Apple iCloud is set to have an official launch in the fall. This particular service will ultimately replace Apple’s MobileMe service. Subscribers to MobileMe will automatically be moved to iCloud and MobileMe will officially end in June of 2012. If you are a MobileMe user, you may be wondering what all the hype is pertaining to the switch. The truth is, while iCloud will keep some of MobileMe’s services and offer new services, all good things come to an end and that holds true for some MobileMe services. To better prepare for the switch, it is helpful to know what is coming, what is going and what is staying the same.

What is Coming?

Apple iCloud is bringing some fresh, new services to the table. With iCloud, users will now have the ability to store documents and sync the services of compatible programs. Users will also enjoy the ability to store and sync music files, as well as photo files.

Apple is offering 5GB free, as well as paid plans for those users that need extra storage. For $20/year, you get 10GB of space, $40/year gets you 20GB of space, and $100/year provides 50GB of space. It’s important to note that some things do not count against you in terms of your storage quota. Apps don’t count against your quota, along with books, music, TV shows, and photos you sync and share with the new Photo Stream feature.

What is Going?

Users will no longer have photo albums. They will still be able to sync photos to all of their devices, but there is no longer a way to share them via the Internet. The reason behind this decision appears to be because of the many photo-sharing services already available. Flickr and Facebook are leaders in photo sharing, so Apple is probably making a good decision in getting rid of the photo albums feature in iCloud.

Another missing feature is iDisk. Apple has decided to do away with this particular form of online storage. Users can always turn to third-party services, such as those listed on our online backup comparison tool. Apple is also offering iWork, a feature that allows compatible programs to send documents to iCloud for syncing with other devices.

Finally, the useful web-hosting feature of MobileMe is coming to an end. Anyone that has used MobileMe for hosting their websites will have to find an alternative in June of 2012. While this may seem surprising, it really isn’t, given that many users of the web hosting service found the lack of support and slow speeds a problem. Users should not have too much trouble finding another host – the Internet is full of them.

What is Staying the Same?

Apple’s iCloud will keep many of MobileMe’s popular features. Users can still sync their contacts, mail and calendars. They can also access this information from any web browser. So, iCloud appears to hold onto the core features of MobileMe, which will help make the transition much easier.

Overall, Apple’s iCloud seems to be a solid service. By letting go of a few features that were not really up to par, Apple can focus their time and efforts on improving the existing features and adding new ones.

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