How do I use both my gmail and mobileme account for icloud?

[jbg232]

Basically I have two accounts right now:

xxx@gmail.com - my apple ID which is what I use for all my purchases and my primary email address

xxx@me.com - my mobileme account which I use exclusively for contact and calendar syncing for my devices (I don't use the email at all)

How do I bring these over to icloud keeping my calendar and contacts (and the upgraded space for mobileme users) as well as authorizing my iphone/computer for itunes?

Thanks.

 

[shurcooL]

If you wanna keep things as is, then just transfer over your MobileMe account to new iTunes account. This will be done when you login to iCloud.com using your old MobileMe account. But the functionality to do the transfer might not be live yet (i.e. you'll get an error if you try right now).

Then setup iCloud syncing of Contacts, Calendars via your iCloud account, but turn off Mail syncing. Add another account on your iPhone for your gmail, and set it to sync only email.

 

[C64]

From what I've gathered you can convert your @gmail.com account using iOS 5 or Lion 10.7.2 once they're launched. Use that address to setup iCloud, and it'll convert it into an iCloud account. It'll still be an Apple ID an thus usable for iTunes and it should keep all your purchases.

You can convert your @me.com address via http://www.icloud.com. Once all that works it'll redirect you after you log in to me.com/move or something like that to go to that process of changing it into an iCloud account. After that you can use it for all things iCloud. Note that this is also an Apple ID, and already was, since every MobileMe account is by default an Apple ID.

So, you can change them both to iCloud, and have two Apple IDs, just like you do now. You just use one account for iTunes and all your purchases, and one for all the syncing stuff.

As far as I know it's not possible to merge both accounts. Say, transfer all your purchases from @gmail.com over to your @me.com account, and then only use this @me.com account for everything. You cán though, but your @me.com just won't have the purchases history from your other Apple ID.

 

[jbg232]

This seems like a total pain. I think what will happen is this:

1. Convert both accounts to icloud
2. Export calendar and contact databases from mobileme account as files
3. Re-import them into gmail account icloud database
4. Have my iphone/ipad use the gmail account

I found this response on the apple forums:

"The question has been answered. For families that currently share an Apple ID to purchase content (i.e., iTunes Store account). Will be able to share Apps, Music & Books from the Cloud.

When iCloud goes live, those with current MobileMe address will have them migrated. Those without will have to create an @me.com address.

These @me.com addresses will now become your individual iCloud ID completely separate from your main iTunes Apple ID.

**iTunes Store Purchases**
Within Settings App > Store: Each device will have to determine if they want to manually download all purchased content or not. This setting is defaulted to "OFF" It is currently working now, so you can test it out and see how you like it. For families with different tastes in Music/Apps/Books, you'll want this to be set to "OFF" What does this mean? It means you will have to manually update purchases among all devices (except the device you purchased it on...obviously). Since everyone wants to share Apps/Songs/Books in the family from time to time, everyone will have the ability to "see" this content under the "purchased" tab.

For families concerned about content getting on a child's iDevice. You can go into Settings App > Restrictions and turn off iTunes, etc. and manually manage the content for them. By Restricting iTunes, they will not even be able to see purchased content.

While it might be difficult manually downloading Apps/Songs/Books from the "purchased" tabs, it is no different than what you do now when managing all these devices against an iTunes Library. However, now you can do so without being at the actual computer, and you don't even need to be in the same geographic location.

My plans are to have the main Mac in our house download all content to have a central location for everything incase the data center ever crashes.

**iCloud Account**
Under Settings App > iCloud you'll be able to register your required @me.com address. This will be your unique syncing account. You'll use this account address for all your PERSONAL iDevices and computer! This address will cover calendars, email, contacts, photo stream, find my iPhone, documents in the cloud, etc.

In terms of syncing this content to a computer: As Steve Jobs said, the PC is being demoted to the same status as a device (so think of your computer as a device...not the central hub). Your family will have to determine who's going to sync their iCloud account to the computer. If everyone in your family is planning on using the Cloud, it doesn't really matter, because this is a Post PC world and you don't really need a computer anyway. Why, because all their data will be in the cloud. The computer is no longer necessary.

The main issue is with photos, because Apple will not hold all your photos for you! So, I suggest the person that takes the most photos sets the computer to their @me.com (iCloud account). When you want to migrate other photos into the same computer from a different device (another iPhone OR Cannon camera), you'll have to manually connect it and migrate those photos into iPhoto. Hopefully, Apple will eventually allow users to share photos via photo stream to another @me.com account.


Sorry for the lengthy response, but I promise families will have a solution of some kind. As a previous poster said, each situation may require some sacrifice. However, the sacrifices will not be any more challenging than what you do now.

**Final Thoughts**
iOS5 allows wireless syncing via WiFi to iTunes. Therefore, in a worse case scenario, nothing will change from what you have now except your devices will sync based upon your iTunes preferences just like they do now only without wires...while you sleep at night.

Steve Jobs mentioned in the Keynote, in regards to iCloud, the ability to do both!

Can't wait for the Fall!"
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