iCloud vs Google (sync)

[shinbone]

Updated to iOS5 and liking most of the features so far . . . pretty nifty. However, after a day of using iCloud, I turned off most of its features and reverted back to Google (exchange). Here's why:

I use Google services for the following, and everything "syncs" perfectly to my iPhone4:

• Gmail (set up thru exchange)
• Google Contacts
• Google Calendar

After iOS5 / iCloud upgrade, I noticed duplicate entries for everything on my iPhone as well as on my mac (iCal & mac address book). The obvious solution was to disable one of the two syncing services (iCloud or Google). I chose to disable iCloud and stick with Google. The only iCloud feature I left "on" is "Reminders" and "Find My iPhone". (Also, I turned "off" the "photo streaming" feature because the wife and I share the same Apple Account = disaster just waiting to happen !!)

I'm sure there are lots of Google users here and was hoping for some feedback. I definitely want to take advantage of iCloud and its offerings but for now, I just don't see the benefits of choosing it over Google. Having both features: iCloud and Google, seems to make things more complicated and cluttered rather than co-existing in harmony.

Am I wrong?

 

[BLiNK]

i think one of the the frustrating things is that, at the moment, there is no easy way to transfer contacts from Google to iCloud

i am like you. i have everything else synced with Google. i am just using iCloud for backups, Find My iPhone and dabble with the email. i have 6 others so do not really NEED it either

 

[alphasportstv]

You are not wrong. I am in the exact same position and frankly Google Apps is dramatically better IMO in that it provides way more functionality and a more robust business solution. And it's a proven solution.

At this stage iCloud is really just a cute consumer version of "cloud syncing": I use it only for "Find my Iphone". Cute, but redundant and as such, unnecessary when you've got a powerhouse like GA already in place.

 

[jayes]

I had the same exact question and so glad to read the above comments. I've been so confused about this function that I have actually NOT updated the software yet. My Google contacts and calendars sync so perfectly with my iphone 4 that it seemed like a case of "if it's not broke, why fix it!" Or in some cases, "why break it!"
Thanks for your feedback! It was very helpful.

 

[cardfan]

I'm with the OP.

Google sync offers much more. And there's no point in having duplicate contacts and whatever using icloud, not to mention an unneeded me.com email.

The best part of icloud is that it shares docs & data, reminders, and find my iphone. My ipad and iphone use same icloud account.

But...ideally, the OP and his wife should have separate icloud accounts. Use the same apple ID for apple store though. You don't want her data on your phone and vice versa. For example, if you play angry birds and complete a few levels, that info would go to her phone and affect her angry birds app. Or at least that's how i understand it could work.

 

[KashSystems]

You are not wrong. I am in the exact same position and frankly Google Apps is dramatically better IMO in that it provides way more functionality and a more robust business solution. And it's a proven solution.

At this stage iCloud is really just a cute consumer version of "cloud syncing": I use it only for "Find my Iphone". Cute, but redundant and as such, unnecessary when you've got a powerhouse like GA already in place.

Icloud allows you to

1. Photostream your last 1000 photos
2. Backup all your iphone data.
3. Allow you to have a pc free experience for your Iphone and Ipad
4. Store your itune purchases
5. Find your mac and iphone.
6. Backup and sync all your documents if you use pages, keynote, or numbers.

Gmail and Icloud does the email, contacts and calender.

If all you do is email, calender, and contacts, then gmail is perfectly fine, but if you want more features and an online backup of your iphone, use Icloud.

 

[alphasportstv]

Icloud allows you to

1. Photostream your last 1000 photos
2. Backup all your iphone data.
3. Allow you to have a pc free experience for your Iphone and Ipad
4. Store your itune purchases
5. Find your mac and iphone.
6. Backup and sync all your documents if you use pages, keynote, or numbers.

Gmail and Icloud does the email, contacts and calender.

If all you do is email, calender, and contacts, then gmail is perfectly fine, but if you want more features and an online backup of your iphone, use Icloud.

Gmail is one thing, Google Apps is another completely.

 

[KashSystems]

Gmail is one thing, Google Apps is another completely.

google apps syncs documents, pictures, and everything else I stated with the iphone? Otherwise whether it be gmail or google apps, the sync features are the same. And also a lot of google app features are in gmail.

 

[cardfan]

Icloud allows you to

1. Photostream your last 1000 photos
2. Backup all your iphone data.
3. Allow you to have a pc free experience for your Iphone and Ipad
4. Store your itune purchases
5. Find your mac and iphone.
6. Backup and sync all your documents if you use pages, keynote, or numbers.

Gmail and Icloud does the email, contacts and calender.

If all you do is email, calender, and contacts, then gmail is perfectly fine, but if you want more features and an online backup of your iphone, use Icloud.

I'm guessing he'll use both. But like many, won't use icloud for email, docs, or calendars.

What he's saying is that google sync is not just fine for that, it's far superior.

 

[imwjl]

I'm seeing iCloud as work in progress.

I don't see how I can have my own domain with it, nor do I like the Mac focus considering how much a Mac stinks for my life it doesn't have a Windows VM. Finally there's the "me" email address. Isn't a Mobile Me address a bit like being seen riding a moped or on a date with somebody who really needs to spend time at the gym?

 

[shinbone]

But...ideally, the OP and his wife should have separate icloud accounts. Use the same apple ID for apple store though. You don't want her data on your phone and vice versa. For example, if you play angry birds and complete a few levels, that info would go to her phone and affect her angry birds app. Or at least that's how i understand it could work.

Thanks for this suggestion. I think it would be a good idea to have separate iCloud accounts . . . but what's the best way to do this?

My scenario:
1. Wife and I are both on the same Apple ID
> We sync on same iTunes account on my Mac, share apps - don't have to buy same app twice etc...

2. I'll be purchasing an iPad soon and will set it up for my wife. If I set her iPad up using our shared Apple
ID, I could see some "bad" things happening, such as: my friend texts me some random stuff (ie: xxx
photos etc...) and with iMessage, I'm guessing that it will also show up on wife's iPad ?? (correct??)

If above scenarios are true, then having separate iCloud accounts is a must. But how do I have her on a separate iCloud account while keeping both of our phones on the same Apple ID?

 

[KashSystems]

Thanks for this suggestion. I think it would be a good idea to have separate iCloud accounts . . . but what's the best way to do this?

My scenario:
1. Wife and I are both on the same Apple ID
> We sync on same iTunes account on my Mac, share apps - don't have to buy same app twice etc...

2. I'll be purchasing an iPad soon and will set it up for my wife. If I set her iPad up using our shared Apple
ID, I could see some "bad" things happening, such as: my friend texts me some random stuff (ie: xxx
photos etc...) and with iMessage, I'm guessing that it will also show up on wife's iPad ?? (correct??)

If above scenarios are true, then having separate iCloud accounts is a must. But how do I have her on a separate iCloud account while keeping both of our phones on the same Apple ID?

You can have multiple icloud accounts on a device and pick and choose which features to sync based off each icloud address. For example you have your personal one and then one you and your wife use to share a calendar.

On Imessage you can use any email account to set it up, if you use two different emails then you will not share data.

 

[CG68]

Updated to iOS5 and liking most of the features so far . . . pretty nifty. However, after a day of using iCloud, I turned off most of its features and reverted back to Google (exchange). Here's why:

I use Google services for the following, and everything "syncs" perfectly to my iPhone4:

• Gmail (set up thru exchange)
• Google Contacts
• Google Calendar

After iOS5 / iCloud upgrade, I noticed duplicate entries for everything on my iPhone as well as on my mac (iCal & mac address book). The obvious solution was to disable one of the two syncing services (iCloud or Google). I chose to disable iCloud and stick with Google. The only iCloud feature I left "on" is "Reminders" and "Find My iPhone". (Also, I turned "off" the "photo streaming" feature because the wife and I share the same Apple Account = disaster just waiting to happen !!)

I'm sure there are lots of Google users here and was hoping for some feedback. I definitely want to take advantage of iCloud and its offerings but for now, I just don't see the benefits of choosing it over Google. Having both features: iCloud and Google, seems to make things more complicated and cluttered rather than co-existing in harmony.

Am I wrong?

I appreciate you starting this thread because I was thinking the same thing. I am a Google user (Gmail, contacts, calendar, etc...) going back a couple of years when the OG Droid came out and everything has always synced flawlessly on all my phones including my iPhone. So for now I will stick with Google with the exception of Photo Streaming and Find My iPhone.

 

[shinbone]

You can have multiple icloud accounts on a device and pick and choose which features to sync based off each icloud address. For example you have your personal one and then one you and your wife use to share a calendar.

On Imessage you can use any email account to set it up, if you use two different emails then you will not share data.

Thanks Kash . .

So would this scenario be correct / possible?:

On wife's iPhone, can I keep our shared Apple ID for app store and a different ID for iCloud/iMessage simultaneously on the same phone? Just by setting up a new Apple ID for iCloud/iMessage with a different email address?

 

[cardfan]

Under settings, you have 3 items with accounts. You can change these accounts to what you need them to be.

Imessage. Icloud. Apple store. Basically my wife and i each have an apple id that is our email address. Mine is used to purchase all apps. And we each have a me.com account that is our icloud account. Just separate it in your mind that me.com is icloud, ....and apple id is apple store and imessage. It'll make things easier to keep track. I think this is where the confusion lies.

If you don't want your current icloud account go to settings, icloud, you'll see a big delete account button at bottom. Delete and put what you want in..either an apple id or me.com id. This does not have to be your main Apple id that you use to buy apps on. I created a me.com account that i use. I turned off email, calendar, and contacts and use google sync for those. But i can always turn it on later if Apple makes it worthwhile.

Under apple store, put your main apple id that you've always used. Do this on every device to share purchases.

 

[KashSystems]

Thanks Kash . .

So would this scenario be correct / possible?:

On wife's iPhone, can I keep our shared Apple ID for app store and a different ID for iCloud/iMessage simultaneously on the same phone? Just by setting up a new Apple ID for iCloud/iMessage with a different email address?

Yes you could, you just have to input the new email address in the imessage settings.

Also when you setup the new email address for imessage, you will see your apple id as the default email address. After you verify the new email address, you can remove the old one that is based off your apple id.

 

[shinbone]

Under settings, you have 3 items with accounts. You can change these accounts to what you need them to be.

Imessage. Icloud. Apple store. Basically my wife and i each have an apple id that is our email address. Mine is used to purchase all apps. And we each have a me.com account that is our icloud account. Just separate it in your mind that me.com is icloud, ....and apple id is apple store and imessage. It'll make things easier to keep track. I think this is where the confusion lies.

If you don't want your current icloud account go to settings, icloud, you'll see a big delete account button at bottom. Delete and put what you want in..either an apple id or me.com id. This does not have to be your main Apple id that you use to buy apps on. I created a me.com account that i use. I turned off email, calendar, and contacts and use google sync for those. But i can always turn it on later if Apple makes it worthwhile.

Under apple store, put your main apple id that you've always used. Do this on every device to share purchases.

Cardfan, would this work?:

Can I create a new Apple ID for my wife using her existing email address (.aol account) and use that on her iphone for her iCloud and iMessage while leaving our currently shared Apple ID for her Store acct?

 

[shinbone]

Yes you could, you just have to input the new email address in the imessage settings.

Also when you setup the new email address for imessage, you will see your apple id as the default email address. After you verify the new email address, you can remove the old one that is based off your apple id.

Thanks! I think I was asking you another question while you posted this answer

 

[csal80]

Icloud allows you to

1. Photostream your last 1000 photos
2. Backup all your iphone data.
3. Allow you to have a pc free experience for your Iphone and Ipad
4. Store your itune purchases
5. Find your mac and iphone.
6. Backup and sync all your documents if you use pages, keynote, or numbers.

Gmail and Icloud does the email, contacts and calender.

If all you do is email, calender, and contacts, then gmail is perfectly fine, but if you want more features and an online backup of your iphone, use Icloud.

How do I set up google sync for contacts? There is no option in the settings to sync google contacts, just calendar and mail. Please help.

 

[jasonrn2000]

Cardfan, would this work?:

Can I create a new Apple ID for my wife using her existing email address (.aol account) and use that on her iphone for her iCloud and iMessage while leaving our currently shared Apple ID for her Store acct?

Yes. I just did this last night, as I am in the same situation. My wife and I use 1 PC, with 1 apple ID, and 2 iphones. I went into the icloud settings, and noticed my (our shared) apple ID was in her icloud settings. I hit the big red Delete button - it will only delete off the phone not the account entirely. I then went and created a new icloud account for her with a new me.com email.

One reason I want to switch from google calendars to icloud is that we share calendars. This has worked great with google, but we keep getting invites / notifications whenever the other changes or adds an appointment. I like this feature, but my wife does not. I turned it off in her google settings, but it still send notifications. Must be a bug

I tested with icloud last night and there is a notify toggle for icloud that behaves as it should.

Now Im learning how to transfer data to icloud.

Jason