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iOS backup to Time Capsule?


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iOS backup to Time Capsule?
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-03-07, 09:37

Does this exist? Any technical reason it couldn't?

With iOS introducing the "PC Free" angle to the iDevices (and allowing AirPort setup/administration from the device itself), I was wondering if there was a backup solution in place other than iCloud? Specifically one of Apple's own doing, as with the Mac to Time Capsule, where the user sets it up and runs it from their own home/network.



I think the default iCloud free storage is 5GB. But most people are going to have way more than than in just music or photos (I've got 16GB of music and 9GB in my iPhoto library, for example...and I don't even think those are large collections, compared to some others I know). I know it doesn't count against your purchased music, apps and books (and Photostream), but that won't apply to everyone.

And having just come off of .Mac/MobileMe, I think many aren't eager to start ponying up annual fees again for some Apple service that, once again, seems a bit more complex and "not quite there yet" than we thought it might be.



For someone rocking an iPad-only life, would it make sense for a way for their sole computer (iPad) to wirelessly backup to a Time Capsule?

I realize the existing Time Capsules, at 1-2TB, would be complete overkill for this use so that leads to the question: would an iOS version of Time Machine and a scaled-down, cheaper version of Time Capsule (a smaller, maybe flash-based device with, say, 64-128GB of storage) make sense in this increasingly iOS-friendly world?

You could bypass having to purchase more iCloud storage - and a separate computer to sync/back up to - and just have an in-house, integrated system that backs up just as your Mac currently does to Time Capsule, via Time Machine.

Is this a good idea? Why, or why not?

And, technically, is it doable? A year or two ago, we'd all say "no, because you back up your iPhone or iPad to iTunes and then it backs up to Time Capsule...plus you couldn't set all that up with just an iPhone or iPad...".

But, fast-forward to March 2012...none of that applies anymore.

What would keep that from coming to be? To me, it's the final missing link in someone adopting an iOS-only existence (assuming it fits/meets all their needs).

I've been wondering. This is the stuff I think about when I can't sleep...

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2012-03-07 at 10:41.
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chucker
 
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2012-03-07, 10:02

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Does this exist? Any technical reason it couldn't?
Sort of — you can backup to iTunes, which in turn can use Time Machine to backup to Time Capsule.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
With iOS introducing the "PC Free" angle to the iDevices (and allowing AirPort setup/administration from the device itself), I was wondering if there was a backup solution in place other than iCloud? Specifically one of Apple's own doing, as with the Mac to Time Capsule, where the user sets it up and runs it from their own home/network.
The pre-iCloud/pre-iOS 5 backups are still there, right in iTunes. (You can even do both.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
I think the default iCloud free storage is 5GB. But most people are going to have way more than than in just music or photos (I've got 16GB of music and 9GB in my iPhoto library, for example...and I don't even think those are large collections, compared to some others I know). I know it doesn't count against your purchased music, apps and books (and Photostream), but that won't apply to everyone.
Yeah. I thought 5 GB was a lot; then I started actually using my iPhone 4S and realized that making a few 1080p videos can fill that up way too fast.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
And having just come off of .Mac/MobileMe, I think many aren't eager to start ponying up annual fees again for some Apple service that, once again, seems a bit more complex and "not quite there yet" than we thought it might be.

Yes, though I have to say it's a lot more "there" than .mac and Mobile Me ever seemed to be.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
For someone rocking an iPad-only life, would it make sense for a way for their sole computer (iPad) to wirelessly backup to a Time Capsule?
No-can-do. Need iTunes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
I realize the existing Time Capsules, at 1-2TB, would be complete overkill for this use so that leads to the question: would an iOS version of Time Capsule and a scaled-down, cheaper version of Time Capsule (a smaller, maybe flash-based device with, say, 64-128GB of storage) make sense in this increasingly iOS-friendly world?

You could bypass having to purchase more iCloud storage and just have an in-house, integrated system that backs up just as your Mac currently does to Time Capsule, via Time Machine.

Is this a good idea? Why, or why not?
The closest you can do right now is buy a Mac mini with an external hard drive, put iTunes on it, and set up iTunes iOS backup and Time Machine.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
And, technically, is it doable? A year or two ago, we'd all say "no, because you back up your iPhone or iPad to iTunes and then it backs up to Time Capsule...plus you couldn't set all that up with just an iPhone or iPad...".

But, fast-forward to March 2012...none of that applies anymore.
It still applies, because iCloud is inherently non-local.

I'm not sure if Apple is interested in providing more options in this space.
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bassplayinMacFiend
Banging the Bottom End
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
 
2012-03-07, 10:31

The problem with your Mac mini setup is you need a computer to be on 24/7 in order to backup/restore data. I would put forward that a TC is much more energy efficient than a Mac mini, but who knows, I could be way off base here (goes to check specs).

[ETA]
Mac mini:
Maximum continuous power: 85W
Time Capsule
Maximum continuous power: 34W
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-03-07, 10:56

That's my whole point, really. I know iTunes is required, which means a full-on computer is required.

I'm talking about someone who can totally get by with just an iPad. No iTunes, no computer.

It would take a new iOS version of Time Machine (how hard could that be?) and a new piece of hardware designed for that smaller capacity.

I was just curious.

I think it would make a great companion, and fill-in piece, to what I believe will be a more common, accepted approach.

It's everything you have/get with your current Mac-to-Time Capsule setup...you're just replacing it with an iPad-to-iCapsule. But it's still valuable data being backed up, how the user wants.

It's seeking to remove the computer (and iTunes) completely from the chain. Apple themselves already kickstarted that with PC-free and iOS 5. This just takes it the rest of the way, for those who don't want to pay for extra iCloud storage or iTunes Match. Just a another version of AirPort/Time Capsule aimed at this particular market.

Or, if Apple determines that market isn't quite yet large enough to design new, dedicated wifi/backup hardware for, at least maybe create an iOS take on Time Machine and let one's iOS device(s) back up to existing Time Capsule hardware?

They're so close...for a year I asked for a way to set up AirPort from the iPhone or iPad. It came to be. I have to believe I have enough "initially goofy/ultimately sensible" ideas that I just need to be patient and wait for Apple to come around...



I'll make a small, additional prediction here: Apple is going to release an iPhoto-level type software today and it will pretty much fill the gap for those wishing "if I just had something as good as iPhoto for organizing and manipulating my photos...", and then, at some point, all the above is going to have to be considered.

Because I know about 10 people in my life right now who are either on old MacBooks or white iMacs, or shaky PCs, or, in the case of two, no computer at all. And none of them are "into computers" enough to need the full overhead/expense of another full-on computer...PC or Mac. All they do is surf, Facebook, e-mail, have a digital point-and-shoot and have small digital music collections (under 3-5GB).

They've got "iPad candidate" written all over them, but there's just a couple of pieces missing...
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bassplayinMacFiend
Banging the Bottom End
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
 
2012-03-07, 11:01

If iPhoto comes to the iPad and can somehow mesh with Photoshop iPad that would rule!
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-03-07, 15:37

More than ever I'm convinced this needs to happen. There is no reason a typical user couldn't have an iPad be their sole computer. There just needs to be a way for data/content backup that doesn't hinge on iCloud.

This little "iCapsule" I imagine is somewhere between an Express and Time Capsule in size. If it can use flash memory, it shouldn't have to be large at all. I'm thinking a white or silver tv-sized thing? There's your Wifi and your backup from your iOS device.

Your photos can now be stored, organized, edited and shared straight from the iPad (and iPhone). Every little nudge takes this closer to that.

Did you notice how often "post-PC" was used today? They mean it...
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chucker
 
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2012-03-07, 15:40

Quote:
Originally Posted by bassplayinMacFiend View Post
The problem with your Mac mini setup is you need a computer to be on 24/7 in order to backup/restore data.
I don't know if this particular setup would work, but an AirPort Express can wake up a Mac if need be. But, I don't know if that applies to iTunes Wi-Fi Sync.
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bassplayinMacFiend
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Join Date: Jun 2004
 
2012-03-07, 17:27

Quote:
Originally Posted by chucker View Post
I don't know if this particular setup would work, but an AirPort Express can wake up a Mac if need be. But, I don't know if that applies to iTunes Wi-Fi Sync.
Do you know if I set up my Time Capsule to be accessible from the internet and forward ports to a local Mac, will a call to that local port cause the Mac to wake up if it is asleep?
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chucker
 
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2012-03-07, 17:46

Quote:
Originally Posted by bassplayinMacFiend View Post
Do you know if I set up my Time Capsule to be accessible from the internet and forward ports to a local Mac, will a call to that local port cause the Mac to wake up if it is asleep?
I don't know if it works with any arbitrary service, but anything that supports Bonjour should do.
  quote
bassplayinMacFiend
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Join Date: Jun 2004
 
2012-03-08, 16:01

Quote:
Originally Posted by chucker View Post
I don't know if it works with any arbitrary service, but anything that supports Bonjour should do.
Cool! Thanks for the link.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-03-08, 16:34

Since this is going over like a poot in church, I submitted my idea to Apple. Let them chew on it...
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Wyatt
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Join Date: Mar 2005
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2012-03-09, 12:53

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Since this is going over like a poot in church, I submitted my idea to Apple. Let them chew on it...
I'd actually love to see this. Ideally, I think you'd have a device in your house (like a Time Capsule) that stores your entire iTunes library. It would auto-download everything you buy/download on a device, so that it's always there for you. Apps, music, movies, podcasts, *everything.*

Basically, an iTunes server for your house, without the overhead of a "full" computer. Plus, I'd want it to back up all my photos (not just recents, like photo stream) and videos.

I do think something like this is coming, maybe even this year. It would greatly simplify going PC-free. I could easily go PC-free at my house with something like this. Right now, though, we still need a computer to (at the very least) store all our photos.
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chucker
 
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2012-03-09, 12:57

I've been hoping for an iTunes Server for years.
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-03-09, 20:22

So I am onto something...
  quote
jamestrenda
 
 
2012-03-11, 03:01

I like this idea...I stumbled across this site while looking for a way to use my time capsule as my iTunes Match server, so I could stop paying for that. Since you can access your time capsule over the internet, I was hoping there might be some hack to do that, though I figured there wasn't since there is no way that I see to point to your network like that within the Music app's settings.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-04-18, 17:41

Just saw this at MacRumors.

While not exactly what I had in mind, it's close. And kinda cool that Apple is doing something in that area (allegedly).

If these are truly to be "post-PC" devices (and if most people have more than 5GB of music, photos, etc.), Apple should come to realize that augmenting iCloud with an iOS-friendly version of Time Machine/Time Capsule is the next logical step. IMO.
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rahhbriley
 
 
2012-08-04, 21:55

Im with you on this. Been following some of the discussion on this topic through stories and forums on MacRumors and 9to5 over the last 6 months or so as they occasionally pop up. I was searching for a jailbreak method to back up to a timecapsule, when I came across your thread. I agree with you there is a need in the "pc-free" age to have your iOS device back up to Timecapsule/Timemachine. It seems completely doable and realistically, apple could have something in the works. I don't think iCloud backups are the sole/finally answer to iOS backup methods. Security, physical location of backups, and space alone are good reasons. Let alone the software advantages on time machine backup and viewing methods.
Software updates could do what is needed and then as you've suggested if they could make a new piece of hardware, that'd be great. I think the new airport express, (look it up if you haven't seen it, looks like a white Apple TV!) would make a great design style for the housing. I think they could make a Timecapulse Express or something that does what you describe with the same other functions like USB sharing, router, headphone jack, etc. as an Airport Express.

I'm not sure what capacities would be best. Time machine works different than just backing it up. In osx you can go back in incremental steps to view different dates and times, yada yada. I'm sure most people here are familiar, I just think the point is important when speculating storage capacity of such a device. (which is part of what I think the OP really wanted to do in the first place? Nerd out and speculate cool awesome and yet plausible products from apple?) :)
The difference in how it backs up affects storage capacity, which for an iPad with 64gb, might need to be a fairly large amount?? Is such a contraption a solid state drive like the current iOS devices and apple tv? It would be quick, advantageous and make some since, but that much memory would be fairly pricy at the moment. But aren't traditional hard disks so 2007? I guess my thought process actually makes me start to question how small or cheap they would be? Hmmm? I guess a small step would be either a traditional iTunes like backup to a traditional Timecapsule. Or a software interface for accessing the iOS icloud backups in time increments like Timemachine in osx. but space would need to be cheaper and really would prefer to have my backups on my hardware in my home.

This all being said...I'm still confident in my search for a jailbreak method to do something similar, just wanted to through my two cents in the ring because I had wondered some of the similar things and hadn't hear too many other talking about it.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2013-10-05, 14:30

Apologies for the 18-month bump, but it's been...well, 18 months. And in that time we've had:

- iPhone 5 unveiling
- New iPod touch (2012)
- Fourth-generation iPad
- iPad mini
- iPhone 5s
- iPhone 5c

...and we're on the cusp of a new fifth-generation and updated Mac mini.

All that, in addition to the 900 bazillion iOS devices already sold and in use all around the world...

18 months and six, almost eight, separate, distinct product announcements/unveilings. This stuff isn't shrinking or going away, and I imagine Apple's in this for the long haul, regarding iOS.

And so I ask my original question - one that I've yet to get a satisfactory, reasonable answer on: if Apple themselves made a big deal about iOS finally going "PC-free", and all the iDevices are well into two years of being able to function and exist on their own, without a full-on computer to activate/set them up...how exactly would once go about migrating a nearly-full 32-64GB previous-generation iPad to a new fifth-generation model that we all know is coming soon (same goes for iPhones and iPod touch, if you happen to have only one of those as your sole digital/Internet device)?

As far as I know, Apple doesn't allow for a direct-connection between one's old iOS device and a new one (the way you can connect two Macs and use Migration Assistant).

Why not?

And they still haven't provided a product like I talk about in this thread...some sort of iOS-based Time Capsule (combo wifi unit/backup drive that you can use for migrating your existing music, photos and other settings to a new iOS device if you don't have a computer).

I know several people with iPads as their only device. A couple of them are coming up on two years, so I know, at some point, they're going to move up to a newer model.

And then going to contact me for help/advice when the time comes. And I don't know what to tell them, on how to go about it!

And the answer can't be a) "buy a computer" because that negates the entire damn point of PC Free and is automatically an expensive, needlessly complicated and point-missing solution, or b) "use the computer of a relative or friend to perform the operation". In addition to being a pain-in-the-butt that requires my involvement and time, some of these people don't live in my town, so we couldn't even set them up a user account on my iMac where they can borrow my Mac to "lifeboat" their data and restore to a new machine (and, frankly, I'm not looking to have that burden/responsibility, of having other people's data and content on my computer, and feeling like I'm somehow on the hook for its safekeeping or whatever).

So...you have an aging iPad. You have no standalone computer, Mac or PC. You've got hundreds of photos and videos, lots of apps and maybe 1,000 or more songs on your current iPad...how in the holy hell, with the previous paragraph in mind, do you take that 32GB+ of data (much larger than the modest 5GB iCloud storage one gets for free, which is no help in this matter) and put it onto their new, shiny iPad.



This still hasn't been solved or addressed, 18 months after I last talked about it (and with quite a few new iOS devices released in that timespan, creating even more of a need).

Don't don't theoretically, and don't assume these users have access to a reasonably savvy friend with a PC or Mac who can help them. They're just regular people with well over 10GB of content on their 16-32GB iPads (some over 20GB).

To me, Apple has two routes to pursue (or, even better, they could implement both):

1) The aforementioned iOS-friendly Time Capsule, where it's implemented via software update or tweaking to exist/be part of the current Time Capsule products, or a brand new, iOS-only standalone Time Capsule (iCapsule) built from the ground-up to back up/restore iOS devices in a computer-less environment (I prefer the later, as I think it would be cleaner and simpler to set up and use, plus the capacities wouldn't have to be nearly as high as you see in the OS X Time Capsules of 1-3TB). That's not necessary for iOS devices that currently top out at 128GB, and knowing most people probably just buy the 16-32GB models. So if Apple just offered a modest 256GB iCapsule, that's going to more than hold everyone's data for a long, long time. And, unlike the Mac, people probably don't need the ability to go back to previous states or versions of documents, so 256GB for iOS may itself be overkill. It might be designed to just do a "most recent only", once-version backup, and, therefore a 128GB versions is more than enough. Maybe offer two models...64GB for those with 16 or 32GB devices (for a little headroom/growing space) and a 128GB model for those with 32 or 64GB devices?

2) A simpler, and cheaper, solution would be to allow iOS devices to connect to one another via a two-headed Lightning cable, at which point you tell the new iOS device to set-up/restore from the connected older model you're replacing. This would be all part of that initial setup process, where you're asked if you have a current iPad or iPhone or whatever. If so, you're then prompted to connect the $19(?) cable and initiate the migration process.

Without Apple providing at least one of the two above options, buying a new iPad to replace your current one - when you don't have a Mac or PC in the mix - is going to be a royal pain in the balls. And I think we're on the cusp of this actually becoming an issue, with all these zillions of iPad 2 and 3 models coming up on their second and third years.

But nobody's addressing it.

And Apple has to be aware of the situation because they've got something like this in their own stores, as noted in my previous post above from April 2012...

It's still weird, 18 months on, that Apple provides the ability to purchase and own these devices without the need for a separate, standalone computer...but offers no solution or product to easily facilitate the replacement/upgrading to a newer model.

Again, am I the only person who finds this odd, and lacking?

Those of you who only have an iPad (if there are any here): tell me...how, exactly, are you going to go from your current second, third or fourth-generation model to one of these new ones in another month or so? I'd love to know.



NOTE: Here in the U.S., Apple currently charges $20/$40/$100 for 10/20/50GB iCloud backup plans. Nobody's going to do that. And even if they did (if the prices were dramatically lower), what if you're sitting on a nearly-full 64GB iPad (and thinking about going to a 128GB on the next go-around). 50GB backup isn't really going to help you.

This needs to be an in-home, hardware-based, user-controlled/monitored combo device (wifi router/wireless backup drive). Or, at the absolute least, the means to connect an old device to a new one and migrate your data and settings directly.

The fact that nobody's talking/writing about this - and Apple is dead silent and showing no movement in this area (besides implementing a version of it for their own stores and support staff) blows my mind.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2013-10-05 at 14:46.
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PB PM
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2013-10-05, 15:21

This is a real issue. Even moving from my iPhone 4 to the iPhone 5c I ran into a few issue. My apps were all backed up on iCloud, no issue there, or so I thought.

While restoring from iCloud I was told that some apps could not be restore because they were no longer available on the app store. Huh? What's the point of backing up to iCloud if you cannot restore everything that was on your previous device directly from the backup?
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SpecMode
Wait what
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: El Dorado County, California
 
2013-10-05, 15:52

iCloud backup only backs up app and media library metadata, not the apps and media themselves; otherwise, the backup set could quickly become unmanageably large. When you restore, the apps are reinstalled from the App Store as usual, except that their metadata is already present from the backup, so they'll be in the same state they were in when the backup was last completed.

Missing apps can be reinstalled on your next iTunes sync, assuming that they're still present in your iTunes library, and their data should still be there as well.

What annoys me most about iCloud backup is that passwords and stored network settings aren't included, nor does there seem to be an option to encrypt the backup to include them (as there is for local backups in iTunes).
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PB PM
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2013-10-05, 15:53

I know that. My post was to reinforce pscates point. If you are using an iPad or iPhone without a desktop (thus no iTunes backup is possible) you're up a creek.
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SpecMode
Wait what
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
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2013-10-05, 15:57

Whoops - missed the overall context there.

My complaint remains applicable, though.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2013-10-05, 16:00

Yep. It's going to start running into some real-world things like this, as the number of these devices increase, as some people opt to go iOS-only and as all these devices hit their 2-3 year birthday and their owners are looking at upgrading them.

As it stands right now, despite the whole "PC Free" feature and push, these devices aren't PC Free when it comes to upgrading/migrating to a new model, or setting a new one up in the even of loss or theft of your old one.

If you have 50GB+ of data, no standalone Mac or PC and your iPad is stolen or lost...you're kinda screwed.

And I wouldn't really mind all this so much if Apple themselves didn't make such a big damn deal about PC Free, making it one of the 10 key "show off" features for iOS 5 at that WWDC keynote. Remember? That got a huge applause and Forstall talked it up a bit. But it's not completely true, so it bugs me. Because it's really more like "kinda PC free, mostly...except for when you wanna get a new iPad and you need to get all your stuff from your old model onto the new one".

That ain't "PC free", not when a crucial, core function/task isn't easily performed without the thing you're saying you're eliminating.

Listen closely to Forstall's words in that first minute or so...

With my first option above, at least you'd have the ability to restore all your stuff back the way you had it, PC Free, should your device get stolen or lost. You buy a new one, come home, boot it up and begin the setup process and one of the options you're presented with is "set this machine up using the most recent backup" (which would've been that previous evening or even that morning).

Easy.

Hell, even if you just have 15-20GB data (which I think is completely realistic and reasonable to imagine...a couple thousand songs, a few hundred or thousand pics, a bunch of artwork or other projects), most people aren't going to want a yearly iCloud backup fee. They want their stuff there at home, even if it's a one-time, upfront price of $199-299 (which I'd gladly pay if my only devices were an iPhone and/or iPad...if that meant I could chuck the full-on computer when an iPad filled all my needs, that's worth $300 or so, sure, for seamless, automatic, at-home backup (and knowing that if something lousy happened to your device, once you buy a new replacement model, you're a few clicks away from getting it all back.

Apple's kinda ignoring reality and dropping the ball a bit here, IMO.

This is the week I bitch about Apple, apparently...I don't think I've had so many things to hammer them for as I have this past week. But I'm in constant support/help scenarios some weeks, and so some of this stuff just hits home a little harder than other times.


Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2013-10-05 at 16:25.
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PB PM
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2013-10-05, 16:08

One solution is to use a home server to provide most of your data, only keeping core information on the device, that can be restored from iCloud. There are already several brands of home servers that do just this, and work with iOS and Android devices. You could then use a VPN to access information needed when away from home.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2013-10-05, 16:09

Quote:
Originally Posted by SpecMode View Post
Whoops - missed the overall context there.
Yeah, iTunes - and syncing/backing up to a separate, standalone computer - isn't part of all this. That's why it's tricky, and why I'm bringing this all up. Nobody has a solution...because it doesn't exist!

Apple has made PC Free about 94% PC Free. But that remaining 6% is kinda important...



It's odd, huh? Everyone knows, and agrees, it's an issue. But Apple, short of that thing they've got in their stores, seems completely unaware or unconcerned.

If I could run into Phil Schiller or someone like that - and I only have one question/five minutes - the above is the only thing I'd ask. I don't give a rip about what new MacBooks are going to look like, or blah blah. We'll learn all that stuff in time. But the above is actual, real-world stuff...I'd love to share my concerns/thoughts, and then hear why (or if) they're working on something to directly address it.

Right now my one hope I'm hanging on is that new iPads are around the corner. The time for something like this to happen would be at that press event, if it's going to happen at all in 2013. So my fingers are crossed that maybe, just maybe, Apple's a) been using that setup at their stores as an 18-month test/pilot program, or b) that maybe they read my suggestion from nearly two years ago and said "this dork has a point...we need to get some folks on this!"

So we'll see.

If the new iPad event comes and goes with nothing like the above being addressed, I'm going to be truly baffled. And I still won't know what to tell these people I know...

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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2013-10-05, 16:13

Quote:
Originally Posted by PB PM View Post
One solution is to use a home server to provide most of your data, only keeping core information on the device, that can be restored from iCloud. There are already several brands of home servers that do just this, and work with iOS and Android devices.
I truly believe it needs to be a slick, seamless and idiot-proof Apple-based solution. Ground up for iOS, meant for that market/user. No decisions, effort or deep knowledge required by the user beyond the initial basic setup. It's been my experience that third-party stuff is always 2-3x more complex than it needs to be (Apple has spoiled me over the years...I can't deal with the idiocy and complexity of some of this shit I see out there...I set up a Netgear router a while back and I thought I was going to put a gun in my mouth). And I'm somewhat savvy (or at least able to read a manual and usually figure things out).

But it'll do me no good at all to foist some third-party device/solution on these folks I know - who know next-to-nothing about stuff like this - and expect it to go smoothly. Because it won't. And my goal, moving forward, is to hear less from all these people.



No, this is Apple's doing and shortsightedness...they need to be the ones to address it and provide the easy, obvious solution with something no more complex than the existing Time Machine/Time Capsule (or Migration Assistant). They'll better support it all via updates, and keep it working nice with the latest iOS versions, etc. I don't trust third-party outfits to be on the ball with that stuff as quickly.

Apple isn't perfect (obviously...I've made that case this week ), but they've rarely held me completely over a barrel like some other outfits I can name, in terms of fixing flaky software and keeping their stuff running smoothly and reliably on the latest OS and system updates.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2013-10-05 at 16:39.
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PB PM
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2013-10-05, 16:26

I agree completely. I was simply stating there are solutions, not that they are great ones.
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psmith2.0
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Join Date: May 2004
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2013-10-05, 16:41

I understand. If I had more patience - and the users I had in mind were more savvy and self-reliant on this stuff - I'd gladly consider such approaches.

All I can do now is just wait and see what might happen at this upcoming iPad media event. That would solve such a real-world situation...

And I'd feel SO much better about recommending iPads to people (vs. a full-on computer, Mac or PC). My Mom's great aunt who lives in Washington...she's an older lady, but loves the iPad I set up for her when she visited here in 2011. But if she wanted a newer model (or a the smaller, lighter mini), I'd honestly just have to tell her to go to the Seattle area Apple Store (she's looking at about a two-hour drive, each way).

I couldn't do anything for her from here, her not having a standalone computer. And I'm afraid that phone call/email is going to come before the end of 2013...



She's about to become a real-life test case in just how badly such a solution is needed.

Because I could easily walk her through a migration/upgrade procedure, if such a product/solution existed.
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Kickaha
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Join Date: May 2004
 
2013-10-06, 23:31

Where in WA, 2 hrs from Bellevue (where the main Seattle-area store is), if you don't mind me asking?
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Eugene
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
 
2013-10-07, 02:35

You can definitely send WoL to work plainly over TCP with no magic involved, but would you want to? I don't know.

I just don't think this *needs* to happen because Apple is clearly pushing iOS users toward iCloud backup.
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