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"Sync is essentially Google's answer to Apple's iCloud." This may be a nitpick, but Sync was originally a Firefox extension that Google released in 2007, befor

by codeka 14y ago

"Sync is essentially Google's answer to Apple's iCloud." This may be a nitpick, but Sync was originally a Firefox extension that Google released in 2007, before the iPhone was even released.

josteink 14y ago
Good nitpick. Fully agreed. Apple was the late-comer to this game trying to come up with an answer to Google and Android's seamless sync capabilities. I'm saying "trying" because from the feedback I've seen online, iCloud is seriously suffering in usability because of Apple's design-decision that iOS shouldn't "have files". Before 2011, before iCloud, Apple's best sync offer was to take your device, hook it up to a machine via USB and install iTunes on it, and then wait. Wait while your device was in a locked, non-usable state, with no ETA. In 2011, Apple told you to get your cables out. And people claiming Google was the one responding. That's absurd. But it seems people are good at forgetting stuff like this. Stuff which made me and several others permanently leave Apple's platform. Apple is the one who fell behind, Apple was the one trying to catch up, Apple is still the one needing to catch up. The article framing it the other way around is disingenuous. If people stopped giving Apple credit for shit they didn't do nor invent, maybe people would realize there are better options out there, at a much cheaper price.
- zuppy 14y ago
  Have you ever used iCloud? It just takes a username and a password and you can replicate anything from an iPhone to another (minus some passwords that may not be all saved in iCloud). I don't know what's not working, I had no issue with it.
  - josteink 14y ago
    My impression was that iCloud is OK at getting things from your iPhone elsewhere (like other iPhones), but it doesn't in any way solve the issue of creating a document "in the cloud" (or on your laptop or whatever) and getting access to it on your mobile device. Here is one of the places where iCloud goes tits up. And that's before you bring up the confusion caused by iTunes backup + iCloud, for which there has been numerous reports here and other places, leading to complete data-loss. On the flip side, Google has this nailed. Apple is still trying to get it right, and failing. With "iCloud not working" having over 21 million hits on Google. I think saying the user-experience is lacking is putting it lightly. Google is light-years ahead here.
    - rimantas 14y ago
      Really, don't talk about user experience without having any.
      - josteink 14y ago
        Fair enough, but in my defence, I was pretty clear about that this was my impression based on information obtained elsewhere. Still. I don't think there can be any doubt about the main point's validity: Apple was the USB company. They are still trying to find their way out of there. They are responding to Google, not the other way around.
  - simonh 14y ago
    Agreed, as a straightforward sync service for things like bookmarks, preferences, photos, etc it's fine. As a competitor to Google sync it's top notch. The fact that my iPhone photos just show up in iPhoto on the Mac automatically is great. Where it hits limitations is for more complex apps where you want to share more complex content in apps with other apps or other people. It supports specific work flows that Apple has hard-coded into it, but it's hard or impossible to impose your own workflow on it. But then that's no different from other basic sync service like Google Sync, instant upload, etc. As a competitor to them it's fine, but as a competitor to Dropbox it's got a long way to go.
- rimantas 14y ago
  > If people stopped giving Apple credit for shit they > didn't do nor invent, How about people not rushing to voice their opinion about something they only saw feedback online?

by codeka 14y ago

"Sync is essentially Google's answer to Apple's iCloud." This may be a nitpick, but Sync was originally a Firefox extension that Google released in 2007, before the iPhone was even released.

josteink 14y ago

Good nitpick. Fully agreed. Apple was the late-comer to this game trying to come up with an answer to Google and Android's seamless sync capabilities. I'm saying "trying" because from the feedback I've seen online, iCloud is seriously suffering in usability because of Apple's design-decision that iOS shouldn't "have files". Before 2011, before iCloud, Apple's best sync offer was to take your device, hook it up to a machine via USB and install iTunes on it, and then wait. Wait while your device was in a locked, non-usable state, with no ETA. In 2011, Apple told you to get your cables out. And people claiming Google was the one responding. That's absurd. But it seems people are good at forgetting stuff like this. Stuff which made me and several others permanently leave Apple's platform. Apple is the one who fell behind, Apple was the one trying to catch up, Apple is still the one needing to catch up. The article framing it the other way around is disingenuous. If people stopped giving Apple credit for shit they didn't do nor invent, maybe people would realize there are better options out there, at a much cheaper price.

zuppy 14y ago
Have you ever used iCloud? It just takes a username and a password and you can replicate anything from an iPhone to another (minus some passwords that may not be all saved in iCloud). I don't know what's not working, I had no issue with it.
- josteink 14y ago
  My impression was that iCloud is OK at getting things from your iPhone elsewhere (like other iPhones), but it doesn't in any way solve the issue of creating a document "in the cloud" (or on your laptop or whatever) and getting access to it on your mobile device. Here is one of the places where iCloud goes tits up. And that's before you bring up the confusion caused by iTunes backup + iCloud, for which there has been numerous reports here and other places, leading to complete data-loss. On the flip side, Google has this nailed. Apple is still trying to get it right, and failing. With "iCloud not working" having over 21 million hits on Google. I think saying the user-experience is lacking is putting it lightly. Google is light-years ahead here.
  - rimantas 14y ago
    Really, don't talk about user experience without having any.
    - josteink 14y ago
      Fair enough, but in my defence, I was pretty clear about that this was my impression based on information obtained elsewhere. Still. I don't think there can be any doubt about the main point's validity: Apple was the USB company. They are still trying to find their way out of there. They are responding to Google, not the other way around.
- simonh 14y ago
  Agreed, as a straightforward sync service for things like bookmarks, preferences, photos, etc it's fine. As a competitor to Google sync it's top notch. The fact that my iPhone photos just show up in iPhoto on the Mac automatically is great. Where it hits limitations is for more complex apps where you want to share more complex content in apps with other apps or other people. It supports specific work flows that Apple has hard-coded into it, but it's hard or impossible to impose your own workflow on it. But then that's no different from other basic sync service like Google Sync, instant upload, etc. As a competitor to them it's fine, but as a competitor to Dropbox it's got a long way to go.
rimantas 14y ago
> If people stopped giving Apple credit for shit they > didn't do nor invent, How about people not rushing to voice their opinion about something they only saw feedback online?