Laugh if you like, but I am super excited for Apple’s new iCloud, (read about it here) not just because I don’t trust hard drives as storage mediums (and I don’t) but because of it’s potential to change the way people use apps.

Apple has given developers a sandbox style environment to store backup files from apps. The backup actually has 4 APIs that connect apps to iCloud:

• Regular files
• Packages (a collection of files representing a document)
• Shoeboxes (a large quantity of indexed files, like iPhoto’s library)
• Preferences

As pointed out by Paul Miller of ThisIsMyNext.com, Apple has given 3^rd party developers the same functionality with iCloud as they give themselves native osX and iOS apps.

Are you starting to get excited yet? Consider the applications – iCloud links iPads, iPhones and Apple computers together (Macbook Pro, Macbook Air etc.,).  The low hanging fruit would be things like saving documents and the position you have read to on Twitter across all documents, but real innovation can happen here, too.

Consider the mobile user on holiday. For arguments sake, lets say their hotel has free WiFi, (if they’re in Australia, PROBABLY NOT) and they left the Macbook at home in favor of the more portable iPad and iPhone combo- something I personally do.  Doing anything complicated on an iPhone is a passable experience if there are no other options, but typing, booking and planning a day out is much easier on an iPad.

If a developer released and app for both iPad, iPhone and took advantage of iCloud, they could sync bookings, travel guides and important documentation from one platform to the other. This would save the user the trouble of emailing info to themselves or having to do the entire process on an iPhone.

Of course, this is just the first example I could think of, there are any number of possibilities for iCloud backup.

Share