iOS is closing the gap on Android. Google absolutely needs to...

[dan330]

iCloud isn't going to be weak when iOS 8 launches.
I'm broke from being new sports equipment, but I may just find a way to get the new iPhone if the screen is bigger.

Note that iCloud will be a full DropBox/Drive replacement come iOS 8, with a more consistent camera, better photo software (no social encumbrance), and better productivity software. It's getting a complete revamp.






The S3 Multi window isn't that useful. Back then a lot of apps didn't support it and it doesn't have the drag and drop features the newer phones have, which really add a new dimension of usefulness to that feature. Even then, I don't feel it's a huge seller on a device without an s pen personally.

if the next version of apple's release.. does not match up to your expectations.. again.

will you finally see the light .. that apple is NOT innovating and not even doing a good job of keeping up?

or will it be like usual.. "the next next release will kill everyone! just you all wait and see"
distortion field fully engaged

 

[AnonGuy]

iCloud will no longer be limited to OS X Mavericks and iOS 7+ only?

It isn't now. There is iCloud Control Panel. Try it.

It isn't a Cloud Drive in the traditional sense. It will become one and the tooling on windows will be updated to reflect that.

As for Android support, that's worthless without the App Support. OfficeSuite Pro won't give Android users what iWorks gives iOS users. Apple is not porting their apps over.

If you like what iCloud offers, you can get an iPhone. They are decent devices, even if it's fashionable to bash them here.

But iCloud was always usable from Windows. Since day 1. You can access and participate in Photo Streams. Sync PIM Data. Access documents in the cloud, etc.

 

[Crashdamage]

Wow. Sync data. Access documents. In the cloud. And even using Windows. Frickin' amazing. Who knows what killer technology Apple will steal...uh...buy...uh...copy... I mean...innovate next.

 

[mikedt]

It isn't now. There is iCloud Control Panel. Try it.

That's an EXE, I don't use Windows, mainly because of the PRC. I'm posting this using OS X Snow Leopard and Firefox.

It isn't a Cloud Drive in the traditional sense. It will become one and the tooling on windows will be updated to reflect that.

As for Android support, that's worthless without the App Support. OfficeSuite Pro won't give Android users what iWorks gives iOS users. Apple is not porting their apps over.

If you like what iCloud offers, you can get an iPhone. They are decent devices, even if it's fashionable to bash them here.

But iCloud was always usable from Windows. Since day 1. You can access and participate in Photo Streams. Sync PIM Data. Access documents in the cloud, etc.

I only use Android, Linux Mint, and OS X Snow Leopard on a white Macbook that was given to me, which can't be upgraded to Mavericks, but it does run the latest browsers and office productivity I need just fine.

I'm only one of the peasantry and not a Rolex wearing petty bourgeoisie can't really justify the expense of buying new Apple products. Where I spend most of my time Apple is very much a boutique designer brand, along with Armani and Gucci.

Using OS X Snow Leopard always reminds me of iCloud's discontinued predecessor, iDisk and MobileMe, because there is iDisk, which is still there in the Finder, and MobileMe still there in the System Preferences, doesn't work of course. Wonder how long before Apple pulls the plug on iCloud and does something else?

 

[bjacks12]

It isn't now. There is iCloud Control Panel. Try it.

It isn't a Cloud Drive in the traditional sense. It will become one and the tooling on windows will be updated to reflect that.

As for Android support, that's worthless without the App Support. OfficeSuite Pro won't give Android users what iWorks gives iOS users. Apple is not porting their apps over.

If you like what iCloud offers, you can get an iPhone. They are decent devices, even if it's fashionable to bash them here.

But iCloud was always usable from Windows. Since day 1. You can access and participate in Photo Streams. Sync PIM Data. Access documents in the cloud, etc.

Google Drive works flawlessly for me, and syncs very well across my PC and my phone.

It's clear you don't like Android...why do you own one?

 

[dan330]

Google Drive works flawlessly for me, and syncs very well across my PC and my phone.

it syncs??? like dropbox???

files are copied across all locations... to use offline?

 

[Crashdamage]

Yes, Google Drive syncs like Dropbox.

 

[dan330]

well .. i am going to have to do some research into this.

how do dropbox and google drive .. differ? pros and cons?


thanks

 

[bjacks12]

On my PC, I have replaced the standard My Documents and My Pictures folders with similar folders that I set up in Google Drive, so when I throw something in My Documents, it is actually stored on Google Drive. This came in very handy when my last PC crashed in February. I booted up my new machine, installed drive, signed in, and it downloaded all my files.

 

[Digital Controller]

well .. i am going to have to do some research into this.

how do dropbox and google drive .. differ? pros and cons?


thanks

They're pretty much the same. The thing that's nice about Drive is that it's attached to your google account. As well as having Office apps so that you can open those files on any computer regardless of whether it has Microsoft Word.

 

[Crashdamage]

how do dropbox and google drive .. differ? pros and cons?

Google gives everyone with a Gmail account 15GB free on Google Drive. Your Gmail and uploaded files count against this space but Google docs you create do not. Additional storage is fairly cheap, 100GB is $24/yr, 1TB is $99/yr.

Dropbox gives only 2GB free. Additional space is much more expensive, 100GB is $120/yr, 500GB is $500/yr.

Both are well supported by extensions, Android apps and desktop clients that make them simple to use with great flexibility. Additional services can add even more functionality. For instance, I use the webservice cloudHQ to keep multiple Google Drive accounts and Dropbox all auto-synced. On Android, FolderSync is really handy.

However, Google Drive has what is, for me at least, one major drawback that makes me keep a 105GB Dropbox account: Dropbox has a native Linux desktop client but oddly, Google Drive does not. Google has long promised one, but has not yet made good on that promise. If they ever do, I'll probably - reluctantly - give up the Dropbox account because Google Drive will finally do everything I need, and because I have 1TB on Google Drive included with Google Fiber.

Warning: Despite Google's claim that Google Docs now handles MS Word, my experience so far is even simple documents can confound Google Docs. I still use Libre Office on the desktop or Docs to Go on Android to get good results.

 

[AnonGuy]

Google Drive works flawlessly for me, and syncs very well across my PC and my phone.

It's clear you don't like Android...why do you own one?

Your response is nothing but baiting and has absolutely nothing to do with my response to the post upthread, which is that iCloud is completely usable from Windows.

Whether iCloud is usable from Android doesn't matter. The point of my post is that without the proper App Support, a Cloud Storage service is borderline worthless. Apple gets away with this on Windows because they have iCloud and iTunes there, so you get things like iTunes in the Cloud, etc. and of course iWorks is completely compatible with Office (unlike Google Docs) so you can use Office and simply put the files on iCloud and open them up on your phone or whatever).

Android is a completely different ballgame. Apple is not going to bring iTunes to Android, or iPhoto, or iMovie, or GarageBand, or iWork. They will not release Android APIs to allow apps to hook into iCloud the way iOS apps can, and the way apps can hook into DropBox, OneDrive, Google Drive, and other cloud storage services.

My point was that people clamoring for iCloud on Android and using it not being there as some sort of bulletpoint to bash it are completely missing the point. Without the proper API Surface and App Support/Ports, it's borderline useless to 90% of people on this forum.

I am well aware that Google services can largely replace iCloud services on Android phones as well as PCs (or in a browser), and I'm well aware that it's working just fine for millions upon millions of users.

I have an iCloud account, and I don't use it because I use an Android device, largely for the reasons I just mentioned.

And I'm not sure how my reply is some indicator of how little or how much I like my phone, not that it's any of your business to begin with.

 

[bjacks12]

I don't really imagine a large demand for iCloud to work on Android. I don't know why you're addressing it....I don't see where anybody brought it up.

Also, Google Docs and Sheets do support Office files....lol. Please be honest in your Google bashing.

I'm having a hard time seeing why Apple trying to catch up with Google's cloud services is a compelling reason for people to switch.

 

[lunatic59]

Let me quote a few people from history ...

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion."
- Gandhi

"Everyone is entitled to my opinion."
- A. Hitler

"Everyone is deluding themselves with their own opinions."
- Voltaire

"Everyone's opinions have to do with sex."
- Sigmund Freud

Let's try to follow the first and ignore the rest ... and keep things respectful.

 

[dan330]

I will agree with Dr. Freud... and ignore the rest..

so..

 

[AnonGuy]

I don't really imagine a large demand for iCloud to work on Android. I don't know why you're addressing it....I don't see where anybody brought it up.

Also, Google Docs and Sheets do support Office files....lol. Please be honest in your Google bashing.

I'm having a hard time seeing why Apple trying to catch up with Google's cloud services is a compelling reason for people to switch.

Don't think you have tried to import any non trivial document into docs. Bulleted lists (a lot of them) got all the formatting changed and all the text is underlined in one of my document. I deleted the apps and installed office mobile instead. Styles are changed. Fonts are changed. It's a big mess.

I didn't say it didn't support office formats. I implied the support was rather poor, and it is

Most businesses who use Drive use the drive apps, and not office. Trying to mix them that way is a productivity killer and it isnt worth paying Google for just syorage when you can get it just as cheap from microsoft and not break the collaborative workflow... At least not the fairly large businesses here who I know use them. All the docs in my friends Corporate Drive account are Google Docs formats, not Office Files.

And it's a compelling reason because of how well they integrate their services into their apps and their devices, something Google is not as good at compared to Microsoft and Apple. They also have real apps that integrate the services, which means you are not tied to a particular OS or even Browser to get trivial things done.

You can't do anything but the most basic edits on Google Photos without Chrome, but with iCloud you can edit the file and Sync it right back up using any real (and more useful/powerful) editing apps on the computer - Photo Gallery, iPhoto, Picasa, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro... take your pick... Dame fir videos - ever tried to do any decent editing on videos stored on Google Photos? Good Luck! It's a big deal, having mobility for your OWN data, and better access to them...

I returned the iPhone 5 for this phone... just so I can bash Google? Think about that.

Using Android doesn't mean I should use inferior services, when the other services/apps are easily available to me, and work drastically better across my PC and Phone than Google's. That's called masochism. I'm not into that.

 

[exninja]

You can't do anything but the most basic edits on Google Photos without Chrome, but with iCloud you can edit the file and Sync it right back up using any real (and more useful/powerful) editing apps on the computer - Photo Gallery, iPhoto, Picasa, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro... take your pick... Dame fir videos - ever tried to do any decent editing on videos stored on Google Photos? Good Luck! It's a big deal, having mobility for your OWN data, and better access to them...

I returned the iPhone 5 for this phone... just so I can bash Google? Think about that.

Using Android doesn't mean I should use inferior services, when the other services/apps are easily available to me, and work drastically better across my PC and Phone than Google's. That's called masochism. I'm not into that.

The last bit is funny

Just wondering about the editing photos on Google Drive part: seems like if you set up a Google Drive folder on your desktop then this would act the exact same way. I haven't worked with photo editing software like photoshop or gimp with a file stored on Google drive but I don't see why it would be any less seamless than iCloud...

 

[AnonGuy]

The last bit is funny

Just wondering about the editing photos on Google Drive part: seems like if you set up a Google Drive folder on your desktop then this would act the exact same way. I haven't worked with photo editing software like photoshop or gimp with a file stored on Google drive but I don't see why it would be any less seamless than iCloud...

Google Drive and Google Photos aren't the same service. You cannot access auto backup photos from Drive - at all, period. They do not show up in Drive. You'd have to download them (or import with Picasa if it can see the Auto Backup Albums, im unsure if it can) and then re-upload them to Drive (by copying to the Drive Folder assuming you have it installed on your PC).

Photos in your iCloud Photo Stream, Photos and Videos in your Shared Photo Streams, and soon the entire iCloud Drive all show up in Windows Explorer with iCloud Control Panel installed. Photos are not walled off the way Google Photos is. They are accessible in the most trivial manner - right in the platforms native file manager.

All you need is the Control Panel installed, which is analogous to Google's Drive App for Windows, and to enable Sync for iCloud Photos.

If you know a way to access Auto Backup photos from Google Drive without manually moving them there, which requires an Import and move on the PC (only made easier by installing yet another app on your machine - Picasa) then please let me know!

Personally I use OneDrive for Auto Backup (on my phone) and the Windows 8.1 Photos App for quick edits, which is surprisingly good at what it does, on my PC. What services I use is governed by how well and easily they work/integrate with the other devices I use - I use my PC a lot.

When I had an iPhone I used iCloud and installed the Control Panel to Sync my Photo Stream to my PC. Works similarly, but use uses more storage than SkyDrive's Smart Files.

You cannot auto backup to Google Drive without using third party apps, and I typically only use first party apps to access services where personal information may reside. Not cause I'm paranoid, but because I'm proactive

In any case, I save RAM and device storage by Uninstalling Updates and Disabling the Drive App and avoiding such 3rd party apps, and using One Drive instead.

 

[pokedur]

Android L unfortunately did not show improvement on that department :/

 

[amarie82]

Now you can see google drive docs in with photos backed up if you have them backed up via google +. My personal fav.

 

[AnonGuy]

Now you can see google drive docs in with photos backed up if you have them backed up via google +. My personal fav.

Not following.

You can see Google+ Auto Backup images from Drive and auto sync them yo your computer?

Or you can see images from Drive in Google+, which has been the case for several months?

Issue I and others have is the Google+ content being completely walled off so you have to manually get everything you need (and manually revert if you have Auto Awesome turned on - it's on by default) not seeing Drive Stuff in Google+.

I don't have a Google+ profile. I just need my photos and videos backed up. Other cloud storage solutions do that with less hassle and bloat on your phone than Google currently does.

 

[nickdalzell]

The only Cloud I trust is the WD MyCloud in my network cabinet. I just have no faith in the dependence on your data on some website that may be monitored, copyright issues, or suddenly die off like the Ubuntu One service (I feel sorry for the suckers who lost their data on that ).

Also the data use. I have no internet connection beyond my data plan and Hotspot and good luck with anything beyond 1x outside the house. The MyCloud doesn't need a data connection to work. I can upload and download all my data to it via the local WiFi without touching my data, much like an intranet. It still works like a cloud in saving my internal storage across devices while offering a central point. It also has 2 TB of space which would cost a pretty good monthly fee on any other service.

 

[Crashdamage]

What are you gonna do if someone steals all your equipment or there's a fire? I keep not only multiple local backups, but multiple off-site backups on Google Drive and Dropbox. I'm not the least bit concerned about either of those shutting down. I have not only a lot of music and thousands of photos, but business and financial records that cannot be lost no matter what. That means copies in multiple physical locations, and automatic sync between everything so all backups stay up to date. Cloud storage is the only practical, cost-effective way to do it.

 

[Slug]

A pretty reliable truism is that the time and effort expended on any backup strategy is directly proportional to the value of the data. Unfortunately, the latter is too-often only realised after Mr Disaster has come calling.

There's no one-size-fits-all solution, and I'm sure many would consider my regime of networked backup mirrored to redundant external drives (one always off-site) plus duplicates on Dropbox/Mega/Drive etc overkill. To me though it's worth it, as my photos are irreplaceable unique captures.

 

[BRAINZ2013]

Yes very true but for some reason I seen on the news NSA is going through dropbox and looking through peoples photos and videos . they have seen and arrested a man for storing child porn and other photos and videos of people . this has me to say hmmmmm we not safe and it may not be you that will delete anything . the dum darn NSA may delete thinking the wrong.