Apple iCloud vs. IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2

iCloud is also great to keep access to photos synced across devices. Ex: I can snap a photo at a job site and have access to that photo on my desktop when I return to my office. I can then drop the photo into a document that is stored in iCloud and have instant access to that document on my iPad at a client's office later in the day. Seamless transitions make life much easier.

Incentivized

It scales well from the individual to corporate environments with many different plans to suit your needs and budget. For backing up servers such as Exchange or SQL I've used their sister product iBackup, which is also excellent and we have no problems with, so maybe they should merge the two products into one which would make it a better overall proposition. It also seems to handle backing up mapped drives as well, which is what we used for a while before getting the on server version. That being said it can use up quite a bit of bandwidth so make sure you schedule at night when noone is working. However it does only backup changed files which is great.

Incentivized

• Syncing files, appointments, Notes and contacts. If I'm away from home, and set an appointment using my phone, that appointment automatically updates real time to my home laptop and vice-versa.
• It stores files (e.g photos) nicely
• Once it's set up, it's fairly easy to use.

Incentivized

• I'm using it on MAC, the app works very well in the background
• Logging activities is something I really like, because I can check whether the backup was successful or not.
• I really like the option of being able to select external drivers and back up only specific folders or files.
• The application itself is very easy to use, even though it doesn't have a version in my language (pt-br), I had no trouble setting it up and I'm using it without any problems.

Incentivized

• Customization - iCloud is great at the stuff it does well. But it lacks features that some competitors (in Google Drive or Dropbox) do really well. API support for third-party apps is really great for some other people.
• Remote use - Managing or accessing information from iCloud while not on one of your logged-in apple devices can sometimes be an issue. From a work computer for example. It doable, but the experience is much less user-friendly.
• Ability to edit documents on the cloud similar to google docs or some other competitors

Incentivized

• DropBox-protected folders were not initially backed up as IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2 did not follow the symbolic links created
• I experienced some UX confusion in adding new folders to backup; it's a different interface than setting up exclusions, and they should follow the same workflow and page buttons
• After a reboot, it appears like a full disk scan is performed which can take quite a long time on a disk which has many files and lots of space

Incentivized

It's so seamless that I can't imagine another product doing a better job synchronizing all of my devices. I simply do not think about it at all. Everything happens behind the scenes and I'm confident that Apple keeps my data safe and secure. I'm a happy customer as far as this is concerned. I have not had a bad experience with this service.

Incentivized

It does everything that it needs to to create an effecitve Three level backup to the cloud of all your important data, its reliable, dependable and peformant in its use cases. It overcomes the need to store offsite physical media such as Tape or disk storage. And its cost and level of reporting can be tailored to fit the use case of your business.

Incentivized

While it may be great to use with other Apple products, I find it's an absolutist-style workflow to be debilitating and to lead to many problems. When you sign into the cloud, it completely takes over your device in many ways that you don't notice at first until there is a problem.

Incentivized

IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2 is already an incredibly idea user experience, so it's tough to think of thing. The only area I experienced that could be improved would be streamlining / tutorializing the first time setup for newer users (like me) since there are so many options available. I suppose a 'Pro Mode' where quicker file searching / backup setting up / set management would be great, once I've gotten really used to IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2 and want to make changes as quick as using a terminal.

Occasionally, large files that haven't yet been synced require a few minutes to pull down but I've rarely noticed delays. It does a good job of keeping data cached on my local machines while updating them with changes from other machines transparently.

Incentivized

Apple customer service is fantastic. iCloud is built with Apple in mind and its design is extremely intuitive and user-friendly. Additionally, whenever our team has encountered issues, the speed of Apple support has been more than timely in addressing our issues and solving our request. We have encountered relatively few issues in my time with the platform and this only improves our overall score for those who keep the platform stable.

Incentivized

I have not had to use their tech support. I did call once but luckily figured out what to do while I was on hold so I disconnected. If I really needed them it would have been a very long hold time I suppose.

Incentivized

Did not participate in the implementation.

Incentivized

Apple does offer an alternative to Office & the Google Docs family but trusting to use it with both internal and external parties is tough. Google is more universal and easier for 3rd parties to collaborate with. Apple works well for a closed internal group that is native to Apple's ecosystem. Google offers more storage space than Apple

Incentivized

I was a Backblaze user for 5 years because they had a very cost effective plan for my storage needs. However, they were very poor at backing up external devices quickly, and made it a pain in the butt to keep the backups active due to their 30 days connectivity policy.

Dropbox is a great fit for cloud backup when you need to access the backup files in the cloud frequently.

IDrive is the best solution out there for true backup of devices in case they are damaged or lost.

• If I lose track of my credentials or my continuing education documentation, I could end up not being able to renew my certification. This would lead to a major loss in revenue.
• Time is money and having all of my required documents easily accessible in iCloud saves me time and allows me to work more efficiently.
• My Apple devices were certainly not cheap purchases. iCloud has allowed me to maximize my productivity through synchronizing my work no matter which device I'm working on.

Incentivized

• For individual users such as my case, the savings with the Personal plan are important compared to alternatives like ElephantDrive. For 5TB ElephantDrive costs $600/yr in the comparable Family plan, whereas IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2 costs only $99.50/yr.

Incentivized