Seeking tips on "best practices" for iCloud

[OldManJimbo]

Got ideas?

I am a solo-professional, the principal in a small consulting practice operated from a separate office space in my home.

The office is 100% (except for a lower-priced monitor and a %$#@&% Blackberry phone still under contract) and I want to make the most efficient use of iCloud.

So far, the uses I've seen are mostly in the personal entertainment area - music and picture files. I've had my calendar on MobileMe for some time so the iCloud arrangement is actually a step backwards because I can no longer make my calendar available to clients through a web link.

Carbonite and an external drive connected to my Airport Extreme handle back-ups. My email is provided through a 3rd party (although I maintain a .mac and .me account for junk).

I'd like to automate the process of saving Documents to iCloud so they are available on my iPad, Macbook and any other device with web access. So far, I haven't seen this as a feature of iCloud.

When writing a document on my iPad in a remote location, I'd like to be able to very simply save/upload it to iCloud for retrieval and editing on my Macbook when I'm back in the office. There are steps to doing this but as far as i can see they do not adhere to Apple's typical simplicity.

This isn't a complaint or a rant - just curious about learning how others are making profitable use of the iCloud app.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Menel]

Can use Dropbox for this to some extent.

Though for editing, Pages and Numbers have built in iCloud Docs syncing across devices devices and PCs.

 

[hokiepokie07]

Can use Dropbox for this to some extent.

Though for editing, Pages and Numbers have built in iCloud Docs syncing across devices devices and PCs.

We don't have to upload them to iCloud.com anymore??

 

[OldManJimbo]

Can use Dropbox for this to some extent.

Though for editing, Pages and Numbers have built in iCloud Docs syncing across devices devices and PCs.

I'm not aware of how this is done. I see nothing on my iPad that provides a sync with Pages or the other iLife or iWork apps.

Using Dropbox is an old school, clunky process for sharing docs between my devices. I'd find vale in being able to have my docs available everywhere. It works for music, why not serious files?

 

[ugahairydawgs]

I'm not aware of how this is done. I see nothing on my iPad that provides a sync with Pages or the other iLife or iWork apps.

Using Dropbox is an old school, clunky process for sharing docs between my devices. I'd find vale in being able to have my docs available everywhere. It works for music, why not serious files?

You can use iCloud for docs, but it isn't anywhere near as automated as Dropbox. For whatever reason the automated Mac syncing for iCloud docs hasn't happened yet for the Mac.

 

[vitzr]

Using Dropbox is an old school, clunky process for sharing docs between my devices. I'd find vale in being able to have my docs available everywhere. It works for music, why not serious files?

Dropbox is actually a very good service that's easy to use for "serious files" as well as all others. All my files, text, photos, music, everything is always available to all my devices, such as smartphones, Mac Laptops, PC Laptops, my Mac Pro's et al.

Sky Drive, Google and others do just as well.

iCloud benefits from Apples superior marketing spin and therefore the general public is convinced it's "magical & revolutionary". It's all part of Apples cleverly crafted image.

Yet that said, I wonder how Apple will keep up it's hype filled image now that the master magician is gone. Having ones eggs all in one basket does have it's risks.

It's difficult to imagine who or what influenced you to think negatively about cloud services.

iCloud is new, Apple doesn't have a very good record with cloud services. Yet that may change now that they've just hired some specialists in this field.

Give Apple some time and I'm sure iCloud will be just fine. Being patient with them at this point, seems appropriate.

 

[OldManJimbo]

iCloud is new, Apple doesn't have a very good record with cloud services. Yet that may change now that they've just hired some specialists in this field.

Give Apple some time and I'm sure iCloud will be just fine. Being patient with them at this point, seems appropriate.

Great advice - at least I can relax knowing that I'm not missing something. It's reassuring to learn that I'm not alone in wanting to have a more seamless stream of documents between my mobile and desktop devices.

 

[Subcob101]

Keynote does

We don't have to upload them to iCloud.com anymore??

Not sure about those two apps but keynote does so would assume they do as well.

 

[PNutts]

Carbonite and an external drive connected to my Airport Extreme handle back-ups.

I'd like to automate the process of saving Documents to iCloud so they are available on my iPad, Macbook and any other device with web access. So far, I haven't seen this as a feature of iCloud.

Yeah, I'm not using iCloud for anything I'm aware of except backing up the iPhone to it nightly.

I'm taking your words very literally so I apologize if this doesn't help. I'm a Carbonite customer and with Carbonite and their iOS client, documents are automatically saved to their cloud and you can access them via your MB and iDevices and almost anything with a browser. It doesn't allow you edit on an iPhone and put it back so it might be a half or one quarter solution for you.

As someone already said, I expect Apple to expand iCloud's functionality.

 

[SpiceGrrl]

Moving files from iDisk to Dropbox

I was glad to read this thread because I am in a similar situation: small business, all Mac (except I use Word, Excel and PP for documents), about to transition to iCloud and wanting best practices.

First a comment about the "magical" properties Apple wants us to perceive about all of its products including iCloud. I agree this is mostly smoke and mirrors, not entirely substantiated by the products and services actually being better. The hardware IS actually better, and the support is WAY better (thank god), but some of the software and in particular the cloud services are either equal or in some ways inferior to other similar things. For example, iPhoto and Address Book totally rock, but Mail as an email client is definitely inferior to MS Outlook (the PC version). Another example would be Mobile Me and iCloud, both not as good as things like Google or Dropbox (but hopefully getting better as previous posters noted).

BUT. Here's why I am sticking with iCloud. I paid an expensive, certified, authorized Apple consultant (not a store employee) to give me an honest answer to my question, "why should I go with iCloud when MobileMe sucked so bad?". He acknowledged the flaws, agreed that other services are good and in some ways better, and said the ONLY reason to stick with Apple on this point is because iCloud handles Address Book contacts, Safari bookmarks and photos way better than other services do. If you are a Mac user using Address Book and Safari, and want your contacts and/or bookmarks to sync perfectly across devices, iCloud is for sure the way to go--supplemented by a good sky drive such as Dropbox, to replace iDisk (good riddance).

So okay. That said (thanks for listening), here is my actual question. I have an old Dropbox account from when I was a PC person (switched to Mac in 2010). When I started using Mobile Me, I did not de-activate my Dropbox account, but did stop using it. So the files on my iDisk are the "real" ones now and the Dropbox ones are old. I am moving to iCloud on January 3. So my task between now and then is to move my current files from iDisk to Dropbox.

HOW DO I MOVE MY FILES FROM IDISK TO DROPBOX? What would be some "best practices" to make sure that goes real smoothly?

Many thanks,

Spicegrrl

 

[SpiceGrrl]

Oh--just found this (duh):

http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_move_your_idisk_files_dropbox

So basically you move them to your iMac first, then drag them to Dropbox.

Has anyone done this? Any warnings or improvements to offer?

 

[ugahairydawgs]

I was glad to read this thread because I am in a similar situation: small business, all Mac (except I use Word, Excel and PP for documents), about to transition to iCloud and wanting best practices.

First a comment about the "magical" properties Apple wants us to perceive about all of its products including iCloud. I agree this is mostly smoke and mirrors, not entirely substantiated by the products and services actually being better. The hardware IS actually better, and the support is WAY better (thank god), but some of the software and in particular the cloud services are either equal or in some ways inferior to other similar things. For example, iPhoto and Address Book totally rock, but Mail as an email client is definitely inferior to MS Outlook (the PC version). Another example would be Mobile Me and iCloud, both not as good as things like Google or Dropbox (but hopefully getting better as previous posters noted).

BUT. Here's why I am sticking with iCloud. I paid an expensive, certified, authorized Apple consultant (not a store employee) to give me an honest answer to my question, "why should I go with iCloud when MobileMe sucked so bad?". He acknowledged the flaws, agreed that other services are good and in some ways better, and said the ONLY reason to stick with Apple on this point is because iCloud handles Address Book contacts, Safari bookmarks and photos way better than other services do. If you are a Mac user using Address Book and Safari, and want your contacts and/or bookmarks to sync perfectly across devices, iCloud is for sure the way to go--supplemented by a good sky drive such as Dropbox, to replace iDisk (good riddance).

So okay. That said (thanks for listening), here is my actual question. I have an old Dropbox account from when I was a PC person (switched to Mac in 2010). When I started using Mobile Me, I did not de-activate my Dropbox account, but did stop using it. So the files on my iDisk are the "real" ones now and the Dropbox ones are old. I am moving to iCloud on January 3. So my task between now and then is to move my current files from iDisk to Dropbox.

HOW DO I MOVE MY FILES FROM IDISK TO DROPBOX? What would be some "best practices" to make sure that goes real smoothly?

Many thanks,

Spicegrrl

Pretty simply. Copy files from iDisk to your Mac, install Dropbox, clear out old files, copy over new ones.

Easy as pie.