Home Forums Peripherals & Multimedia iTunes, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Apple TV iTUNES 10.5 and "The Cloud"

I just updated iTUNES to 10.5 and noticed now that all my iTUNES files are stored in "The Cloud."

What does this mean? Are ALL my music files stored there or just ones I purchased from the iTUNES Store? Will reverting to an earlier version of iTUNES work without using The Cloud?

How do you check that? I've just updated from 10.3.1 (only thinking that it's best to stay current) but I don't have any mobile devices. Maybe it's not an issue for me.

ryck

As far as I know, it is an AUTOMATIC part of the 10.5 version of iTUNES. One cannot opt out at the time of downloading and installing.

Directions: Go to the APPLE icon in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, click on SOFTWARE UPDATE and you should receive a notice that there is iTUNES 10.5 available.

BEFORE downloading/installing, click on the "details" button. It will say there that 'The Cloud" is a new feature of 10.5 - but does not really explain any more than that.

Hence . . . my question(s).

P.S. I do not have any mobile devices either. It is the iTUNES application itself regardless of the device on which iTUNES is used . . . AFAIK.




P.S. Just noticed that there is now an OSX update 10.7.2 (separate from iTUNES download) in Software Update released today which includes more information about THE CLOUD . . . and ways to personalize and configure it to one's own purposes.


The 10.7.2 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac. It also includes support for iCloud, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that automatically and wirelessly store your content on iCloud and push it to all of your devices. iCloud on OS X Lion includes the following features:
iCloud stores your email, calendars, contacts, Safari bookmarks, and Safari Reading List and automatically pushes them to all your devices.
Back to My Mac provides remote access to your Mac from another Mac anywhere on the Internet.
Find My Mac helps find a missing Mac by locating it on a map and allows you to remotely lock the Mac or wipe all its data.
Getting started with iCloud is easy. After installing the update, OS X will automatically present an iCloud setup panel. Simply enter an existing Apple ID or create a new one and then follow the on screen instructions. To learn more about iCloud visit http://www.apple.com/icloud.

The 10.7.2 update also includes Safari 5.1.1 as well as fixes that:
Allow reordering of desktop spaces and full screen apps in Mission Control.
Enable dragging files between desktop spaces and full screen apps.
Address an issue that causes the menu bar to not appear in full screen apps.
Improve the compatibility of Google contact syncing in Address Book.
Address an issue that causes Keynote to become temporarily unresponsive.
Improve VoiceOver compatibility with Launchpad.
Address an issue that causes a delay in accessing the network after waking from sleep.
Enable booting in to Lion Recovery from a locally attached Time Machine backup drive.
Resolve an issue that causes screen zoom to stop working.
Improve Active Directory integration.
For detailed information about Safari 5.1.1, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4922.
For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4767.
For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

With iTunes 10.5 iCloud stores your iTunes Store, App Store, and iBooks Store purchases, making them available from any device. You can also back up music etc. you didn't purchase through iTunes with the iTunes Match service ($25/year).

Reverting to an earlier version of iTunes disables the iCloud options, if only because those previous versions don't support iCloud. Presumably, iTunes' basic functionality will not be affected by this.

Thanks for the extra tidbits.

I have tinkered with iCLOUD and, from what I can determine, it is essentially a backup "in the sky" for one's computer contents - from dox to music, etc. - and allows easier synchronization of this content with other compatible mobile and/or non-mobile devices.

One DOES have the option to use or not to use the features of iCLOUD (in System Preferences). The user determines what is stored in THE CLOUD and then shared between his/her own devices. iCLOUD can be turned on or off by the user. (i.e. One can have an iCLOUD account, but choose not to store anything in it.)

If anyone else can enlighten further, please do so . . .




CAVEAT: I received the iTUNES software update (yesterday) before the release of the OS X 10.7.2 update (today). Otherwise, I would not have entered the original post in this thread.

I hope I haven't wasted too many people's time.

No time wasted here....I learned some stuff I didn't know and I appreciate the comprehensive reply you took time to assemble.

Thanks

ryck

Thanks. Glad the info was useful to someone else, too.

One thing I have discovered is the cloud provides much better synchronization between devices. It is almost as if all of the devices are sharing the same hard drive.