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What is Cloud?

RNkitKat

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New iPad user here... Found out the hard way that I can't make folders on Pages... Everyone keeps talking about "Cloud"... Anyone care to explain to a noob?

Sent from my iPad using iPF
 

richsadams

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New iPad user here... Found out the hard way that I can't make folders on Pages... Everyone keeps talking about "Cloud"... Anyone care to explain to a noob?

Sent from my iPad using iPF

Welcome to the forum! "Cloud" is just another word for storage. Think of it as an external hard drive in the sky. In this case it means storing your files or copies of your files on someone else's hard drive or "server". So when you save or retrieve files from "the cloud" it just means that instead of accessing them from your iPad or a computer's hard drive, etc., you're getting them from the "air" or "cloud". By doing so you're no longer limited by the finite storage capacity of your device (iPad, smart phone, computer); you potentially have unlimited storage capacity. The only caveat is that you have to have WiFi or 3G access in order to save or retrieve files that are stored that way.

There are a lot of companies offering "cloud storage". An excellent service that I've used for a few years and many others here are as well is called "DropBox". They offer 2GB of storage for free. You can create folders, store and retrieve files from DropBox on your iPad (again, providing you have WiFi or 3G access). You can also sync DropBox between your iPad, a computer, smart phone, etc. so you all of the files you have in "the cloud" are available to all of your devices. DropBox also offers the option of allowing others to access files you'd like to share.

Apple also offers Mobile Me, a similar way to save and sync files. I use Mobile Me to sync iCal and Contacts for all of my computers, my iPad and my iPhone. I can also store and/or share documents, photos, music and more. It works quite well. Right now you can get a 60 day trial of Mobile Me for free. In the next month or so Apple is expected to expand Mobile Me to a service called, appropriately enough, "iCloud". Conjecture is that they will offer expansive storage for all of your music and videos and allow access to all of it 24/7 from any computer anywhere in the world. The announcement about it is expected at the Apple WWDC held early next month.

More on the "cloud" here:

Cloud storage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm sure others will chime in but that's about it in a (big) nutshell.

Enjoy your new iPad!
 
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wipednwired

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Cloud is the new way of saying "I'm going to store that online instead of on my computer's hard drive." if you use gmail, you're already using the cloud.
 

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