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Apple Shows Off Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5, iCloud and more

By On · 7 Comments
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The Apple/Steve Jobs Keynote just ended and there is quite a bit to digest. Apple took the wraps off several new things in Mac OS and iOS. Not to mention announcing a successor to MobileMe called iCloud. There were no new hardware announcements. This was all about the OS's and Services. Rather than trying to give you the blow by blow for everything that was just announced, itt's easier just to wait for and watch the web broadcast of the keynote, which should be up soon/later today. However, the things that were most exciting to me were:

  • Lion: New Mail client
  • Lion: Full Screen Apps
  • Lion: Apps that remember where you left off in the App
  • Lion: Autosave and Versioning
  • Lion: Air Drop – peer-to-peer file sharing
  • Lion: $29.99 available in July via the Mac App Store
  • iOS 5: Completely revamped (albeit Android like) Notifications System
  • iOS 5: Newstand – I'll be interested to see what this one really means to existing Magazine Apps?
  • iOS 5: Tabbed Browsing in Mobile Safari (about Freaking Time!)
  • iOS 5: Reminders
  • iSO 5: Twitter integration at the OS level! Sweet!
  • iOS 5: Camera Features: Access from the Lock Screen, Volume up button as the shutter, Rule of 3rds, etc.
  • iOS 5: Mail – Draggable Addresses and Search the Entire Message
  • iOS 5: PC Free – being able to take an iOS device out of the box , set it up and start using it without having to plug it into a Mac/PC! HOORAY!
  • iOS 5: Over the Air (OTA) Software updates! Finally!
  • iOS 5: WiFi Syncing of Media! Finally!
  • iCloud: FREE
  • iCloud: Automatic Document Syncing to all devices
  • iCloud: Automatic Weekly Data Backup of iOS Devices
  • iCloud: Photo Stream – Sweet! I hope that other apps can use this beside iPhoto!
  • iCloud: Automatic availability of all your iTunes purchased songs
  • iCloud: $24.99/year and auto iTunes Matching of your existing Ripped Songs!

Like I said, it's a lot to take in and those are just my favorites, not the complete list!

 

UPDATE: The Keynote Video is now LIVE here.

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  • Robin

    iCloud: FREE
    iCloud: $24.99/year

    I’m confused Terry.

    Also, I currently pay for the Family Plan on Mobile Me ($150/year). Will my Mobil Me account automatically integrate to iCloud? I love Mobile Me…hopefully, I will love iCloud!

    • http://terrywhite.com Terry White

      iCloud is FREE for 5GB of Storage
      iCloud’s iTunes Music Match service is $24.99/year (this is optional).

      All MobileMe accounts have been extended til June 2012 (a transition period). After that you will be using iCloud as MobileMe will no longer exist.

      Yesterday, MobileMe sent an email to all existing subscribers.

      • Robin

        Ahhh, thanks. I received the MobilMe email…it did not mention price. So, as always, I check your blog for clarification!

  • Mark Spoo

    Terry
    Do you know if the “Back to my Mac” is going to be handled? For mobileme that is what I use the most.

    Thanks

  • http://www.iteachGuitar.com Mary Jo Disler

    Still a lot to know about the whole thing. I’m feeling rather cautious about jumping in without knowing how much control one will have over what goes into the “cloud.” For example, wsj article indicated that the iTunes service will not distinguish between purchased & pirated music.
    - I’ve never purchased music from iTunes, and the only music I’ve installed is from CD’s I own & have purchased. Don’t feel it’s “their business.”

    As one who presently has no cellphone or other mobile device (yet), Dropbox is enough to work between my laptop & desktop machines. – And I have more control over what goes into Dropbox. If I need more space, will have to pay for it, but am in a “wait & see” mode for now. (Yes, I know you get more free space in iCloud as announced.)

    Software Update seems to take care of the basics of updating in the current OS, and it works through the internet.

    Am assuming full screen apps is an OS option, and not the default. Recent attempts to work in PS Elements 6 were a huge nuisance (to put it nicely) going back & forth between the Help file & working interface, which permits ONLY full screen. Couldn’t have both windows visible simultaneously, and back-and-forth-and-back-and-forth trying to remember what to do & which tools to find was NOT FUN nor efficient.
    (And that doesn’t even take into account the stress on the eyes switching from barely readable text on the black interface, to normal black on white in the Help system, but that’s a different issue.)

    Not closing my mind, but need to know a LOT more.

  • http://www.rolandyoung.com Roland Young

    I too am a MobileMe member and have enjoyed the service. I do have some issues/questions/concerns with iCloud;

    1) Paid Storage

    I was really hoping that Apple was going to address the option to buying additional storage for iCloud, similar to what Google is offering:

    20 GB – $5/yr
    80 GB – $20/yr
    200 GB – $50/yr
    400 GB – $100/yr
    1 TB – $256/yr
    2 TB – $512/yr
    4 TB – $1024/yr
    8 TB – $2048/yr
    16 TB – $4096/yr

    I have read speculation that Apple may offer pricing like Dropbox’s, which I think is way too much compared to Google’s above, but this is all speculation. I would love to see this!

    2) iDisk

    What will happen to the files currently stored on my iDisk? I store a lot of non-Apple type of documents and files. This has me a bit concerned.

    3) Automatic Downloads

    Great idea, however, there are some apps I don’t want to run on my iPad because they are made specifically for the iPhone (and I don’t want to use the 2X factor with them on the iPad). I’m sure Apple will have some way to allow you to select which ones you want downloaded to a specific device. (Of course I’m talking future purchases through the App Store, iTunes, etc.).

    4) Combining Apple IDs

    Prior to switching to MobileMe I had a different Apple ID. With my MobileMe account that now becomes my Apple ID. I wish Apple would allow us to migrate confirmed Apple ID’s with our current one. Case in point- I cannot automatically download a majority of my iTunes purchased tracks to my iPhone/iPad because they were purchased under another Apple ID…even though I legally purchased them through the iTunes Store. Very frustrating.

    5) Movie Streaming on AppleTV

    I was hoping to see a service similar to Netlfix with an all you can eat instant download of movie streaming with AppleTV for a monthly fee. I was hoping to discontinue my Netflix membership and go strictly with AppleTV for movie purchases and rentals. Also, have an app that can stream those movies to all devices (like Netflix)…wouldn’t that be awesome! Why of why???

    I was a little disappointed that iCloud was not going to be released until IOS5, I was hoping that would go live beforehand. But I’m sure it is worth the wait. Knowing Apple, I’m sure they will throw some extras in the iCloud service before it’s final release…one could only hope!

    • http://terrywhite.com Terry White

      Apple has extended everyone’s current MobileMe subscriptions until June 2012. My guess is that this will allow them to make the transition. You might remember similar transitions for the web hosting stuff that they used to do, iCards, etc. My guess is that not everything will make it over to iCloud. That’s the harsh reality of business. You’ll have plenty of time and multiple warnings over the next 12 months to either migrate what can be migrated or move your content to other locations. We’ll all have to wait and see what the transition looks like and what will and won’t make it over to iCloud.