iCloud assumes you want exactly the same thing on every device?

[rrraven]

I watched the whole Keynote introducing iCloud and the rest. There are some nice aspects of it, and it's definitely a bonus that, effectively, the wireless syncing previously only available at a hefty pricetag is now free.

But the iCloud model, where everything is automatically sync'd, seems to assume that you want all your devices (possibly including multiple family members) to have the same content. Am I missing something? Where you now can specify from iTunes which songs/photoalbums/apps/books/etc you want to download to each device, it sounds like now every time something is purchased it automatically goes to all the devices - which could be a real pain! When I purchase music for my daughter I don't want it on my iPhone! When I get a book I may well not want it available to my daughter. And I certainly don't want all the photos she takes to instantly appear on my iPhone, potentially obliterating what I have intentionally put there.

 

[canyonblue737]

Apple has to have some solution here I pray because it is going to get ugly. Almost every two or more iOS device household shares a universal apple ID for purchasing music and apps. My wife and I share our MobileMe calendars and contacts but I know many husband/wives/children don't want to do so. It is only going to get worse when you consider photos, bookmarks, documents, imessage threads, and much much more. I want to share most photos with my wife via the stream, but maybe not all. I don't want to share bookmarks because ours are so different. Sure we can share docs but what a mess since she could care less about airplane flight manuals and I don't need the latest school spreadsheets. Imessages are totally unacceptable, I am sure her private conversations with friends and mine are not always to be pried upon.

What is apple's real solution? Two different apple ids and the need to repurchase tons of apps and music... Better not be.

 

[pablos93]

Apple has to have some solution here I pray because it is going to get ugly. Almost every two or more iOS device household shares a universal apple ID for purchasing music and apps. My wife and I share our MobileMe calendars and contacts but I know many husband/wives/children don't want to do so. It is only going to get worse when you consider photos, bookmarks, documents, imessage threads, and much much more. I want to share most photos with my wife via the stream, but maybe not all. I don't want to share bookmarks because ours are so different. Sure we can share docs but what a mess since she could care less about airplane flight manuals and I don't need the latest school spreadsheets. Imessages are totally unacceptable, I am sure her private conversations with friends and mine are not always to be pried upon.

What is apple's real solution? Two different apple ids and the need to repurchase tons of apps and music... Better not be.

Why?
Use your account as an iCloud account on your iPhone and let your wife use hers on her iPhone. You'll still be able to purchase/re-download apps with your Apple ID on both iPhones (the only difference is that she won't get push apps install)
What I mean is that the iPhone can handle multiple accounts and just one of them can be used as an iCloud account. And the service is optional, so you don't need to use it if you don't want it.

 

[Bear]

Both iTunes 10.3 and iOS 4.3.3 allows you to choose to enable or disable automatic downloads.

In both cases, it's in Store Preferences. The downloads are broken in to 3 categories (Music, Apps. Books) and you can enable and disable each one separately.

If automatic downloads are disabled, you can go and check what is available to download and download the apps, book and songs or albums that you want. The apps clearly show what you do and don't have on the current device/computer you're using.

I have automatic downloads disabled. For one thing, I wouldn't want all those free apps that I deleted showing up again on my stuff.

 

[^^BIGMac]

Both iTunes 10.3 and iOS 4.3.3 allows you to choose to enable or disable automatic downloads.

In both cases, it's in Store Preferences. The downloads are broken in to 3 categories (Music, Apps. Books) and you can enable and disable each one separately.

If automatic downloads are disabled, you can go and check what is available to download and download the apps, book and songs or albums that you want. The apps clearly show what you do and don't have on the current device/computer you're using.

I have automatic downloads disabled. For one thing, I wouldn't want all those free apps that I deleted showing up again on my stuff.

+1

Thanks for making some sense out of this.

 

[rrraven]

Both iTunes 10.3 and iOS 4.3.3 allows you to choose to enable or disable automatic downloads.
...

If automatic downloads are disabled, you can go and check what is available to download and download the apps, book and songs or albums that you want. The apps clearly show what you do and don't have on the current device/computer you're using.
...

Yes, I realize that's how it is now. And if they continue to do something like that it may be fine. The Keynote Address made it sound like *everything* would now automatically update, but it may have left out options to turn parts of it off for ease of exposition since it doesn't sound as flashy when you start detailing all the variations. Seems like they MUST have thought of this but it does make me wary! I still haven't gotten over how they made iCal SO much more laborious to use in the last big "upgrade."

I'll definitely be interested to hear the early reports from people who try out the new offering.