When those who follow these sorts of things address of Apple and its strengths and weakness , the S and Ws often break down along these lines — strong point : Just about everything ; weakness : The Web .
Though some may argue with the first , very few will deal that Apple ’s done a bang - up line on the latter . Apple ’s history in Internet Service not concerned with clicking a button to grease one’s palms something has been litter with loser and half - hearted forays — eWorld , iWork.com , Ping , iWeb , and iTools/.Mac / MobileMe . And the imperfect results of these efforts have led some to claim that Apple “ does n’t get ” the connection . And while that may be true , I reckon it ’s also true that Apple has n’t had a compelling want to .
Setting aside eWorld , which launched during the gloomy daylight when Apple could n’t voyage its way across a crowded elbow room , much less an Internet service , these other service were largely convenience lineament — the “ would n’t it be nice ” add - ons that could make a user ’s life a minuscule prosperous . A chip of Internet storage here , some light social networking there , and a place to publish your movies and pictures over thataway . But they ’ve just been a keen success . Google Docs is beneficial than iWork.com for collaborative oeuvre . Ping is too modified and clumsy . iWeb was a overnice idea but Apple did n’t nurture it . And MobileMe is a disjointed hodgepodge of services that do n’t tell a cohesive tale .
But with however - many - umteen trillion in the bank and an stupefying streak of successes , Apple has n’t really had to concern about its vane strategy . I conceive those daytime are coming to an end . And for two reasons : Syncing and medium .
Syncing , in its current nation , is a mess . And it ’s a raft that Apple ca n’t afford to ignore . If we ’re increasingly go to post around these extension of our electronic life in the form of iOS devices , the fodder for those twist — the files and data we live by — must be light to synchronize and move around , without the need for wires . ( And I intend Mom - and - Dad Easy , not Your - distinctive - Geek Easy . )
Additionally , we call for a social organisation that earmark the synchronizing of the vast majority of our files — not just striking , calendars , notes , and bookmarker , but also word processing , presentation , spreadsheet , and art data file . If there ’s truly “ an app for that , ” that app needs seamless wireless two - way synchronizing with a compatible computer - based app . Throw in a Web - based app for collaboration , and you ’ve got something dear still .
And then there ’s media and the want for wires . Apple ’s cognizant of the medium I ’ve purchased and lease from the iTunes Store . Should I really have to attach a cable from my iPhone to my Mac so as to move some of that media between the two ? Would n’t it be far simpler if , while connected to Wi - Fi , I launch the iPod app , saw a list of all my purchased media , and then knock a birdcall or video to have it stream to my iPhone ?
All this leads to iCloud , Apple ’s rumored Web enterprisingness . What might iCloud bring to make the critics smack their heads , realizing that rather than being pure tone - deaf to the Web , Apple was simply waiting for the opportune minute to show how it should really be done ? allow me take a crack at it .
Intelligent syncing : Currently , on your Mac , you’re able to muck up around with syncing in the MobileMe system preference , in iTunes , in iCal , and in Address Book . On iOS devices , you ascertain synchronize options in the Mail , Contacts , Calendars domain . total Google sync and you ’re looking at yet another sticky layer . Enough already .
Turning to the future , when you put up a newfangled iOS gadget or set up the next adaptation of the Mac type O , you see a single “ Choose the content you ’d like to synchronize ” selection . Tick off such options as Contacts , Calendars , Bookmarks , and iWork documents , and the appropriate particular are synced to iCloud . Through a little checksum magic trick and intelligent sleuthing , iCloud recognizes duplication and either deletes them , conflate them ( in the case of contacts ) , or bring home the bacon approach to multiple representative using a Lion - comparable Versions have . Your Apple ID identifies you , and iCloud takes upkeep of the housekeeping so that disregarding of how you access your data — iOS gadget , Website , or calculator — you see the same material .
For extra security measures , equip iCloud with a Time Machine - similar interface so that you could stray back through time to recover data that has been overwrite , interpolate , or replaced . And while you ’re focusing on extras , sky in an “ I have a Google business relationship ” selection that also syncs your data point with that service .
quislingism : One of Apple ’s greatest talents is taking flawed engineering and do it cracking . Much as many people find Google Docs useful , I ’m going to lump it in with chunky technology . The interface is anything but attractive , it ’s not mom - and - pop well-disposed , and it can be mix up when multiple people are banging aside on the same written document .
Apple could do this better by making an iWork suite that ’s iCloud - favorable . Open a Pages physician on your Mac or iPad , and invite two other people to work on it with you . Those citizenry could be work on their Macs , the vane , or their iPad , and the look of the lotion they ’re using would be almost identical . When you require to communicate via something other than text , call up a television windowpane where you’re able to see and talk to each other . ( Let ’s call it FaceTime with a occupation knack . )
A mien : At the risk of urge on Apple in a futile seek to vie with Facebook , it would be nice if iCloud provided you with a unify connection presence — one where you’re able to post pictures , moving-picture show , personal update , blogs , podcasts ; plowshare documents ; and do a small social networking . The company has made try with iTools , .Mac ’s HomePage , iWeb , and MobileMe galleries , but none were easy or sodding enough . At the very least Apple could create a presence for you that ’s more attractive and less invasive than Facebook ’s and , at best , a compelling windowpane to all aspects of your life story — work as well as play .
All media , all the sentence : I ’ve pretty well key the first part of the ambition — make buy media useable for cyclosis . To expand on that dream , do so without require that substance abuser upload their media to a server . Put a system in position that verifies you ’ve actually purchased the stuff and then simply stream the content that ’s been verified . The media companies are in all probability uncongenial to such an idea , but Apple has some muscle in that worldly concern .
alas you ca n’t exsert that aspiration to includeallthe media you have , because Apple has no way of turn up that you lawfully own it . But suppose you take possession out of the equation . For a sane monthly fee , make everything in the iTunes Store streamable . Even make it portable by allowing downloads ( which , naturally , expire if you contain paying ) . Yes , it ’s that dirty intelligence — Subscription — but it need n’t be a requirement but rather a concierge service available to those who bump such a matter attractive .
This is as far as I ’m managed to deposit my head into the swarm . If you had the power to make Apple ’s on-line effort in truth utilitarian , what would you do ?
[ Christopher Breen is a senior editor for Macworld . ]
