What is the right Cloud?

An article comparing Google’s and Apple’s approach to consumer cloud services.

• Google takes a long-term perspective where everything is in the cloud and the consumer uses different “windows” for dealing with it.
• Apple uses a file synchronization approach similar to Dropbox. The reference is in the cloud and all devices hold copies which can be changed. Whenever a connection to the cloud is available, a device synchronizes its copy with the cloud.

I prefer the Apple/Dropbox approach.

IMAP is a mail protocol which facilitates the same approach for Email. Are there similar open protocols for other applications?

Similar discussion about iCloud.

Eddy Cue, responsible for Internet and Services at Apple, describes iCloud

and: Steve Jobs describes iCloud – in 1997.