Going Mac-less?

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I'm not sure where to post this, but I decided on here...

I have a MacBook Air, an iPad, and an iPhone. My wife also has an iPhone. We sync Calendar, Contacts, Notes, music and Photos between all devices. We use iCloud for a few documents. I plan to replace my iPad in the next 6 months and my MBA within a year or 2. Here’s the thing: I’m not sure why I need a Mac at all. I don’t do anything heavy — mail and a few documents using Pages and Numbers. That’s it. So, why do I need a Mac? Why not just continue to sync the same stuff and use iCloud for all documents? I am rather anal about backups. Is there a way to backup iCloud? Also, I use 1Password. I’m not terribly enamored of their IOS implementation, but unless anyone has any other suggestions, I’ll probably just bite that bullet and continue to use 1Password. Anyway, why do I need a Mac?
 

IWT


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Hello and welcome.

Well, it's obvious why you and your wife would wish to retain your iPhones - they are phones after all, although that seems to be their least used function....

The iPad, particularly the iPad Pro, does a pretty good job as a computer given your limited requirements. With it, you can browse the internet, take & store photos along with your iPhones, deal with emails, create documents via Pages and presentations via Keynote - exporting or sending these as Word or PowerPoint data.

Calendar and contacts, equally, can be created and shared.

You can use iCloud to sync all of these things and also store them as a backup. The latest iOS permits the creation of Files inclusive of Dropbox and the like - again stored and synced.

1Password is a world-renowned app that, likewise, can be synced between all iDevices.

If the above defines your requirements and your lifestyle, then you probably don't need a Mac.

If you should delve into the world of video recording and editing; or need in-device storage in excess of that available on the iPhone/iPad; or wish to upscale your backup strategy beyond iCloud, a Mac would start to feel more attractive.

It's horses for courses. No point is shelving out money on something that is not much used beyond replicating what you have already.

Your call - not ours.

Ian
 
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Anyway, why do I need a Mac?


You don't unless there's something you do or may want to do.

You probably don't actually need a car either, if you even have one, and can manage quite well without one. And maybe a lot of other things.

But you might want to be thankful for what you do have, and I dare say your health is the most important. ;D




- Patrick
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Well, since you have the MBA now, put it away and test your theory. Don't use it! Give it a 6-12 month test period, and see how you feared.

Recently, I left my Mac mini for about 6 months, only using it to update the system, and iPhone/iPad backups. I'm still not ready to give up a dedicated Mac for use when needed, but, it's not as necessary as a few years ago.
 
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tobindia
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Thanks for the input. But if I don't use a Mac, how can I backup iCloud, photos, notes, contacts, and calendar?
 

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Thanks for the input. But if I don't use a Mac, how can I backup iCloud, photos, notes, contacts, and calendar?

Easy.

On all your iDevices, go into Settings > Apple ID, iCloud, iTunes > iCloud and from there turn on any of the following:

Photos, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Notes, Safari, News, Home, Health, Wallet, Game Centre, Siri, Keychain, Find my iDevice, iCloud Backup, iCloud Drive, and so on and so forth.

That backs up everything to iCloud and sync everything between all your iDevices.

Still unsure, please post back.

Ian
 
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tobindia
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OK. I had thought those settings were primarily to enable syncing. Is the data actually stored there, too? Regardless, I would also have Pages and Numbers documents stored in iCloud as well. How do I back that up?
 

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Hello again. Thanks for posting back.

You are quite right. There is syncing between devices via iCloud - and backing up to iCloud.

The settings I drew your attention to in my last post address both of these.

Everything on your iPhone, for example, is backed up to iCloud via the " iCloud Backup" part of the settings irrespective of whether you sync between devices or not. This applies to every iDevice you have.

So, that's the backup bit: remember everything on your iPhone is backed up.

The syncing part depends on your checking those items which you want to sync from the list of options; from photos to iCloud Drive - just choose from the list. And iCloud Drive is where you will put your Pages, Keypoint and Numbers - and iCloud Drive is backed up and synced as well if you want.

It seems complicated, but in fact it's all very straightforward. Backup and sync are independent things but both are controlled within the same settings page - as per my post above.

Ian
 
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tobindia
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Are Pages and Numbers documents stored in iCloud also backed up? Can I have a document recovered? Can I have the previous version of a document recovered?
 
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If you want a different version of a document, you should rename it as you save it. Name it something like v1, v2, v3, etc...
 
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tobindia
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I'm sorry. I guess that wasn't clear. I'm looking for either a backup system à la Time Machine for my iCloud documents or failing that, something that at least let's me manually copy files from iCloud to an external device. Hope that's clearer.
 

IWT


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There is no Time Machine equivalent for iOS Devices.

But you have (keep) things on your iDevice and have a backup (BU) of all of them on iCloud via iCloud BU. As ferrarr said, you can BU as many versions of a document as you like by naming them V1, V2 etc.

You can recover documents from your iCloud BU.

You can access iCloud Drive and its documents from any device by using the same Apple ID and thereby change/edit them.

But, to repeat, this not TM. For a start, the BU process does not occur hourly, weekly etc. It is initiated by you - requirements are that it is attached to a power source and has a good WiFi connection.

A lot of people achieve this by leaving the device powered-on over night - which charges the battery; and close to a good WiFi signal - which activates the BU process.

Lastly, no, you can't manually copy documents to an External Hard Drive (EHD) directly from iCloud (we are, remember, talking about your being "Mac-less").

Ian
 
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There is no Time Machine equivalent for iOS Devices.


Nice plain good explanation Ian, and maybe you cold write some more and replace some of the not very clear Apple knowledge articles??? ;D




- Patrick
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