How to stop TexEdit etc default save to iCloud

[dcnicholls]

I use TextEdit to create short bits of text, code etc. I do not want it to save anything to iCloud. But the new ML default behaviour is to offer iCloud as the default save location, and I need to do an extra click/select to choose a local folder, as was normal in Lion etc.

To get rid of this (for me) annoyance, I edited the iCloud settings in System Prefs, removing "documents and data". (I certainly don't want my "data" stored on iCloud - there are enormous amounts.) When I did this, it said it would delete all local copies of files on my MBP that were also on iCloud. So I first deleted a document stored earlier on iCloud (fortunately a trivial document), then disabled documents and data in the iCloud prefs.

Now TexEdit behaves as it did in earlier version of OS X, and doesn't offer me the file menu when I open it. Also good.

I prefer the old ways, so am now happy.

DN

 

[Krazy Bill]

All you needed to do was uncheck "Documents & Data" in the iCloud settings.

Edit: Oh, after rereading that's what you did. I guess I don't understand why you're writing about it.

 

[dcnicholls]

I mentioned it because of the overhead of "deleting local copies" and the fact that clearing the check mark in iCloud prefs also gets rid of the opening files window as well. It's good to mention the obscure and difficult things, but sometimes people like me want the simple (aka obvious) stuff too.

 

[matrix07]

To get rid of this (for me) annoyance, I edited the iCloud settings in System Prefs, removing "documents and data". (I certainly don't want my "data" stored on iCloud - there are enormous amounts.)
DN

Is this for TextEdit only or it will affect iWorks docs also?
This is damn annoying. I don't see how TextEdit on iCloud will benefit me since there's no such app on iOS. If Apple want us to have a choice to save to iCloud why not simply have "Save to iCloud" in the menu?

 

[dcnicholls]

It works in Pages, too, so I'd guess that it applies to all document preparing Apple software. In any case, you can turn the pref off, see what happens, and turn it on again if you need to.

 

[Comeagain?]

This is damn annoying. I don't see how TextEdit on iCloud will benefit me since there's no such app on iOS. If Apple want us to have a choice to save to iCloud why not simply have "Save to iCloud" in the menu?

What about saving files from your iMac/Mac Pro/Mini and having them also available on your MBA/MBP, through iCloud? iCloud isn't just for Mac-iOS or iOS-iOS.

 

[matrix07]

What about saving files from your iMac/Mac Pro/Mini and having them also available on your MBA/MBP, through iCloud? iCloud isn't just for Mac-iOS or iOS-iOS.

Good point. Apple should have iCloud folder on desktop just like iDisk or Dropbox where you can drag what you want to sync to 'cause starting with dialog box for app like TextEdit is very annoying.
I guess this is one more app I need to keep it open all the time.

 

[Zcott]

Good point. Apple should have iCloud folder on desktop just like iDisk or Dropbox where you can drag what you want to sync to 'cause starting with dialog box for app like TextEdit is very annoying.
I guess this is one more app I need to keep it open all the time.

No, this is completely the wrong way to go about it. If you put it on the desktop, no one will use it. If you bake it into the apps, it'll get used all the time. Why not just save everything to iCloud anyway?

 

[dcnicholls]

Why not just save everything to iCloud anyway?

Depends on the stuff that's being saved. I don't want the machine shuffling 35 megabyte files to and from the iCloud, and I want access to stuff when not online (eg on aircraft).

The only thing I find iCloud useful for, so far, is sharing calendars. I need a PC far more than I need an iPad, though I have both. My iPhone calendar and my PC calendar need to be in sync, however.

 

[Krazy Bill]

Why not just save everything to iCloud anyway?

Because when your free 5GB runs out you'll have to start paying for that new gazillion dollar server farm.

 

[Zcott]

Because when your free 5GB runs out you'll have to start paying for that new gazillion dollar server farm.

Quite impressive if you manage to fill 5gb with textedit documents!

 

[Krazy Bill]

Quite impressive if you manage to fill 5gb with textedit documents!

Let's see what 5GB means to you 5-10 years from now. LOL.

 

[CommodityFetish]

Using Mountain Lion without iCloud?

Let's say that I don't want to use iCloud. Does apple let you opt-out of it completely and still use Mountain Lion, or are there gotchas that they have put in to make it either (a) necessary to use iCloud to install or run Mountain Lion, or (b) very annoying if you do not use iCloud?

It sounds like this thread is saying that you can opt-out of saving files to iCloud and just use OSX like before. Is that right?

 

[mnsportsgeek]

I think it is a safe assumption to say that we'll see a textedit and preview ios app in a few weeks at the iphone introduction. The cloud features, as they are now, are useless for those two apps.

 

[talmy]

The iCloud documents really does get in the way unless you buy into it for all documents. New documents always start in the cloud and saving new documents always defaults to the cloud even if you had previously saved to some local folder.

As the OP did, I turned "Documents and Data" off in the iCloud settings. In fact I've gone so far as to turn iCloud off altogether as it offers me nothing useful.

I use Dropbox when I need to share docs "in the cloud" between computers.

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I think it is a safe assumption to say that we'll see a textedit and preview ios app in a few weeks at the iphone introduction. The cloud features, as they are now, are useless for those two apps.

Not if you have two (or more) Macs.

 

[Krazy Bill]

It sounds like this thread is saying that you can opt-out of saving files to iCloud and just use OSX like before. Is that right?

Yes. Opt out by turning all the iCloud share options off.

 

[CommodityFetish]

Good to know you can opt out of saving documents to iCloud.

Is there a way to sync music, podcasts, calendars, contacts, etc. with my iPod touch without using iCloud? Or have they removed the USB-iTunes syncing, so you have to use iCloud for that?

 

[ixodes]

The iCloud documents really does get in the way unless you buy into it for all documents. New documents always start in the cloud and saving new documents always defaults to the cloud even if you had previously saved to some local folder.

As the OP did, I turned "Documents and Data" off in the iCloud settings. In fact I've gone so far as to turn iCloud off altogether as it offers me nothing useful.

I use Dropbox when I need to share docs "in the cloud" between computers.

This has been my experience as well.

Dropbox is very useful, too bad that's something that Apple doesn't seem to understand. When I initially heard about the iCloud project, I had hoped that it would be useful and convenient. So far, it's not.

Yet thinking positively, perhaps at some point in the future Apple will "get it" and provide us with more functionality that the limited amount that's there now.

 

[matrix07]

It sounds like this thread is saying that you can opt-out of saving files to iCloud and just use OSX like before. Is that right?

Switch it off. It's the problem for us who want to use it, but doesn't want it to interfere with a certain app, like TextEdit in this case.

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I use Dropbox when I need to share docs "in the cloud" between computers.

Dropbox is good for one thing, iCloud is good for another. Too bad Apple couldn't gives us Camera Roll syncing so we don't have to learn something new like Photostream (which is not intuitive enough).

 

[talmy]

Too bad Apple couldn't gives us Camera Roll syncing so we don't have to learn something new like Photostream (which is not intuitive enough).

Unless something has changed, I never found iCloud useful for photos. Talking about Aperture integration here. It doesn't save original images (mine are all RAW) and has insufficient capacity to be useful. You can't use it for a public gallery. I don't have any iDevice with a camera. I suppose it would be useful for that.

 

[Krazy Bill]

This has been my experience as well.

Dropbox is very useful, too bad that's something that Apple doesn't seem to understand. When I initially heard about the iCloud project, I had hoped that it would be useful and convenient. So far, it's not.

Yet thinking positively, perhaps at some point in the future Apple will "get it" and provide us with more functionality that the limited amount that's there now.

You are either asking Apple to:

1.) open up their iCloud servers to 3rd party vendors or...

2.) make their apps work with other cloud servers (like dropbox).

Why in god's name would they do that?

 

[ixodes]

You are either asking Apple to:

1.) open up their iCloud servers to 3rd party vendors or...

2.) make their apps work with other cloud servers (like dropbox).

Why in god's name would they do that?

I've explained it as simply as possible.

1.) Giving us Dropbox functionality is not that hard, nor would it involve 3rd party vendors.

2.) I already store Pages documents in Dropbox, so that proves Apple's apps are portable.

 

[Krazy Bill]

I've explained it as simply as possible.

1.) Giving us Dropbox functionality is not that hard, nor would it involve 3rd party vendors.

Uh... Dropbox is a 3rd party vendor.

I can't believe your naivety.

Apple owns the servers and they want you to sign up for a paid iCloud account one day. Why would they want to create competition for themselves by giving you the opportunity to buy DropBox storage instead? Do you actually think Apple invested all that money on the server farm only to sell more devices?

 

[ixodes]

Uh... Dropbox is a 3rd party vendor.

I can't believe your naivety.

Apple owns the servers and they want you to sign up for a paid iCloud account one day. Why would they want to create competition for themselves by giving you the opportunity to buy DropBox storage instead? Do you actually think Apple invested all that money on the server farm only to sell more devices?

It's obvious to me at this juncture, that we have a misunderstanding.

I do not want Dropbox built in. I simply want "Dropbox Like" functionality available from iCloud.

 

[Krazy Bill]

It's obvious to me at this juncture, that we have a misunderstanding.

I do not want Dropbox built in. I simply want "Dropbox Like" functionality available from iCloud.

You want an iCloud folder somewhere? What happens when you try to dump a MS word file in it? That won't go over well with Apple (who sells Pages).

Plus...

You this isn't how iOS works so why would OSX get it?