Will iCloud ever go pro?

[Duckyduckbumps]

I finally caved in and bought 200GB of iCloud storage to fully back up my iPad Pro.

I don’t have a traditional computer at home and my work PC has the same amount of storage as the iPad: 256GB.

I tried to move the location of the iTunes backup to an external drive, but I couldn’t get that to work.

Like many people, I have said for a long time that iTunes is a dog which should be humanely euthanized. Mercifully, this is happening on the Mac side. But iTunes still lurches about, zombie-like, on the PC.

My ideal solution would be to do a full automatic backup to OneDrive, but of course that is not possible. By this I mean that I would like to be able to restore my iPad from OneDrive in the event of device failure.

I already have 1TB of OneDrive storage included with Office365, and photos from my iPad and Android phone are backed up there automatically.

Unlike iCloud, OneDrive is a professional-grade cloud solution.

Apple touts this iPad as a professional device, and in my opinion, it requires a professional cloud backup solution to go with it.

 

[cynics]

iCloud is Apple centric and more of a service used for syncing across devices via a persistent storage medium. The design philosophy is for it to work transparently. Creating, editing and/or deleting a document, photo, video, etc on one Apple device (iOS or MacOS) will create, edit and/or delete it on your other devices AND in iCloud. There should be little reason to be sitting at your Mac and need to go get your iPhone for anything. iCloud will have sync'd nearly everything on your iPhone to the Mac (if the services are turned on).

iCloud Drive is more akin to OneDrive where its just storage space you need to manage yourself with some additional features when it comes to automatically uploading data, sharing, collaborating, etc...

The problem with iCloud and a "full back up" is if you turn on an individual iCloud function it will remove that from the back up. Messages are back up in your iPads back up but if you turn on Messages in iCloud it moves them out of the iPads back up and into its on resource for all your devices to sync with. This is to save iCloud space (so you don't have 2 copies of the same thing) and to prevent a restoring obsolete data in the event you restore a device to that backup.

OneDrive is definitely business oriented (OneDrive for Business, Sharepoint) however "professional-grade" is subjective. OneDrive doesn't support HEIC nor does it allow a file over 15gb so its incapable of meeting my professional requirements from the get go.

 

[sniffies]

No, but it will be renamed as Apple Cloud.

New email address format will be: pokemon2020@applecloud.com

The first step is already complete: applecloud.com redirects to icloud.com

 

[TheAppleFairy]

The first step is already complete: applecloud.com redirects to icloud.com

ummm no it doesn't, and I don't think Apple even owns the domain.

 

[sniffies]

ummm no it doesn't, and I don't think Apple even owns the domain.

Actually, you’re so right.

For some odd reason, when I typed applecloud.com in Safari on iPhone, it took me to icloud.com. I have no idea how or why that happened.

 

[Duckyduckbumps]

iCloud is Apple centric and more of a service used for syncing across devices via a persistent storage medium. The design philosophy is for it to work transparently. Creating, editing and/or deleting a document, photo, video, etc on one Apple device (iOS or MacOS) will create, edit and/or delete it on your other devices AND in iCloud. There should be little reason to be sitting at your Mac and need to go get your iPhone for anything. iCloud will have sync'd nearly everything on your iPhone to the Mac (if the services are turned on).

iCloud Drive is more akin to OneDrive where its just storage space you need to manage yourself with some additional features when it comes to automatically uploading data, sharing, collaborating, etc...

The problem with iCloud and a "full back up" is if you turn on an individual iCloud function it will remove that from the back up. Messages are back up in your iPads back up but if you turn on Messages in iCloud it moves them out of the iPads back up and into its on resource for all your devices to sync with. This is to save iCloud space (so you don't have 2 copies of the same thing) and to prevent a restoring obsolete data in the event you restore a device to that backup.

OneDrive is definitely business oriented (OneDrive for Business, Sharepoint) however "professional-grade" is subjective. OneDrive doesn't support HEIC nor does it allow a file over 15gb so its incapable of meeting my professional requirements from the get go.

Thanks for your response. Good point about HEIC, and the 15GB limit. We just ran into that issue at work.

Re. iCould backup, the majority of my data is in apps like Procreate. Do you think iCould can be relied on for backup and restore? Or do I need to buy a Mac just to backup my iPad? ;-)

 

[chabig]

Do you think iCould can be relied on for backup and restore?

Yes.

 

[GuillaumeB]

What we need is an Apple NAS...
Food for thoughts here : http://guillaumeb.com/journal/homecloud-apple-personal-server-nas-backup-sync-hardware.html

 

[Duckyduckbumps]

What we need is an Apple NAS...
Food for thoughts here : http://guillaumeb.com/journal/homecloud-apple-personal-server-nas-backup-sync-hardware.html

That would be great.

 

[Duckyduckbumps]

I get really tired of these kinds of alerts: This iPad has not been backed up in 86 weeks.

I bought 200GB storage recently. I’m only really concerned about the app data.

OneDrive automatically backs up my photos and videos, and does so in the background.

What does it take to get iCloud to do a successful backup?

Unfortunately home wifi in Australia is often not very stable. Would it it work better if I got an Ethernet adapter? If so, any tips on which one to buy?

 

[BlankStar]

Turning on iCloud Backup:

1. Connect your device to a Wi-Fi network.
2. Tap Settings > iCloud > Backup.
3. Turn on iCloud Backup if it isn't already turned on.
4. Make sure you are on a WiFi connection and tap Back Up Now.
5. Check your backup by tapping Settings > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage, and then select your device.

 

[Elitegate]

I finally caved in and bought 200GB of iCloud storage to fully back up my iPad Pro.

I don’t have a traditional computer at home and my work PC has the same amount of storage as the iPad: 256GB.

I tried to move the location of the iTunes backup to an external drive, but I couldn’t get that to work.

Like many people, I have said for a long time that iTunes is a dog which should be humanely euthanized. Mercifully, this is happening on the Mac side. But iTunes still lurches about, zombie-like, on the PC.

My ideal solution would be to do a full automatic backup to OneDrive, but of course that is not possible. By this I mean that I would like to be able to restore my iPad from OneDrive in the event of device failure.

I already have 1TB of OneDrive storage included with Office365, and photos from my iPad and Android phone are backed up there automatically.

Unlike iCloud, OneDrive is a professional-grade cloud solution.

Apple touts this iPad as a professional device, and in my opinion, it requires a professional cloud backup solution to go with it.

I like iTunes. I know, it's a monster of a software. But i'll need it on my PC (i don't have a Mac) to backup my phone (not going to pay for iCloud Storage, i also have the 256 GB storage option), and to manage and sync my music to my phone. I love having a local music library where i do not need to pay for anything or have an internet connection to listen to music. iTunes is far from being perfect though. Apple killed iTunes (on the Mac) so they can force people into Apple Music / Spotify. Or are you able to sync your library in the Finder? Seems kind of odd to me. Yes, i know, i'm old-school.

 

[Duckyduckbumps]

Turning on iCloud Backup:

1. Connect your device to a Wi-Fi network.
2. Tap Settings > iCloud > Backup.
3. Turn on iCloud Backup if it isn't already turned on.
4. Make sure you are on a WiFi connection and tap Back Up Now.
5. Check your backup by tapping Settings > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage, and then select your device.

Thanks, Back Up Now never actually works though.

iCloud was developed before iPad Pro was introduced, so I suppose it was never built to handle these large capacity devices and big documents.
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I like iTunes. I know, it's a monster of a software. But i'll need it on my PC (i don't have a Mac) to backup my phone (not going to pay for iCloud Storage, i also have the 256 GB storage option), and to manage and sync my music to my phone. I love having a local music library where i do not need to pay for anything or have an internet connection to listen to music. iTunes is far from being perfect though. Apple killed iTunes (on the Mac) so they can force people into Apple Music / Spotify. Or are you able to sync your library in the Finder? Seems kind of odd to me. Yes, i know, i'm old-school.

iTunes is far from being perfect hehe that’s an understatement;-)

As mentioned in my original post:
I don’t have a traditional computer at home and my work PC has the same amount of storage as the iPad: 256GB.

I tried to move the location of the iTunes backup to an external drive, but I couldn’t get that to work.

 

[Elitegate]

Thanks, Back Up Now never actually works though.

iCloud was developed before iPad Pro was introduced, so I suppose it was never built to handle these large capacity devices and big documents.
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iTunes is far from being perfect hehe that’s an understatement;-)

As mentioned in my original post:
I don’t have a traditional computer at home and my work PC has the same amount of storage as the iPad: 256GB.

I tried to move the location of the iTunes backup to an external drive, but I couldn’t get that to work.

Yes, i hate to use iTunes, but i have to and you learn to live with it. For me it's not just the 10 $ / month for Apple Music, it's also the fact that you'll need a constant internet connection for the streaming. And my cellular connection isn't that good either. I believe you can offload songs, but i don't wanna do that for my entire Apple Music Library. Would take forever. Also the good thing about Apple Music / Spotify is, that you discover new songs all the time, since everything is available to you.

And yes, for the backup, this is something that iTunes can't do, it will always save your backup on the primary disk, not on an external one.

 

[Duckyduckbumps]

OneDrive is definitely business oriented (OneDrive for Business, Sharepoint) however "professional-grade" is subjective. OneDrive doesn't support HEIC nor does it allow a file over 15gb so its incapable of meeting my professional requirements from the get go.

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HEIC support has now been added to OneDrive. I checked and the HEIC files generated on my iPad are now appearing on my PC. Windows 10 requires user to install an extension

https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/p/heif-image-extensions/9pmmsr1cgpwg?activetab=pivot:eek:verviewtab

 

[cynics]

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HEIC support has now been added to OneDrive. I checked and the HEIC files generated on my iPad are now appearing on my PC. Windows 10 requires user to install an extension

https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/p/heif-image-extensions/9pmmsr1cgpwg?activetab=pivot:eek:verviewtab

It was only a matter of time. 15gb is generally enough for me as well just not always.

However even if OneDrive offered the media support iCloud does my work flow still relies heavily on the convenience of shared desktop and automatic syncing directly into apps/programs at an OS level.

OneDrive and iCloud Drive are only "good" if they work for the person that is using them. I will admit that Apple forces a certain level of iCloud on you (which to an extent they need to for certain things). They are also in the unique position to offer software functionality for iCloud down to the metal (just like windows and OneDrive and Android with Google Drive).

However we should all be using the service that benefits our uses and workloads the most effectively. And if OneDrive offers that for you then by all means, OneDrive is awesome and iCloud sucks (with the caveat) "for you" and I'll certainly not argue that.

I will argue the "professional grade" moniker as subjective though and I'm certainly referencing Apple products like the MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, iPad Pro, etc etc.... Pro, professional grade, etc is pure marketing as the term carries no real meaning without a define context. IE. Professional carpenters send emails, better get an iMac Pro....

 

[Elitegate]

It was only a matter of time. 15gb is generally enough for me as well just not always.

However even if OneDrive offered the media support iCloud does my work flow still relies heavily on the convenience of shared desktop and automatic syncing directly into apps/programs at an OS level.

OneDrive and iCloud Drive are only "good" if they work for the person that is using them. I will admit that Apple forces a certain level of iCloud on you (which to an extent they need to for certain things). They are also in the unique position to offer software functionality for iCloud down to the metal (just like windows and OneDrive and Android with Google Drive).

However we should all be using the service that benefits our uses and workloads the most effectively. And if OneDrive offers that for you then by all means, OneDrive is awesome and iCloud sucks (with the caveat) "for you" and I'll certainly not argue that.

I will argue the "professional grade" moniker as subjective though and I'm certainly referencing Apple products like the MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, iPad Pro, etc etc.... Pro, professional grade, etc is pure marketing as the term carries no real meaning without a define context. IE. Professional carpenters send emails, better get an iMac Pro....

Yes, OneDrive used to offer free 15 GBs till Microsoft downgraded that to 5 GBs. I use both iCloud and OneDrive and with OneDrive 5 GB is no problem because i only store some documents and PDF files there. And most people have the Office 365 subscription anyways, so you have more than 5 GBs.

But with iCloud? The free 5 GBs is maybe alright for your contacts, mail, calendar, messages and notes etc..., but many people do their backup with iCloud and 5 GBs is never enough for that, especially when you have a lot of photos in the Cloud and iCloud Photostream also takes up your space if i'm correct. iCloud is just another way for Apple to make money, and to be fair, the 99 cents a month for 50 GB Storage is pretty affordable. And many rely on iCloud to do their backup with and to store their entire photo library, and they are fine with paying that 1 dollar a month. But how many people are in the Apple ecosystem? It's a giant money maker for Apple. Millions of users x 1 dollar a month = Profit.

 

[cynics]

Yes, OneDrive used to offer free 15 GBs till Microsoft downgraded that to 5 GBs. I use both iCloud and OneDrive and with OneDrive 5 GB is no problem because i only store some documents and PDF files there. And most people have the Office 365 subscription anyways, so you have more than 5 GBs.

But with iCloud? The free 5 GBs is maybe alright for your contacts, mail, calendar, messages and notes etc..., but many people do their backup with iCloud and 5 GBs is never enough for that, especially when you have a lot of photos in the Cloud and iCloud Photostream also takes up your space if i'm correct. iCloud is just another way for Apple to make money, and to be fair, the 99 cents a month for 50 GB Storage is pretty affordable. And many rely on iCloud to do their backup with and to store their entire photo library, and there are fine with paying that 1 dollar a month. But how many people are in the Apple ecosystem? It's a giant money maker for Apple. Millions of users x 1 dollar a month = Profit.

I apologize, I should have been more specific. I meant 15gb file size, single file. When I'm editing a video a lot of time I'm exceeding that until the final export. Even then it depend on the video.

 

[Duckyduckbumps]

It was only a matter of time. 15gb is generally enough for me as well just not always.

However even if OneDrive offered the media support iCloud does my work flow still relies heavily on the convenience of shared desktop and automatic syncing directly into apps/programs at an OS level.

OneDrive and iCloud Drive are only "good" if they work for the person that is using them. I will admit that Apple forces a certain level of iCloud on you (which to an extent they need to for certain things). They are also in the unique position to offer software functionality for iCloud down to the metal (just like windows and OneDrive and Android with Google Drive).

However we should all be using the service that benefits our uses and workloads the most effectively. And if OneDrive offers that for you then by all means, OneDrive is awesome and iCloud sucks (with the caveat) "for you" and I'll certainly not argue that.

I will argue the "professional grade" moniker as subjective though and I'm certainly referencing Apple products like the MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, iPad Pro, etc etc.... Pro, professional grade, etc is pure marketing as the term carries no real meaning without a define context. IE. Professional carpenters send emails, better get an iMac Pro....

The issue is this:

iCloud is the only available cloud-based full backup and restore service for my iPad Pro, and it just does not work, at least not on ADSL.

I was able to test it on Australia’s NBN (fastest home internet currently available) on the weekend. In 8-12 hours it *almost* completed the backup, which is...encouraging. It stated 3 hours remaining. Three hours later it still had maybe 2 hours remaining.

Forgetting about the word “professional”, all I ask is a cloud-based backup and restore service that actually works and is reliable.

If not, then they need to allow third parties to offer that service.

I work full time as an illustrator. Don’t know if that makes me professional haha, but I do need a service I can count on.

 

[Duckyduckbumps]

FWIW I was finally able to do a successful backup, when I was staying at a place that has the NBN (National Broadband Network). Total time was about 20 hours, and subsequent backups are about an hour each.

The subsequent backup are not always successful, as shown in the screenshot below. Pro users need a lot more detail than this.