Greetings from sunny Southwest Florida! I just joined so please forgive any misplaced posts. I need to ask someone for advice on whether I will need a Computer (laptop or desktop) once the iCloud is available. Thanks for any help. Looks like a great site. Jim Mac

Thanks. Sorry for the typo. I meant 'computer'....not 'commuter'. I'm considering upgrading to the iPad3 and the iPhone5 when they come out and don't want to spend the money on a laptop if I won't need one. Thanks for the advice. Jim

Originally Posted by tvjimmac

Greetings from sunny Southwest Florida! I just joined so please forgive any misplaced posts. I need to ask someone for advice on whether I will need a Computer (laptop or desktop) once the iCloud is available. Thanks for any help. Looks like a great site. Jim Mac

Welcome to the forum! There are a lot of great people here willing to lend a hand anytime. Often using the search feature (in the toolbar at the top of every page) will lead you to the answers you're looking for. If not, feel free to post a question in the appropriate area.

Please take a moment to view the information linked below my signature to get the most out of your iPad as well as our forum.

BTW, I moved your post to the iPad General Discussion area where you're likely to get a better response to your question.

Welcome again and enjoy!

Normally, things like music, photos, movies, spreadsheets and other documents are stored in the on-board memory of a device.. Usually the storage medium is a hard drive.. The iPad and iPhone use flash memory.. The iCloud will let you store those things out on the internet rather than internally. Nothing else will change.

I'm not sure why you think this will eliminate the need to own a computer....

I was pondering the same question about icloud. I have an iPad 2 and iPhone. I use dropbox alot, but it's limited for space. My only issue is that when I go on holiday there is no internet. I've looked at either Airstash or Kingston W-drive.
Will wait for icloud and see.

With iOS 5, the need to use a computer to sync with your iTunes account will not be needed. Technically, with the changes that will be out before the iPad 3 debuts, it will be more viable to eliminate a computer for many. Whether it is practical, is a different story. Unless all your media content comes from iTunes, you will be limited in what you can download. Some processes are just more easy to complete with device that will accept USB or DVD downloads. My suggestion would be to try going the iPad 3 route, but anticipate buying a basic laptop within a year after that. Even if you decide you do not need the laptop, you will have the money for other things.

Originally Posted by tvjimmac

Greetings from sunny Southwest Florida! I just joined so please forgive any misplaced posts. I need to ask someone for advice on whether I will need a Computer (laptop or desktop) once the iCloud is available. Thanks for any help. Looks like a great site. Jim Mac

It's going to depend on what you do with the iPad. For some people, maybe even most, it will be easy to use the iPad without a computer. Others may find they need a computer for one reason or another.

The wisest thing to do to is wait and see. It should only take a month or so after iOS 5 and iCloud are out before there will be enough information for you to make an informed choice.

Or you can jump right in and live the adventure.

Jim,

Just in case it isn't clear from the posts above, your question can be interpreted in either of two ways.

() No, you won't need a computer to manage your iPad via iTunes with iOS 5.

OR...

() You may well need a computer for tasks that are difficult to accomplish on the iPad alone. iCloud will provide some off-site storage but it's not at all clear that the "free" storage (5 gigabytes) will be sufficient for everyone's needs or that any content can be stored there. (Read Apple's description of iCloud and you'll notice that you can store "purchased" music, for example, without impacting your limit. But I have about 12 gigabytes of music that was not "purchased" via iTunes on my iPad.)

Icloud is one kind of storage but not share any online information or surfing available.
So the icloud would be just as an Hdd drive or others,while a laptop or some kind of pc can be much more functional and useful.
While since the ios 5 on ipad were not released by now,no one would make sure that the pc is still needed with the ipad you have got..
The best way by now should be waitting for the arrival of new ios5.
Good day..

For millions of iPad and iPhone users, iOS5 and iCloud will eliminate the need to have a Mac or a PC available since you will no longer need to connect to a computer in order to initialize your device, load music or sync pictures and videos.

Will it remove the need to own a computer entirely? It depends on what you use a computer for.

The iPad has already eliminated more than 80% of my own computer use - and I'm a computer professional... I do use my iPad with a keyboard about 50% of the time, which means I'm as efficient answering emails and other online tasks as I would be on a classic laptop.

There are still some things that require me to use a computer - such as iPad development - that I don't see changing any time soon.

-t