 million units so they are not as significant portion of the total 200 million they announced of IOS users. iPad maybe but think that was at 40 million ish so that means the rest was iPhone.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/04/19/apples_samsung_lawsuit_notes_ over_60_million_ipod_touch_sold.html
60 million iPod Touches. Not that small, and the iPad will continue to grow. The point is while the iPhone is a big chunk, adding in the rest of the iOS echo sphere to mix really makes it clear where iOS is as a platform.
Tools for that may well exist in OS X Server, but that's not a potentially large market for Apple as most home users simply don't have and aren't up to acquiring that level of expertise. The services that Apple is offering however has the potential for a major economic impact, and not just for Apple.I really hope they do, but I haven't seen any gossip/rumors/leaks to that effect. There also hasn't been a good track record by Apple on this.
Considering services like SlingBox, GoToMyPC, and others can be setup with minimal GUI use it's not hard to see where Apple could do the same.
Here is an example issue of group use iPads that can be an issue with kids. You set a Passcode, the kid must know the Passcode to access the device. Another kid learns the Passcode, this allows them to either change the passcode and/or set a fail-wipe limit. The first kid is now locked out and fails 10 times (kids can be stubborn like that), device is wipe and all data is lost. (which is another issue I have, the lack of an admin level management above the individual. A Passcode to modify the Passcode if you will.)
Prior to iOS5 the only solution was 3rd party charging carts to connect a classrooms worth of iPads. At least in iOS 5 that can be done wirelessly now. However what would be very useful for a program(not computer) that allows a student to "check out" their iPad for home use would be a part of the iCloud where instead of running to Apple's server for a nightly backup it runs to the school computer/server that is normally syncs with. Same goes for document synchronization.
In the US there are legal issues regarding student privacy that already conflict with the use of many Web 2.0 tools, and will continue to be an issue with "cloud" services. I could also see the medical profession being in a similar bind.
I will guess (based on experience) something could be hacked together using a VPN but it isn't always simple and rarely considered by under-staffed schools. Also such makeshift methods can break every time Apple updates things.
With upwards of 200+ iPads being bought per each of many various school trial programs it's not small money, and is a growing market.
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I agree that for individual users the iCloud will be a good thing in many ways. What I am saying is that for most small to large group use... well that wasn't what Apple built it for.
They need to build those solutions.
My only worries about iCloud are:
- How do I stop vast amounts of photos and music that I want on most of my devices from filling up my work laptop?
- No mention of iWeb and website hosting in iCloud
That said, the keynote sold me on all of the UI improvements in Lion that I was dubious about to the extent that I bought a Magic Trackpad for my MacPro yesterday.
iWeb is also something I was thinking about today, since MobileMe is going away. I have several sites I manage for family and that's not to mention the very family account itself.
I experienced the first hiccup today with the iTunes in the Cloud beta. I manage my ginormous iTunes collection, including movies, photos, tv shows and music, all from a server in a nook of my study. That server sustains the AppleTVs, LaCie Media Centre and all the Macs and iDevices in the house. This means with AirPlay and Homesharing I keep very empty disk drives...that after updating iTunes last night are suddenly full: iTunes beta downloaded as much as possible, overnight, to every device in the house. This is not what I want.
Luckily, it was easily remedied, and by deselecting a few values across the machines I'm back to managing from the server.