why do you have to create a @me.com mail account for iCloud?

It isn't possible for iCloud to sync external email accounts (that would be handled by the providers of those accounts), so if you want to make use of iCloud's email features, you need an iCloud (@me.com) email address.

Your @me.com email address does recieve emails sent to it - but not to your external email accounts obviously. iCloud does nothing (nor is it possible or intended for it to do anything) for external email accounts.

i log in to icloud.com and click on mail, there is nothing there?

When you log-in at icloud.com and go to Mail, that shows you the email InBox for your username@me.com email account. If nobody has sent any emails to your new username@me.com email address, then there won't be any emails in there.

icloud.com does not show you the InBoxes for any other email addresses, nor is it supposed to.

i didnt even create a password for it

The password you use to log in to icloud.com is the password for your @me.com email address.

Whether it is pointless or not is up to you. The option to create one is there for the people who want an @me.com email address which supports Push capability. You don't have to have one.

Your existing email addresses are totally separate to iCloud. You cannot merge external email accounts into iCloud.

As I already mentioned, iCloud does nothing for external (existing) email addresses with other providers.

If you want all your external emails to go to your new @me.com address (and be visible at icloud.com), you should be able to setup forwarding from your existing email address to your @me.com one. Any replies you send to these emails from icloud.com will be from your @me.com address.

I believe the OP's issue is that they wanted additional features of iCloud, like Notes or Reminders. Those DO require a me.com address. I have someone with a similar issue. They lost all of their notes as they were no longer being synced with their mac via iTunes after they started using iCloud. In order to use Notes, you must create a me.com address, even though they have been using iCloud with a different (non-me.com) E-Mail address for a couple months now.

What happens if someone has set up an iCloud account with a non-me.com email address, but also has an existing me.com email address? I'm trying to figure out why they can't use the existing one to start syncing Notes and reminders, instead of having to create a new one!?! Crazy...

If you migrated your Mobile Me account you can still sync both without creating a new ID.

My notes and reminders are syncing fine, as is all of my MobileMe information. I have one ID I use for all of them.

What do you mean by "migrated"? Is your "one ID" mentioned above not a me.com address?? If so, please tell us how you accomplished that!!!

By Migrated, I mean I migrated my MobileMe account to the iCloud service. It IS a MobileMe account. I accomplished it by following the instructions sent on multiple occasions to all MobileMe users.

The below snippet comes from the following page:

http://www.apple.com/mobileme/transition.html

Can I keep my MobileMe email address once I move to iCloud?

Yes. If you have an active MobileMe account when you sign up for iCloud, you can keep your me.com or mac.com email address and any email aliases you have created and move your MobileMe mail, contacts, and calendars, as well as your bookmarks, to the new service. When you're ready to make the move, go to www.me.com/move.

Okay, you obviously didn't understand my post then... Some folks have long-time non-me.com Apple IDs, but also have a more recent me.com address from before iCloud. There ought be be a way to use their existing me.com address to access their Notes and Reminders, while staying with their existing non-me.com Apple ID!!

I too have a MobileMe accound that I've had for many years, and it's the ideal way to set up iCloud. Everything works (for the most part 😉), and all features are easily accessible. And obviously, I know how to migrate that to iCloud...

What we need to have happen is for Apple to get their act together and allow folks to merge Apple IDs, but who knows if that'll ever happen.

Thanks anyway,

John

Correct, I obviously don't understand your post.

There ought be be a way to use their existing me.com address to access their Notes and Reminders, while staying with their existing non-me.com Apple ID!!

If it works just fine with a me.com account and the services are only available through a me.com account then why create a new AppleID and expect the services to be available through some generic, non-supported, AppleID?

And obviously, I know how to migrate that to iCloud...

Migrating allows all of the services you are asking about through the same, original, me.com account. If an account was truly migrated, then this "issue" is a non-issue.

With all due respect, it seems you simply aren't listening here...

If it works just fine with a me.com account and the services are only available through a me.com account then why create a new AppleID and expect the services to be available through some generic, non-supported, AppleID?

The issue here is for the millions of people that used something other than a MobileMe account to start buying music, apps, etc from Apple years ago.

The specific issue I've been referring to is related to some folks that have a long-standing non-me.com Apple ID, with all sorts of music, apps, movies etc. associated with it. They then set up a free me.com address in the last year for some forgotten reason, but they did it prior to iCloud. They then set up iCloud with their long-standing, non-me.com account. Now they want to enable Notes and Reminders syncing. Apple tries to get them to get a NEW me.com address for this, but they already have one! Simple question: why can't they use the one they already have??

Also, it simply doesn't make sense for them to switch to their existing me.com address for iCloud now, since that account has no content associated with it whatsoever. In other words, they can't transfer all their existing content (that is associated with the older account) to the existing me.com account, right?!?!

Migrating allows all of the services you are asking about through the same, original, me.com account. If an account was truly migrated, then this "issue" is a non-issue.

If you'll re-read my last post, I was talking about my own MobileMe account when I said I knew how to migrate to iCloud. That's not where the issue lies!

What it appears you're saying is that those of us with existing me.com Apple ID's are just fine with iCloud, so why should anyone else complain? The millions of folks with "generic, non-supported" Apple ID's are simply SOL??? I also believe you're mistaken in claiming that anything other than a me.com address is "non-supported". That's simply BS, and I'll bet even Apple support people would disagree with you.

Once again, the problem for these folks is how best to manage multiple Apple ID's, pure and simple. I believe Apple could be making this much easier than they are choosing to, and sure hope they'll change their stance on it soon.

Since I'm guessing we're gonna have to agree to disagree here, I'll just leave it at that. Happy holdays to everyone reading this, and may Santa bring you everything you wanted!!

Sincerely,

John

Simple question: why can't they use the one they already have??

That is a question that needs to be asked of Apple. No one here will be able to answer that.

But to explain the AppleID's and what they are and are not capable of, here you go.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3741

http://support.apple.com/kb/HE37

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4895

Simply, Subscriber MobileMe ID's work across the board. The free mobileme ID's (created for FindMyiPhone) can not use the subscription of Notes and Reminder syncing services, nor can a non-MobileMe AppleID, as stated in the above KB articles. A new one is needed. Very simple.

SHOULD Apple allowing merging of AppleID's? I believe yes, but that needs to be brought to Apple's attention via their call center and/or feedback.

"What it appears you're saying is that those of us with existing me.com Apple ID's are just fine with iCloud, so why should anyone else complain?"

Kindly do not put words in my mouth. I am sorry for assuming your question was actually your own issue.

"What it appears you're saying is that those of us with existing me.com Apple ID's are just fine with iCloud, so why should anyone else complain?"

Kindly do not put words in my mouth. I am sorry for assuming your question was actually your own issue.

Again, all due respect, but I simply pointed out a stance that it appeared, to me, that you were taking. You can't call that putting words in your mouth. I stand by my assertion that your words were much less than empathetic to the millions of users out there that don't have me.com Apple IDs!

I completely agree that the bigger issue needs to be taken up with Apple directly. Toward that end:

http://apple.com/feedback/icloud.html

Please, anyone frustrated by these types of issues, use the above link to give the powers that be a polite-but-firm piece of your mind!

All the best,

John