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I’m thinking of replacing my aging iMac (the original 27” 5K version) with a Mac Mini and a Studio Display. I also have an iCloud subscription with 200GB of storage. The question I have is - once set up, will the Mac Mini have everything that is now on the iMac? I’m of the belief that the answer is yes as the Cloud duplicates all the content on the iMac. Am I deluding myself? Is some sort of transfer required between the old and the new computers?
You can sync your photos using iCloud. That since photos in the photo system library. But, your Photos folder on the Mac is not synced. Eg. the photo library file remains on your Mac but your pictures inside of the photos application are synced. And, anything else in the photos folder stay on the Mac too.
Same for music. You can enable the iCloud Music library if you subscribe to Apple Music or iTunes Match. Your music tracks are then synced in the cloud. But again, the library files remain on your Mac as the Music folder is not synced.
The only locations that sync are the iCloud Drive folder and, if enabled, desktop and documents. No other folder locations sync to iCloud.
You can sync your photos using iCloud. That since photos in the photo system library. But, your Photos folder on the Mac is not synced. Eg. the photo library file remains on your Mac but your pictures inside of the photos application are synced. And, anything else in the photos folder stay on the Mac too.
Same for music. You can enable the iCloud Music library if you subscribe to Apple Music or iTunes Match. Your music tracks are then synced in the cloud. But again, the library files remain on your Mac as the Music folder is not synced.
The only locations that sync are the iCloud Drive folder and, if enabled, desktop and documents. No other folder locations sync to iCloud.
That depends. iCloud is not a backup so you should continue to back up your devices. When you set up your new Mac, you can set it up using your Time Machine (or other) backup. Or, you can simply use iCloud to sync your data that is in iCloud.
I don't understand - if the data is in iCloud, why bother with backing up with, I presume, things like memory sticks?
<< Or, you can simply use iCloud to sync your data that is in iCloud. >>
That's just it! I thought that all the data on the old iMac IS in iCloud so that would all be available to the new Mac Mini and if that indeed is the case, there's no need to back anything up before making the transition to the new computer.
iCloud is primarily a synchronization service, not an offline backup. For example, if you delete a document from your computer it is also deleted in iCloud. You cannot restore the file except from your backups. Ideally, you'll have a good Time Machine backup of your device. And, it's a really good idea to have a backup. Ideally you should have 3 copies of your data, made 2 ways, with one copy kept offsite.
No, not all of your data is in iCloud -- well, not unless you put a lot of it there. By default anything in your iCloud Drive folder syncs to iCloud (and remains on your Mac). If enabled, you may also sync your desktop and documents folder. However, things like your actual Music and Photos library files are not synced (nor is anything outside of the three folders mentioned above). A Time Machine backup also lets you restore your complete system (software, settings, etc.) which is not the case with synced data.
<< However, things like your actual Music and Photos library files are not synced >>
Really? What am I to make of these quotes then?
<< To store photos in the cloud, use the Photos app on your Mac and devices, then turn on iCloud Photo Library
To store music in the cloud, use Music and enable iCloud Music Library >>
I do agree with you about the ideal situation about having 3 copies of the data. What I am trying to ascertain is whether the Cloud is a reliable source for all the data that is on my old iMac. To me, it would seem that it is although I realize that software, settings etc. are not retrievable from the Cloud.
OK - thanks for the clarifications. I have a good understanding of what is going on now and I'll be sure to have a physical backup when I make the transition to a new computer. Thanks again for all your help.
Does iCloud Eliminate Need for Backups?
