icloud??

I'm sure there are many explanations online.

Yes, there are probably many explanations online. Google (Android) has something similar called Google Drive. The iThings and Android devices are very pushy in insisting you store stuff in their respective "clouds." Call me crazy but I don't trust them - I don't back anything up in a "cloud" or store anything there. I store and back everything up locally. Some celebrities have recently learned this lesson, too.

Horsedoc wrote:
As simple as you can, would someone tell me what icloud is and why I have it or should have it? I have this iphone and I keep getting these messages about an icloud upgrades or something and I don't even know if I have it or what it is

basically, any referernce to a 'cloud' means a remotely located server. when you back-up to or purchase storage in a 'cloud' you are using that company's storage. those servers could literally be anywhere on the planet. I don't particularly like cloud storage as I don't trust the purveyors to take better care of my data than I can. but it is convenient especially for those of us who are on the road for weeks or months at a time.

There are lots of "clouds." They are and can be anywhere...USA, India, Czechoslovakia...Basically just a Tupper Ware container to store your stuff.

"Cloud" allows you to store your data off site and not on your device . this means you have more space on the device , you can access it from anywhere on the planet as long as you have Internet access. It also means your data , photos etc , are backed up and can be recovered. I've found many who hate the privacy issues and don't use cloud solutions don't use anything else ! and lose all there stuff when their device does ( they all will ) fail. The cloud allows set and forget back up
Most of the security issues are caused by people using simple passwords like celebrities using their dogs name .. Really? I'm sure nobody knows that!
Your welcome to most of my photos ( boring to outsiders ) music etc I don't keep credit info unencripted ( your in more danger handing your card to the waiter than storing on the web )
Do you need it ? No . should you use it ? Probably . it was designed for those who want a simple acces to their stuff ... No matter what.

As best I can tell, the term "cloud" is just a terms used for "offsite storage" that can be accessed from any other computer with internet access provided that the other computer is savvy to the password. I use one for photos that I want to share with friends and family. That's about all I see it useful for. I have my own "cloud" in the form of an external harddrive or two that I use for my essential backups etc. Harddrives are inexpensive today compared to years ago.

We use it. Consider it to be insurance from the loss of all your pictures. Yes you can back them up on the PC but you can set it to back up on the cloud when connected to WIFI. Unless you have pictures of something illegal, I'm not sure why you wouldn't use it since it is free.

As others have pointed out, iCloud is just Apple's version of cloud storage like many other companies offer. If you stay with a major company, you are relatively safe that your data is backed up and secure. Google, Dropbox, etc. are other examples of companies whose very existence would be threatened if they fail to provide reliable and secure services.

There are some givens that apply:

• Hard drives can and do fail
• You will sometimes fail to do regular backups
• Fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, burglaries, etc. do happen

Cloud storage protects you from all the above. And, one of the major advantages of cloud storage is that you are freed from being tied to one device. Using cloud storage allows access to email, documents, photos, etc. from a PC, smart phone, tablet, etc. seamlessly.

And cloud storage is here to stay. Use it or not, but you will be missing a major advance in data management without it.

And, as someone also pointed out, giving your credit card to any clerk or waitress/waiter is a bigger risk then you take with knowledgeable use of the Internet.

If you click on a link to a known company in an email that is faked to look like UPS, FedEx or any company but that is in fact a hacker, your regularly backed up data on your own PC is up for grabs.

Cloud storage is convenient, just don't make it your sole source for backup.

One of the big pluses that became available as computers got smaller and easier to manage is that you had close access to all your data. You no longer had to rely on remote servers to hold your data and you no longer had to worry when you could not, for some reason, access those servers. Now they're trying to get us back to using terminals and servers. It can be handy, but rarely necessary.

As camperforlife noted-use it when hooked up to wifi. If you are on a limited data plan, pics can use quite a bit of data. At least that is what I think caused our jump in data usage...