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drsox

macrumors 68000
Apr 29, 2011
1,735
219
Xhystos
Isn't the whole point of using Apple kit that you don't have to wait two versions for it not to be a badly documented, opaque user experience?

Phazer

Yes, but IMO it's V3 of stuff that actually works as originally expected - one of the great laws of product development.
 

CmdrThor

macrumors member
Jun 9, 2011
97
8
Atlanta, GA
I need iPhoto to see the pics I took with my iPad or iPhone. Why isn't this simply selecting a folder to which the pictures should be synced with?
Are you using a Mac? Are you updated to the latest updates? Is iTunes updated to 10.5? Are you using Lion? If so, are you logged into iCloud under your Preferences? If not, Stop. That's your problem. iCloud is Lion only and there should be a PhotoStream option on the left column in iPhoto

But what if I don't have iPhoto? With the Windows iCloud Control Panel you can have Photostream pictures drop in a specified folder. With Mac, you need to have iPhoto or Aperature.
 

natural1

macrumors newbie
Oct 20, 2009
13
0
Yes, iCloud does suck.

iCloud mail is a bad joke. How many iterations of mac.com mail have there been? And this is the best they can do?

-Slow web interface
-Push feature on iPhone doesn't work
-iCloud mail rules don't work on iPhone

If Apple can't apply simple, folder-based rules to mail on iOS then they should just give up and give everyone a complimentary Gmail account...

:confused:
 

GraphicsGeek

macrumors 6502a
Sep 19, 2008
533
0
But what if I don't have iPhoto? With the Windows iCloud Control Panel you can have Photostream pictures drop in a specified folder. With Mac, you need to have iPhoto or Aperature.

I dont understand the question. If you dont have the latest iPhoto or Aperature, PhotoStream wont work on a Mac.
 

gloomcookie1

macrumors regular
Jun 17, 2009
216
2
Coral Springs, FL
Hi everyone,
I'm an apple user for a long time now, and I have to say that when I saw the presentation about iCloud I was very excited. The possibility of creating a document in one device and see it propagated in all others seemed awesome. A seamless integration of all my iDevices.

Unfortunately it just doesn't work... First of all, I'm a techie person and I really find it complicated.

Let's start with my contacts: I would have presumed iCloud would just sync my contacts directly without doing anything, but it seems like it only syncs this iCloud group. Obviously I want to see all the contacts on the Cloud why only this particular groups gets synced?

Next pictures: Why do I need to have iPhoto for it and use this photostream business? I just wanted to specify a folder in my Mac that it would synchronize to and whenever I would take a picture or film a video it would push that to that folder, simple as that.

Reminders: Why does reminders needs to work only with iCloud? Can't understand the correlation...

Now the biggest problem: The syncing. Why can't I just sync to iTunes and at the same time sync everything to iCloud at all the time. Hell, I wouldn't even want to sync manually to iCloud, it should just sync every time there is new content, similar to what Backblaze does.

I'm used in Apple making very easy to use products, not this. I'm really disappointed...

P.S - I just spent 1h trying to make wifi-sync to work, and the only way was to turn uPnP off in my router and restarting it. If this is easy to use then I don't know...

Ok, lets talk techie...

Contacts - iCloud is only going to import what you have imported to your Mac contacts - that's how any service works - you can't see your Yahoo contacts in your Google contacts unless you import them right? That's the way a cloud service works. Import all your contacts to your Mac contact book and you'll be right as rain. I saw you mentioned that you should see your Exchange accounts in iCloud like you do on your iPad - iCloud isn't there to back up other people's contact lists - only your own. If you imported or saved your Exchange contacts to your own Contacts book then they would be there in iCloud.

Pictures - any Mac user who has been using a Mac for "a long time" should know all pictures, especially when it comes to syncing, is going to go to their "photo" application - that's what should help all those "non-techie" people not having to go search through folders wondering where their pictures went - they just have to go to the application that says i-P-h-o-t-o.

Reminders - what do you propose a Reminders app built specifically by Apple work with exactly? I'm really not understanding the difficulty so far.

Syncing - That sounds like a techie issue because it most likely has to do with a setting with your router. I managed to set up wifi syncing and iCloud backup with no issues, went and upgraded to an iPhone 4S last night, restored the iPhone from iCloud backup with not a thing missing and connected to my network again with no problems.

Now, I'm not saying that your not having problems, because apparently you are. But I am starting to get really wary when I've seen posts from "techie" people and people with "3 degrees" that do not understand iCloud. I'm sure I could spend 15 minutes with my 9 year old son and he'd get the grasp pretty quickly.
 
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locust76

macrumors 6502a
Jan 23, 2009
689
90
P.S - I just spent 1h trying to make wifi-sync to work, and the only way was to turn uPnP off in my router and restarting it. If this is easy to use then I don't know...

Wi-Fi sync has nothing to do with uPnP* on your router, since Wi-Fi sync uses the LAN and not the WAN.

*uPnP is a method in which an application can tell your router "Hey, I would like to listen on network ports x,y, & z on the internet," and your router would automatically forward incoming packets from the internet to that computer/application. It doesn't have anything to do with your iPhone being able to communicate with iTunes because they're "directly connected" on the same network segment and don't need to traverse a NAT router in order to be able to speak to one another.
 

DouchGod

macrumors regular
Aug 23, 2010
162
0
I think iCloud in it's currently infancy is quite elegant and is going to blossom and develop into one of the best cloud services out there. Give them time.

Personally the only issue I've had with it was it killing my internet on the first backup.

And yes iCloud mail seems lacking they would make it a hell of a lot better.
 

thelookingglass

macrumors 68020
Apr 27, 2005
2,203
682
I use iCloud and it's brilliant. All my bookmarks, contacts, calendars, etc., are all sync'd across my devices. My 4S backs up to the cloud and PhotoStream keeps my photos on all my devices (a month for iDevices).

I don't really know what anyone doesn't like about it. It hasn't advertised anything it can't do and what it does offer for FREE is pretty great, such as what I wrote above: bookmarks, contracts, and calendar syncing, backing up, etc.

Yep, agreed. I quite like iCloud. I can see it being especially convenient when I restore my next iDevice purchase from an iCloud backup. Just enter my iCloud ID and everything instantly appears. Couldn't get any easier. I've even weaned myself off of Gmail, Gmail Contacts/Calendar and switched everything to iCloud.
 

agentphish

macrumors 65816
Sep 7, 2004
1,140
0
I cloud rocks. I think you expected different or you're just doing it wrong. That simple.

Only issue I have is with mail. Apple will work it out.
 

VulchR

macrumors 68040
Jun 8, 2009
3,506
14,456
Scotland
Isn't the whole point of using Apple kit that you don't have to wait two versions for it not to be a badly documented, opaque user experience?

Phazer

This is particularly true if you have bought an 'evolved' Mk 2 version of a product, like the iPhone 4S. Just sayin' I hope Apple makes iCloud and Siri better soon. I like the direction they're heading, but they just aren't where I'd like them to be yet.
 

Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,862
8,041
Yep, agreed. I quite like iCloud. I can see it being especially convenient when I restore my next iDevice purchase from an iCloud backup. Just enter my iCloud ID and everything instantly appears. Couldn't get any easier. I've even weaned myself off of Gmail, Gmail Contacts/Calendar and switched everything to iCloud.

Not so instant. I tried to restore my iPhone from an iCloud backup, and after several minutes, the estimate finally appeared that it will take 12 hours for the restore to complete. So I cancelled, set up as new, and logged into iCloud so it synced calendar, contacts, etc. Now *that* was instant! But restore, not so much.
 

Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,862
8,041
Was this right after iOS 5 came out? Because if it was it's likely the servers were so bogged down with users doing their first backups/people playing around/etc. that you weren't getting any bandwidth.

No, it was last weekend.
 

ra4oasis

macrumors 6502
Jul 10, 2010
356
84
Now I understood that using iCloud backup has got nothing to do with iCloud syncing with your Mac calendar, address book, etc., that is simply to backup the device, nothing more.

It always syncs with the apple ID you set up in your computer, but only with that ID. You cannot sync with multiple IDs.

Amazing that for iCal to reflect the changes on the cloud I had to change the default Calendar to the iCloud one.

I'm wondering how non-techie people are using this?...

Honestly, i think you just over-thought the whole thing. I have iCloud set up, it works great, and i am techie. But i've talked to various people, who are not necessarily using all that iCloud has to offer like me, and i didn't hear of the mass confusion you're spewing. I got confused just reading what you said about iCloud. It was not that confusing to anyone else i talked too, techie or not.
 

itsjustmeee

macrumors 6502a
Dec 28, 2008
603
7
You know what really bugs me about icloud?? It's the fact that you can't use it with snow leopard. I don't have an aversion updating to lion, but that means I have to update parallels and possibly going through authorizing my copy of windows xp pro yet again. That's a lot of trouble just to get my bookmarks and mail to sync up. I know how apple works as far as dropping last year's technology in order to make the newest version more enticing, but seriously, they couldn't have made icloud compatible with snow leopard too??
 

HawaiiMacAddict

macrumors 6502a
Dec 28, 2006
904
0
On one of my Macs of course
In the summary screen in iTunes under your iOS device, is "backup to iCloud" selected? If so, it should be backing up whenever your device syncs.

Actually, that's not entirely true. Wireless syncing and backing up works the same way as wired syncing and backing up. The only time a backup is performed is as Step 1 of the initial sync. As long as your iOS device is connected to iTunes, whether it be wired or wireless, no additional backups are performed. Of course, if you disconnect your iOS device and reconnect, another backup will be performed. Give this a try - connect your iOS device to iTunes and watch all the steps it performs in the initial sync. Wait until after the sync is completed, then initiate a second sync. You will not see iTunes perform a second backup. I'm not sure why that is, but the behavior is the same whether or not your iOS device is tethered.

Manual backups only take a couple of minutes anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem.

----------

You know what really bugs me about icloud?? It's the fact that you can't use it with snow leopard. I don't have an aversion updating to lion, but that means I have to update parallels and possibly going through authorizing my copy of windows xp pro yet again. That's a lot of trouble just to get my bookmarks and mail to sync up. I know how apple works as far as dropping last year's technology in order to make the newest version more enticing, but seriously, they couldn't have made icloud compatible with snow leopard too??

You should not have to re-authorize your copy of Windows, as long as you save your VM. What version of Parallels do you have? I use VMware Fusion and version 3 ran fine for me on Lion. I keep my VMs on an external drive and simply pointed VMware to the VMs, once I installed Lion (I performed a clean install, as I didn't want any leftover cruft). Parallels, like VMware should offer you an easy to either move or copy your VM to a different location if you want.

VMware had a discount for new customers coming from Parallels, but I don't know if the discount program is still ongoing.

As for your last question, I think it's like what we called RHIP, in the military - Rank Hath Its Privileges. I think Apple is simply saying that if you want iCloud, you'll upgrade to Lion.
 

Tinmania

macrumors 68040
Aug 8, 2011
3,528
1,016
Aridzona
Actually, that's not entirely true. Wireless syncing and backing up works the same way as wired syncing and backing up. The only time a backup is performed is as Step 1 of the initial sync. As long as your iOS device is connected to iTunes, whether it be wired or wireless, no additional backups are performed. Of course, if you disconnect your iOS device and reconnect, another backup will be performed. Give this a try - connect your iOS device to iTunes and watch all the steps it performs in the initial sync. Wait until after the sync is completed, then initiate a second sync. You will not see iTunes perform a second backup. I'm not sure why that is, but the behavior is the same whether or not your iOS device is tethered.
Of course it doesn't back up twice in a row: nothing had changed.

Go take a bunch of pics, install apps, etc. right after syncing and then sync again. It will backup again.

However, the post you replied to is incorrect nonetheless. If you have backup to iCloud checked in iTunes then iTunes will NEVER backup anymore. Checking that option stops iTunes backups and it is not handled by iTunes again unless it is turned back on.

It is instead done on-device and will happen daily automatically when the device is locked, on wifi, and plugged into a power source (any power source). Or you can force it manually anytime it is on Wifi.

One thing to note is that you can't simply restore anytime from an iCloud backup like you can with iTunes. You only get that option when in Setup Assistant after you do a complete restore through iTunes.



Michael
 

Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,862
8,041
However, the post you replied to is incorrect nonetheless. If you have backup to iCloud checked in iTunes then iTunes will NEVER backup anymore. Checking that option stops iTunes backups and it is not handled by iTunes again unless it is turned back on.

You can also manually backup to iTunes by right-clicking on the device icon in iTunes and selecting "backup." I do this every few days. This way I have a backup both on iTunes and on iCloud.
 

Tinmania

macrumors 68040
Aug 8, 2011
3,528
1,016
Aridzona
You can also manually backup to iTunes by right-clicking on the device icon in iTunes and selecting "backup." I do this every few days. This way I have a backup both on iTunes and on iCloud.
Yes I noticed that but since it does not happen automatically I would not rely on it. However, it is a good way to force a backup if you want it--especially if you want to try something new and be able to restore from backup without restoring firmware.

Regardless, iTunes will not be backing up anymore on its on and it can't be forced to on-device when wifi syncing--as you can with iCloud.

Personally I would like iTunes AND iCloud to backup without user intervention so we are really covered. I am rarely at my iTunes box when I choose to sync it so the manual backup option is not going to do much there.



Michael
 

Nocontact

macrumors newbie
Oct 20, 2011
5
0
I cloud rocks. I think you expected different or you're just doing it wrong. That simple.

Only issue I have is with mail. Apple will work it out.

Ohhh they'll work it out? Well that's a relief. It's just mail after all. How can you say that something that has poor functionality for something SO basic 'rocks'? That's buying into hype to the worst degree.
 

BigQid

macrumors regular
Feb 23, 2010
203
2
My data is filling up and all its syncing is bookmarks, contacts, and reminders. I have downcast, but I stopped photos stream and document & data syncing. iCloud has literally made my experience worse because now every time I sync my phone it says it can't sync which is more annoying than not having it in the first place.
 

kas23

macrumors 603
Oct 28, 2007
5,629
288
The only use of iCloud I can think of is to periodically turn it on the back up your notes and contacts (to make setting up a new iPhone easy). I don't want all my notes and contacts shared between devices because these are shared devices. My iPhone is my only personal device.

As for pictures, I'm not the type who constantly pours over photos. As for documents, iCloud doesn't support ubiquitous MS Office files, so is not really helpful. I'll stick to my beloved Dropbox.
 
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