According to this article, Apple is aiming at converting computer users to using Apple’s servers to store their files instead of their own computer’s hard drive.
It would certainly simplify mobile computing and eliminate problems with syncing between hardware platforms so you can see why Steve Jobs likes the idea. It might even be OK for users who only ever work with relatively small files. But what about those who frequently create and edit video or audio files (or large files of any sort)? You’d be consuming ISP monthly bandwidth allowances every single time you saved or opened a file. Hefty excess use charges or “shaping” down to dialup speeds would be monthly occurrences for many. No doubt Jobs will warn potential customers about this major risk, and help them to pay those huge ISP bills. Won’t he?
Some of Apples Ideas also have legal implications
This is From New York Law schools James Grimmelmann
Sorry Link is
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http://laboratorium.net/archive/2011/06/06/worldwide_developer_copyright
Ken,
AIUI, ISPs in the US to not apply download limits, so there is no direct cost to the user of storing all their files in the “cloud” and racking up huge monthly downloads amounts.
Apple’s vision seems to be predicated on this inefficient and unsustainable ISP pricing model.
You (maybe via the article, which I haven’t read) have the wrong end of this particular stick. iCloud isn’t going to replace local file storage. It will be an addition, enabling syncing between devices as well as offering web-based access. Furthermore, users will be offered a choice about whether or not to store any particular file remotely.
Opening files already on a device won’t require a download. Saving new changes to files in iCloud will indeed consume bandwidth, but it’ll be done smartly, as only changed portions are transmitted.
This only really represents Apple catching up with what’s already going on (witness the huge success of ‘cloud’ type sevices like Dropbox and Evernote). There’s nothing for Jobs/Apple to ‘warn’ people about here. Certainly no ‘major risk’ of unknowingly gaining large excess data fees.
Those who frequently create large files in their line of work already know that remote editing is a crawl-tastic nightmare reserved for emergencies.
Editing text in a terminal is about as far as I am prepared to bow in that particular direction.
@Jacques: iCloud is a sync service (think Dropbox). Files will be opened locally.
@Dave said
This is apidly becoming a thing of the past.
You can make a number of arguments about why this might be — coz they can is a nice simple one. Certainly the cable companies that are also the ISPs are seeing that more and more of their revenue will disappear as people unsubscribe from traditional cable TV access and use IPTV services like Hulu and Netflix. They want a means to ‘encourage’ users to use their IPTV services. They’re trying to stuff around with net neutrality to do accomplish this as well, but their backstop is to offer “quota-free” downloads from the IPTV services they provide.
Australian consumers looked across the pacific, saw download-cap free cable broadband and said “We want THAT”. American ISPs looked back at us, saw low-cap expensive ISP plans and said “We want to charge THAT”.