“Apple’s iCloud service, expected to be unveiled next week, completes a perfect storm of features that could accelerate Apple’s growing dominance of computing and seriously undermine Google’s cloud strategy,” Datamation writes.
“[Apple] has spent the last two years secretly building a billion-dollar, 500,000-square-foot data center in North Carolina,” Datamation writes. “The new facility is five times larger than its existing data center in New Jersey. Apple has also massively expanded data center capacity in Silicon Valley.”
Datamation writes, “Everything about iCloud is officially secret, except the name. But I believe Apple will innovate on some neat tricks. They may, for example, enable constant backup of all user data and possibly synchronization across devices. (Apple is also expected to announce a new version 5 of iOS.) This would enable users to walk away from their PCs, then pick up where they left off on an iPad or even an iPhone. Lost or stolen devices would not involve the loss of data.”
“iCloud essentially erases Google’s main argument in favor of Chromebooks, at least as far as Apple is concerned. The argument is that your data is always safe, no matter what. And it seriously undermines Google’s long-standing cloud-based Google Docs service,” Datamation writes. “Once Apple automatically duplicates everything into the cloud, Google Docs just doesn’t seem all that interesting anymore.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
How? There is ONE key difference between Apple and Google. Apple profits mainly from hardware sales. Basically everything else Apple does, in software and services, are valued-added benefits for its hardware customers.
The purpose of that software (such as Mac OS X, iOS, and iLife) and those services (such as iTunes Store, two App Stores, and upcoming “iCloud”) is to enhance user experience as much as possible and provide features not available elsewhere, thereby increasing hardware sales. The profit comes from hardware, not the software or services.
In contrast, Google MUST somehow profit from its software and services. That is why Google is invasive and advertising-focused. That is why the user experience provide by Apple’s products will continue to be superior. Apple and Google play by different rules; it’s not even the same game.
Except one thing Google could services are not tied to any one product or platform. Google docs, gmail, ect.. can be found on any platform, I can use google docs on my Ipad and Iphone can I use Iwork on my andriod phone. Apple’s cloud service is for apple product users, google’s could services is for anyone with a connection to the web.
That’s just another reason Apple’s user experience is (and will remain) superior. The experience IS focused on ONE product line, the one Apple controls. And if I’m using my ONE product, I don’t care that a service that I use available on other platforms that I don’t use.
Also, as a Google user, you are NOT Google’s “customer.” You are Google’s commodity. Google’s primary business, whether it’s Android or web-based services, is to sell advertisers access to its users’ eyeballs. The advertisers are Google’s real customers; they pay the bill and keep the lights on at Google HQ. Who has higher priority?
In contrast, Apple’s customers are its users. Making users happy through better user experience translates directly to more hardware sales, higher profits. The motivations of Apple and Apple’s users (customers) are pretty much fully aligned. And that, is yet another reason why Apple user experience is (and will remain) superior.
Always glad to hear when someone else understands advertising. How many of us think it’s OK to sell our bodies, yet people sell their minds every day to avoid paying a dollar for an hour-long TV show.
I think it is ok to sell our bodies as long as it is a consenting arrangement. But that’s the libertarian piece in me….
The “freedom of choice” argument is a full of holes. What most users really want is a seamless solution that works flawlessly. Those who choose Android phones and Google Docs may feel liberated, but they are opting for a patchwork solution that is not as seamless as Apple’s. Freedom of choice includes the freedom to jump off a bridge, but that doesn’t mean you should do it.
I am imagining iCloud could allow users to manage their iPads and iPhones without the need for a computer. With iOS on the device, iCloud would provide all other elements which a computer does. This is my guess/fantasy. Many users would never need anything but their iPads, devastating the business models of Dell, microsoft, hp, etc. Apple would lose some computer business also, although more Mac users actually need their own machines than pc users. Besides, billions of potential iPhone/iPad customers far outweighs any Mac losses.
If someone buys an iPad instead of a MacBook, Apple loses a MacBook sale but gains an iPad sale.
However, more current iPad customers are Windows users. There are many more Windows users out there compared to Mac users. And if someone buys an iPad instead of a PC, Apple gains an iPad sale and loses nothing.
The only long-term loser is the Windows PC collective.
It’s a way for Apple’s ecosystem to expand and now have an atmosphere with clouds and all.
Google Dorcs is dead, a flop like so many of their products.
Cloud only is a bad idea. A hybrid local and cloud smart mixture is the future. I hope Apple is going there.
Hopefully Apple finally comes to the conclusion that they are making so much profit from hardware sales, that they can start offering some of these services for free. Data sync, e-mail and a cloud storage service ala DropBox would be a good start (along with the already partially free Find My iOS device service). This would be free to access directly from hardware set up to support it; iOS, Mac OS X, and Windows, and then they could charge a premium for browser access just as MobileMe is setup now to access, contacts, calendars and email through a browser.
But will we be able to use shared address books on our iPhones, as we can use shared calendars? I need to keep my business and personal address books separate (which I do by having separate biz and personal user accounts on my Mac) and access them both on my iPhone.
Apple doesn’t use the word free. That’s a non-Apple term. Nor does Apple allow any companies associated with Apple to use that term.
…storm of features that could …; But I believe…; They may…; …is also expected to announce…; This would…; …devices would…; “Everything about iCloud is officially secret….
Sorry – but this news is absolutely worthless.
We will see.
I beg to differ – Apple does use the term free quite often. Dot Mac (the predecessor to MobileMe) was free. Find my iPhone became free, Snow Leopard for $29 is essentially free, as well as a long list of hardware and software over the years.
Please go troll somewhere else.
Who the heck is brainless – or arrogantly self confident of their own wisdom – to build a mission-critical data centre in an earthquake zone of northern California. Oh, that’s right, the Japanese do it with nuclear reactors, so Apple’s ok in building a centre, to store OUR DATA, in an earthquake zone. Just make sure the backups are stored outside Silicon Valley.
I read North Carolina. You read North California?
Sync across devices? Think about it…they just released universal versions of Pages, Keynote & Number, right?
I’m wondering and hoping the new iCloud service will work with AppleTV (2nd Gen). I’d love to be able to access my content directly via the cloud so I can finally shut down my iMac (which has been continuously running for 4 years.)
I beg to differ – Apple does use the term free quite often. Dot Mac (the predecessor to MobileMe) was free. Find my iPhone became free, Snow Leopard for $29 is essentially free, as well as a long list of hardware and software over the years.
Please go troll somewhere else.
This is exactly what I’ve been saying.
Apple will take a lot more than music into the cloud.
Think “total live synchronization between all devices.”