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“iCloud Backup”

marco.org

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Re: “iCloud Backup”

#51

Post by alex_marchant »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #30

People with no technical experience using modern technology, sometimes I explain this to folks as the "Chutes and Ladders" problem. You set the problem up like this, person comes to you and wants to buy lunch. You put down a "Chutes and Ladders" game (minimum age 3) and you say sure as soon as your piece wins. Now wait and watch them. If they do anything that isn't in the rules you play a loud buzzing sound and scold…

I tried to use my parents' cordless home phone the other day, and felt like the tables were turned. I couldn't even figure out how to hang up.

Re: “iCloud Backup”

#52

Post by codelust »

While Marco has written specifically about iCloud and the iPad, what he describes is not limited to just everything Apple. My father recently turned 70 and he has a PC at home which is used for listening to music, browsing and a lot of CAD. He started using computers much before I did, but he did not grow up with them and still finds it hard to deal with GUIs. It has always baffled me as to how someone who was excellent at using the CLI can struggle so much with what is meant to be easier. I am talking about ease, not efficiency.

And it is not that he's not a sharp cookie anymore. He runs the household, still consults on his civil engineering projects, tinkers frequently with various things electronic/electrical, but GUIs stump him and his predicament has only gotten worse with the newer iterations of operating systems. For my generation, who grew up with the modern computing paradigms, this is unfathomable, but it is a real problem too, one with no real solution.

I have found my eventual solution in doing Teamviewer sessions for most problems. It is heartbreaking to make aged parents feel incompetent because they can't seem to grasp easily the same concepts we can grasp without even half a thought.

Re: “iCloud Backup”

#53

Post by chrisbolt »

kylec wrote: post #20

Last friday a co-worker managed to snag one of the new iPhone 5s from an AT&T store and wanted to transfer everything from his old iPhone 3GS to it. He had not been syncing his 3GS to any computer, so I thought it would be a simple matter to set it up to sync with iTunes on his work computer, have it make a backup, then restore that backup onto the iPhone 5. Unfortunately, this is not as easy as it should be. The syn…

By default, iTunes pops up a message saying "you have purchased items on this device, would you like to transfer them?"

It sounds like your co-worker said no to this in the past, and checked the box to not pop up the message anymore.

Re: “iCloud Backup”

#54

Post by norrishung »

josephcooney wrote: post #47
norrishung wrote: post #33

Its possible that oversight here was on Marco's part and not the Apple Store's. If his grandfather had told an Apple Genius that "he wanted to make sure he could transfer his stuff onto a new iPad in case this one ever broke", chances are that the Genius would have known what he was talking about. Instead, Marco doesn't trust his grandfather to explain that coherently and has him write down the cryptic words "ICLOUD…

So, as per usual, when apple stuff doesn't work it is the user's fault. Right?

I hate how everyone immediately takes every comment as pro or anti apple on the web. Im not trying to defend Apple here. My comment was more about taking responsibilities for your own actions before immediately blaming someone else.

Re: “iCloud Backup”

#55

Post by chrisbolt »

lostlogin wrote: post #43

Macro comments that his grandparents don't want/shouldn't have to spend time dicking around with apple IDs. No one should have to. It's awful. Email, music sharing, itunes match, App Store, iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud, notes, and likely others. Getting an iOS device or mac to have fully functioning services usually takes me weeks to achieve (oh, that email account isn't arriving for some reason) as random things that…

Initial setup does ask for an Apple ID, then sets up most associated services (App Store, iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud, Notes, etc). They fixed that with iOS 6, and no 'random things that worked' broke when I upgraded. I don't use iCloud email so I can't speak to that.

Re: “iCloud Backup”

#56

Post by tonylemesmer »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #30

People with no technical experience using modern technology, sometimes I explain this to folks as the "Chutes and Ladders" problem. You set the problem up like this, person comes to you and wants to buy lunch. You put down a "Chutes and Ladders" game (minimum age 3) and you say sure as soon as your piece wins. Now wait and watch them. If they do anything that isn't in the rules you play a loud buzzing sound and scold…

Known as snakes and ladders UK side, using a die rather than a spinner for random number generation.

Re: “iCloud Backup”

#57

Post by yozmsn »

norrishung wrote: post #54
josephcooney wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, as per usual, when apple stuff doesn't work it is the user's fault. Right?

I hate how everyone immediately takes every comment as pro or anti apple on the web. Im not trying to defend Apple here. My comment was more about taking responsibilities for your own actions before immediately blaming someone else.

"he wanted to make sure he could transfer his stuff onto a new iPad in case this one ever broke" You realize that you're suggesting a hack, this is not at all what he wants to do, he wants to use his iPad with all the stuff on it. Maybe Marco should've suggested "ask them to make a backup before they do anything as they should be doing anyway"

Re: “iCloud Backup”

#58

Post by lostlogin »

chrisbolt wrote: post #55
lostlogin wrote: post #43

Macro comments that his grandparents don't want/shouldn't have to spend time dicking around with apple IDs. No one should have to. It's awful. Email, music sharing, itunes match, App Store, iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud, notes, and likely others. Getting an iOS device or mac to have fully functioning services usually takes me weeks to achieve (oh, that email account isn't arriving for some reason) as random things that…

Initial setup does ask for an Apple ID, then sets up most associated services (App Store, iMessage, FaceTime, iCloud, Notes, etc). They fixed that with iOS 6, and no 'random things that worked' broke when I upgraded. I don't use iCloud email so I can't speak to that.

That's my main gripe, if you have multiple email addresses that feed into one account, and like to email out from a variety of addresses its ugly. Really really ugly. Mainly because iCloud hates you sending a message that doesn't appear as an apple address. If IOS 6 is better than 5 in regard to initial Apple ID I couldnt really judge as most my settings carried over from my ios5 install, thankfully, but iTunes Match lost its setup, and home sharing too and the remote app is now broken for me on iPhone. However if setting up a new device has been improved/fixed. THANK YOU.

Re: “iCloud Backup”

#59

Post by UnoriginalGuy »

primigenus wrote: post #49

This is why I'm so infatuated with the concept of the Chromebook. A lot of the "techie" stuff like backups and restoring that Marco describes here is solved with a Chromebook. And it uses familiar user interface paradigms that people recognise from their experience using Windows (especially now that they added the windows management system that looks a lot like Windows 7), whereas the iPad has completely new paradigm…

I love the concept of a Chromebook; however the Chromebook is based on an assumption: that we are always connected. 24/7/365, and unfortunately I haven't found that to be the case.

Once that is the case: that I can get an internet connection from dawn until dusk, no matter where in the country I travel, or heck even what country I travel to then I would absolutely get a Chromebook. But we aren't there yet.

Re: “iCloud Backup”

#60

Post by klapinat0r »

While I agree completely to Marco's post, I also want to point out, what I believe is, the underlying root of evil: "The iPad is easy" (or the X is easy).

Expecting that something is easy and always works is not that helpful, and to some extend removes responsability from the consumer (which is great for the consumer in the short run).

It doesn't help that we (techies and others) use catchy phrases such as "It's easy" to convince people to give it a try. Because, for some, it will be difficult.

When you tell older generations about something "new" (email, smartphone, tablet, whichever) and they're hesitant or slightly sceptical, it's easy to hear yourself giving the argument: "But it's easy, you just have to...".

Don't say "but it's easy" in cases where you should've said "but it's easy for me".

Should the iPad experience be better? Sure, and I'd love to see them continue to strive towards it. My point is the other end of the equation: the consumers.

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