Old MacApple had a farm, ee-eye-ee-eyo-o. And on this farm he had lots and lots and lots of data storage. This is a Google’s eye view of Apple’s new massive server farm in North Carolina, the heart of iCloud when it’s announced on Monday. At the moment we can offer only conjecture, but Wall Street analysts are expecting something big, perhaps big enough to put Apple well ahead of competitors such as Google and Amazon. Music streaming, similar to Spotify but based on your purchased material, is almost a given.
Probably of more significance to Apple’s future is the possibility that iOS devices could be freed from the iTunes and computer umbilical cord. The concept of offering an iPhone or iPad without the need for a computer in the background is a tempting notion for Apple and would be sure to lead to even greater market share. This is actually the one innovation I’m hoping for. I also believe that MobileMe, whatever it is called after Monday, should be free for the basic synchronisation of PIM data and should be installed automatically on all iOS devices. It makes sense for Apple to offer such a service and, for the first time, they have the capability here at the junction of US Route 321 and Startown Road.
However it pans out, I believe Old MacApple will set the new standard on Monday.