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Apple confirms iCloud to retain web apps, but ax iDisk and iWeb

Apple on Friday offered some additional transparency on its MobileMe to iCloud transition, specifying which features will safely make the jump to the new service and which will be lost forever — namely iDisk, Gallery and iWeb.

In an FAQ on the matter, Apple reiterated that it's depreciating its MobileMe service, noting that customers who owned an account as of June 6, 2011 will see their service extended through June 30, 2012, at no additional charge. After that date, the MobileMe service will be shuttered forever.

Though there had been some concern over the fate of MobileMe's web applications, Apple also confirmed that it will be transitioning web mail, contacts, calendar, bookmarks, Find My iPhone, and Back to My Mac to iCloud.com this fall.

However, features such as iWeb publishing, MobileMe Gallery and iDisk will not make the cut. Also axed from the new service will be syncing of Mac Dashboard widgets, keychains, Dock items, and System Preferences — though these will remain accessible until MobileMe shuts down next year.

In place of these missing features, Apple will offer users of its free iCloud service iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream, Documents in the Cloud, Automatic downloads and purchase history for apps and books, and Backup and restore.

MobileMe users who retain me.com or mac.com email address will be able to keep those addresses and move their mail, contacts, and calendars, as well as their bookmarks, to the new service. Instructions on how to do so will be provided closer to iCloud's launch this fall.

For those MobileMe account holders who've made use of their MobileMe Gallery or iDisk, Apple recommends that those users remember to save copies of the photos and files saved on those services before June 30, 2012, at which time they will no longer be accessible.

The FAQ also addresses several MobileMe-related account questions, such as moving individual accounts from a MobileMe family pack to iCloud, purchasing additional storage, and receiving refunds for unused or unactivated MobileMe subscriptions.

90 Comments

hittrj01 17 Years · 753 comments

What about merging my MobileMe account into my existing Apple ID so I don't have to keep managing two separate accounts?

edit: Just read through the FAQ, looks like Apple is still not allowing us to do this.

If I use different accounts for iTunes and MobileMe, can I merge them into a single account and use it with iCloud?

No. You cannot merge two accounts into one. However, you will be able to move your MobileMe account (yourname@me.com) to iCloud and, if you choose, you can continue to use a different iTunes account for store purchases and iTunes in the Cloud.

stevetim 17 Years · 482 comments

iDisk gone. So how do we get large un-emailable non-apple files like powerpoint presentations into keynote for iPad/iPhone?

My understanding of Documents in the the Cloud is only apple files will use the feature. iPad for keynote currently can access ppt files on iDisk. I wonder how they will handle non-apple files now that you can't store data directly in the cloud view a cloud disk?

joseph l 14 Years · 197 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider

In place of these missing features, Apple will offer users of its free iCloud service iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream, Documents in the Cloud, Automatic downloads and purchase history for apps and books, and Backup and restore.

No way Google can ever come close to this sort of seamless transition. Best to stick with a proven company.

pxt 17 Years · 683 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph L

No way Google can ever come close to this sort of seamless transition. Best to stick with a proven company.

Apple manages to delete people's data with almost every transition they do.
If they don't get you on the data migration, they'll get you with some flakey syncing when you're not looking.

Data processing is not one of Apple's strengths.

Backup like crazy before zero day.

enjourni 15 Years · 254 comments

15 iWeb users cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced...