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Paco II

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2009
2,288
706
It's more about using it for backup. I assume you have that all backed up in the cloud somewhere?

I've never paid for it. I still have the 5GB free. I have only use 1.3GB of that space since 2007. I use it just for email. All my pics are stored on my phone. I have 1,434 pictures, 235 music videos and 10,035 songs on my 6S+ with 10GB free. Not worried about space.
 

Paco II

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2009
2,288
706
You should be. A single local backup is really not sufficient. Which is why many of us are paying the small amount for 50GB of iCloud space. Not only is it safer to have an off site backup, it is unbelievably convenient when you need to restore an iOS device and you aren't home. You should definitely consider switching to using both Time Machine and iCloud backups.

My computer is backed up with Time Machine. Not worried one bit.
 

JackieInCo

Suspended
Jul 18, 2013
5,178
1,601
Colorado
You should be. A single local backup is really not sufficient. Which is why many of us are paying the small amount for 50GB of iCloud space. Not only is it safer to have an off site backup, it is unbelievably convenient when you need to restore an iOS device and you aren't home. You should definitely consider switching to using both Time Machine and iCloud backups.
I'm still not worried. Been using my computer to make local backups since 2007 with the first iPhone and have never had a single problem. Time Machine has never failed me and neither has any Mac I've been using either. I have two MBPs and a Mac Mini I make backups on and two of them use Time Machine.
 

Paco II

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2009
2,288
706
Ah ok, now I understand why you originally posted in this thread.

I'm still not worried. Been using my computer to make local backups since 2007 with the first iPhone and have never had a single problem. Time Machine has never failed me and neither has any Mac I've been using either. I have two MBPs and a Mac Mini I make backups on and two of them use Time Machine.
 

oneMadRssn

macrumors 603
Sep 8, 2011
6,087
14,194
The troubling thing I find about all these per-month cloud services is if you get used to it, you're essentially locked in for perpetuity. $1/month doesn't seem like much today, but it's not something I want to commit to for life. For this reason, I prefer to be able to run my own cloud where I have control over the terms and the access. It's certainly more work, but I find the long-term costs more reasonable.
 
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gwang73

macrumors 68030
Jun 14, 2009
2,604
2,122
California
I just upgraded from 50GB to the 200 GB plan, primarily for iCloud Photos sync and iCloud backup. I use my free Dropbox account for all my file sharing, etc. but I like the integration of iCloud photos with all my devices and the Photo App on my Mac.

I wish they offered an in-between plan at 100GB. I am just over to be in the 50GB plan but nowhere near the 200GB.
 
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thewap

macrumors 6502a
Jun 19, 2012
555
1,360
200GB icloud plan for back up of my raid 0 production work files - (Caldigit external), local backup raid 1 of home personal files on the MBP SSD optibay drive, local backup raid 1 of OS system / apps on my main MBP SSD drive.
 
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C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,392
19,461
No!

Mainly because it's risky to trust Apple.

Pick any of the other Cloud services and you'll be fine.
There are always some that don't trust one service or another, going by that there are no services or products to use really.
 

Paco II

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2009
2,288
706
What's the price for convenience? For you, $1/month is too much. For me, a deal. In terms of being locked in to something, no different than my monthly cell phone bill.

The troubling thing I find about all these per-month cloud services is if you get used to it, you're essentially locked in for perpetuity. $1/month doesn't seem like much today, but it's not something I want to commit to for life. For this reason, I prefer to be able to run my own cloud where I have control over the terms and the access. It's certainly more work, but I find the long-term costs more reasonable.
 

nutmac

macrumors 603
Mar 30, 2004
6,175
7,763
No, because my wife and I share our photo libraries (stored on 1GB SSD) and iCloud Photos Library (1) is not Family Sharing capable nor (2) allow you to specify alternate iCloud account. When and if Apple allows either behavior, I will upgrade the storage plan.

If Apple adds Family Sharing, I will upgrade to 1TB plan right away.
 

maxsix

Suspended
Jun 28, 2015
3,100
3,731
Western Hemisphere
No, because my wife and I share our photo libraries (stored on 1GB SSD) and iCloud Photos Library (1) is not Family Sharing capable nor (2) allow you to specify alternate iCloud account. When and if Apple allows either behavior, I will upgrade the storage plan.

If Apple adds Family Sharing, I will upgrade to 1TB plan right away.
Look around. Choices are available to accomplish what you wish, the moment you look at other companies.

Apple's preference is to dictate to customers, offering little or no choice as opposed to providing useful options like other Cloud Services do.

As an Apple shareholder, I like that Apple is greedy and does what's best for them, thereby keeping my stock value strong.

As a customer, using Apple is having my eggs all in one basket, a foolish move by any standards.
 

nutmac

macrumors 603
Mar 30, 2004
6,175
7,763
Look around. Choices are available to accomplish what you wish, the moment you look at other companies.
Unfortunately, there aren't many choices.

None of the 3rd party services from major vendors (e.g., Amazon Prime Photos, Dropbox, Google Photos, Yahoo Flickr) yet support Live Photos.

None backup every photos and videos on the background unless I run the app periodically and leave it running.

I am frankly not too bothered by iCloud pricing. But I can't use it because my wife and I cannot share the library.
 

Fancuku

macrumors 65816
Oct 8, 2015
1,023
2,663
PA, USA
No I don't pay right now but I am considering paying for the 50GB plan. $1 a month is a pretty good price and affordable.
 

S.B.G

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 8, 2010
26,679
10,464
Detroit
I don't. I have about 10 GB of free space with Dropbox and I only use about 30% of that. I don't have any need for additional iCloud storage above what is free, and all that stores is my emails. Of those emails, I usually delete rather than archive most of it.
 

MEJHarrison

macrumors 68000
Feb 2, 2009
1,522
2,723
Well i have no choice since 5GB is an insult when they sell you 16 GB phone. How the **** can you backup 16 GB phone with 5 GB storage? let alone 64 or 128 GB one.

You need to modify your backup. For example, why backup Facebook? If you get a new phone, just download the app and log in again. If you filter stuff like that out, you can easily fit things. I had a 128GB iPhone and 128GB iPad both backing up in the default 5GB.

Of course since then I've upgraded to 200GB since I have around 70GB of photos. Totally worth it to take a photo and have it just show up everywhere.
 

aristobrat

macrumors G5
Oct 14, 2005
12,292
1,403
Of course since then I've upgraded to 200GB since I have around 70GB of photos. Totally worth it to take a photo and have it just show up everywhere.
Same here. A little over 100GB of photos (42,342) that I wanted to access from any of my devices.

So it was either buy the 128GB version of the iPhone/iPad each time I upgraded (which still wouldn't have that much free space left over after 100GB of photos were sync'ed to them), or pay $2.99/month to be able to remotely access all of the photos using minimal device storage.

I think it worked out to the $400 I'd have to pay extra for a 128GB iPhone + 128GB iPad equaled 11 years worth of iCloud storage.

Plus the iCloud storage off-site, so if someone breaks into my house and steals my computer and the Time Capsule backups that I do (or something catastrophic happens to my house), I've still got copies of my photos that I can recover from.
 
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John Mcgregor

Suspended
Aug 21, 2015
1,257
1,485
Newport
You need to modify your backup. For example, why backup Facebook? If you get a new phone, just download the app and log in again. If you filter stuff like that out, you can easily fit things. I had a 128GB iPhone and 128GB iPad both backing up in the default 5GB.

Of course since then I've upgraded to 200GB since I have around 70GB of photos. Totally worth it to take a photo and have it just show up everywhere.

Facebook? i don't have that garbage to begin with.
 

MEJHarrison

macrumors 68000
Feb 2, 2009
1,522
2,723
Facebook? i don't have that garbage to begin with.

Clearly you missed the "for example" part of my post.

I don't backup anything that I can reload from other sources. My DVD database "for example", I just reload the app and resync from the main database. No point in backing that data up to the cloud. Same with my bank app, HBO app, etc. My backup is probably 95% game saves because that's not as easy to restore that data from anywhere else.
 

John Mcgregor

Suspended
Aug 21, 2015
1,257
1,485
Newport
Clearly you missed the "for example" part of my post.

I don't backup anything that I can reload from other sources. My DVD database "for example", I just reload the app and resync from the main database. No point in backing that data up to the cloud. Same with my bank app, HBO app, etc. My backup is probably 95% game saves because that's not as easy to restore that data from anywhere else.

Yes, but you are micromanaging and it shouldn't require that.
 
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