what happens to my public folder now with iCloud?
I have many items in my public folder that I need to still access...where does it go? How long will it exist?
iMac, Mac OS X (10.4.11), also have a MacBook Pro
Your iDisk, and the Public Folder, are unaffected by the migration to iCloud and are accessible exactly as before (though the migration process can sign you out and you will need to sign in again in System Preferences>MobileMe to access it on your Mac).
(Your signature says you have 10.4.11 - this presumably is not correct if you have successfully migrated? If it's not, please amend it to the correct system to prevent confusion.)
MobileMe will be terminated at the end of June and the iDisk's contents will be deleted, so you will need to find another service before then as iCloud does not provide an equivalent facility. This page examines some options: