iCloud help

[stevefarries]

Please help..

I am new to this forum and hope that someone on here can help me.

I'm using a macair 2011 model 11'' and currently run all my iTunes media from an external hard drive. I now have iCloud and all my media is (as far as I am aware) stored in the cloud.

Is it possible to open my iTunes now using iCloud as the source file location (iTunes Media folder location) and not use my external hard drive?

If not I simply can't understand the point in having the cloud. My iTunes Media folder as you may expect is significant and won't fit on the MacAir hard drive.

Hope to hear from someone soon.. thanks in advance. steve

[stevefarries]

Please help..

I am new to this forum and hope that someone on here can help me.

I'm using a macair 2011 model 11'' and currently run all my iTunes media from an external hard drive. I now have iCloud and all my media is (as far as I am aware) stored in the cloud.

Is it possible to open my iTunes now using iCloud as the source file location (iTunes Media folder location) and not use my external hard drive?

If not I simply can't understand the point in having the cloud. My iTunes Media folder as you may expect is significant and won't fit on the MacAir hard drive.

Hope to hear from someone soon.. thanks in advance. steve

[OhFar]

From what I understand you get a free amount of cloud space (5mb?) and pay for anything else. You can also pay an annual fee to upgrade your itunes account so it is all on cloud. I saw this today when I synced my devices on itunes. Good luck

[Chuckoir]

Yeah, you don't store songs within iCloud. (Unless they are purchased from iTunes - but that's slightly different)

What you're possibly after is iTunes Match. Apple - iTunes - Match
It costs $25 a year, but if you're short on space, it could be worth looking into. Then you could just stream the songs as you want to listen to them.

[sfam198]

iCloud doesn't exactly work that way, but I can see why a lot of people are under the impression that it does. Apple hasn't exactly (in my opinion) done a very good job of explaining it.

iCloud can't be used as a file source per se, like a network drive in the cloud. It is used as a tool to keep all your data (music, photos, documents, etc) synced up between various devices. The data does reside out there in the cloud, but it is not accessible to your applications (iTunes, iPhoto, etc) until it is synced to your device. The purpose of the iCloud service is to automate all this syncing.

When the data is synced to another device it is downloaded from the cloud and stored locally on your hard drive. So for example, you put a photo in iPhoto on your iMac at home, which uploads the photo to iCloud. When you power up your Macbook Air, it downloads the photo automatically from the cloud and stores it in iPhoto on your Macbook Air. The photo physically resides in three places: on your iMac, your Macbook Air and on Apple's iCloud servers. If you get a new device and set it up with your iCloud account (an iPad for example) the data that you are syncing with iCloud will automatically appear on the iPad as well.

So to summarize, iCloud is not meant as a supplemental file storage device (like a network folder or external hard drive). It is meant as a way for data to be easily synced up between devices with little or no intervention on your part.

[Chuckoir]

I've responded to your other thread - Don't cross post as the powers that be get a bit tetchy!

[chscag]

@stevefarries:

You've cross posted this same subject all over our forums. Keep the same question to one thread and one thread only. And reply back to the same thread.

Your cross posts have been removed.

Thanks for your future cooperation.

[DanielBrasilia]

Dear all,

Slowly but surely I am getting a better understanding of the iCloud beyond just the basic concept. I have, as suggested by contributors to the Forum, checked my iCloud on the internet and have used the System Preferences route to the iCloud. I have, however, at least 2 doubts:

1. When I opt to manage iCloud via System Preferences icon there is information that I have not used any of the 5 Gb. However, when I go to icloud.com, log in with my Apple ID, I find, among the 5 icons available, that my contact and calendar informations are stored there. So, what am I missing here - are they or not stored up store? Though sram198 has written here that this is not some extra storage device, he/she also mentioned that (at least photos) are stored in the iCloud, too.

2. When I access iCloud.com I get 5 icons - Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Find my Iphone & iWorks. So, there is no access to Photostream via the website? I have checked out the help, went through every step recommended to make sure photos on Photostream are directed to the iCloud, but given that my System Preferences says I've used 0GB and that I cannot confirm photos are there, I'm just not sure if I have actually used the iCloud for Photostream.

Thanks for your explanations,
DanielBrasilia.

[Dysfunction]

Apple does not provide webhosting for photos. So there is no access to your photos from anything other than pictures on the phone, or iphoto.

[sfam198]

Dear all,

Slowly but surely I am getting a better understanding of the iCloud beyond just the basic concept. I have, as suggested by contributors to the Forum, checked my iCloud on the internet and have used the System Preferences route to the iCloud. I have, however, at least 2 doubts:

1. When I opt to manage iCloud via System Preferences icon there is information that I have not used any of the 5 Gb. However, when I go to icloud.com, log in with my Apple ID, I find, among the 5 icons available, that my contact and calendar informations are stored there. So, what am I missing here - are they or not stored up store? Though sram198 has written here that this is not some extra storage device, he/she also mentioned that (at least photos) are stored in the iCloud, too.

2. When I access iCloud.com I get 5 icons - Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Find my Iphone & iWorks. So, there is no access to Photostream via the website? I have checked out the help, went through every step recommended to make sure photos on Photostream are directed to the iCloud, but given that my System Preferences says I've used 0GB and that I cannot confirm photos are there, I'm just not sure if I have actually used the iCloud for Photostream.

Thanks for your explanations,
DanielBrasilia.

Hi Daniel,

Hopefully I can further explain this for you.

As to your first question, calendar and contact information does not take up much space, so you may or may not see your 5 GB go down when just that information is stored in iCloud. In some cases, certain data does not even count toward your 5 GB limit (such as iTunes music purchases) so this number can vary widely from your expectations. If you can view your contacts and calendar entries through the website at icloud.com, then that information is definitely stored in iCloud and can be synced when you set up another device with iCloud.

As for Photostream, there is no access through the web (icloud.com) to that feature. The only way you can access Photostream is through iPhoto on your Mac, Photos on your iOS device, or the Pictures Library in Windows. Photostream is not (as far as I know) enabled by default, so you may have to turn that feature on on your Mac, Windows (a separate download is required) or iOS device.

[DanielBrasilia]

Sfam198,

Thanks again for your explanations. I suppose my contacts and calendar, though pretty full, must truly not make up much storage.

As for Photostream, as far as I know (and just doublechecked) I have put a check mark on System Preferences > iCloud > Photostream. Today I transferred photos going back to 2002, which were stored on my iPhoto already since my previous iMac, to the Photostream icon on iPhoto. I click on the Photostream now and all the pictures seem to be there. However, when going to iCloud management via System Preferences it still informs me that I'm not using any of the 5Gb storage. Have I just duplicated the photos on my iMac, but haven't actually sent them to the iCloud?

Cheers,
DanielBrasilia

[chas_m]

As was stated, a number of items don't count against the 5GB storage. PhotoStream is one of those items, along with almost anything purchased from iTunes (ebooks, audio, apps -- video is not yet included). PhotoStream has a set limit of 1,000 most recent photos or one month, whichever occurs first.

More information on PhotoStream:
Apple - iCloud - New photos on all your devices.

[DanielBrasilia]

Well, Chas, thanks for your super-quick reply! Wow, so all I have "stored" on the 5GB of the iCloud really is taking up minimal space. Great news! Hopefully one day it'll expand to be possible to use for total backup of all files.

Now the next step would be to invest in an iPad to really enjoy the magic of syncing all the devices. I'll be as excited as a child if I can carry my iPad and show pictures stored on the iCloud to friends or family I visit.

All the best,
DanielBrasilia

[chas_m]

Yeah, I love that feature. I take a picture on my iPhone, and a few moments later its available on my iPad to share with people (and it's also waiting at home for me to do further work on it in iPhoto). I don't have to wait to go home and sync for other devices to have it.

As for iCloud expanding to be able to sync your full hard drive, that's never going to happen IMO. Much, MUCH cheaper to buy an external hard drive (you can buy additional space for your iCloud storage for a yearly fee, but only up to 50GB I believe).

[DanielBrasilia]

Thanks, Chas, but never is a long time... In the meantime, I'll think about investing in extra-storage (if really necessary) or the external hard drive.