How to locally sync an iPhone with OS X Mavericks? iCloud is NOT an option.

I don't think the issue is what we are or are not paying. It has to do with comfort in storing information locally rather than on a cloud, iCloud, server. An example, client lists or patient lists/schedules are probably not approriate for cloud storage. I think the other issue is the unannounced nature of this change to only cloud sync. Also, will Apple be willing to make changes to return local sync?

To this end, can one choose to return to Mountain Lion after upgrading?

That is NOT the same as paying Apple thousands of $ each year. You chose to purchase their products. No one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to upgrade to Mavericks. Just don't upgrade... If you don't upgrade, everything will continue to work just as it always has. What is your problem with that?

As for me, I have 2 iMacs, an iPad, 2 iPhones, an Apple TV, and 2 iPods... Even adding them altogether and dividing it out based on the age of the oldest device I own, I'm not "paying Apple thousands of $ each year"... not even close.

I have been trying to look through any official Apple documentation to find out for sure that the tried-and-true local iPhone to Computer Sync is no longer an option with OS X Mavericks. All the Support documents / manuals that I have found don't cover Mavericks specifically or iTunes 11.1.2

You can still sync via USB cable or via wifi with iTunes. And App data is not synced to iCloud unless the App specifically supports iCloud doc&data storage, and you specifically choose to enable that feature in that App.

If you choose to use iCloud for backup, then yes, some App data will be included in that backup, but you can choose NOT to backup to iCloud and use iTunes for local machine backups instead.

see http://support.apple.com/kb/PH12117

I still sync via wifi with iTunes, and I still ONLY backup with iTunes. I do use iCloud for documents and data for Numbers and Pages, and a few other apps that support it and which I've chosen to store their documents in iCloud.

Michael Black wrote:

boglott wrote:

But we are paying thousands of $ each year to Apple. This is really outrageous.

For what ? iCloud is free, OS X Mavericks is free, iOS 7 is free. If you are buying "thousands of $ each year" in hardware, that is your choice.

Listen to Tim Cook. Hardware and Software are one thing that goes together for Apple. That view is one of the reasons why they are so successful.

Do you think they create complete OSes, iWork and all the other stuff without paying their people? And do you think it really costs $1,799 to build an iMac? This is a package which you pay. It includes the development of the hardware, the hardware itself, the development of the software, the development and operation of the services that come with it (iCloud) etc.

If anyone is paying thousands of dollars to Apple each year, they are choosing to buy hardware. Personally, I have not paid Apple one dime this year, and less than $1K last year.

That statement "But we are paying thousands of $ each year to Apple. This is really outrageous" is patently silly, especially in a discussion about no-fee services like iCloud.

Michael Black, Did you read this part of your Support hyperlink...

If you use OS X Mavericks v.10.9 or later, your contacts, calendars, and other info are updated on your computers and iOS devices via iCloud

Gerrit7 wrote:

I read that OS X Mavericks will no longer allow me to use iTunes to sync my iPhone to a local system but makes iCloud mandatory? Is that correct?

To get back to the heart of this thread - what the OP "read" is just flat out wrong. Mavericks and iTunes 11 still support manually sync and backup, and wifi sync and backup.

Nobody need actually use iCloud for anything if they choose not to.

I sync my calendars through Google, since I use gmail accounts for my calendars - works perfectly fine in iOS and in Mavericks without using iCloud at all.

Similarly there are other tools for sharing contacts across devices - you do not HAVE to use iCloud.

Michael Black wrote:

To get back to the heart of this thread - what the OP "read" is just flat out wrong. Mavericks and iTunes 11 still support manually sync and backup, and wifi sync and backup.

That's totally false. Mavericks and iTunes 11 don't support manually sync and backup, neither wifi sync and backup. You have to use iCloud to see an iPad or iPhone in iTunes 11 with Mavericks. Without iCloud, no iDevice shown in iTunes. But one could use iTunes under Windows. That's what I'll use for some time before I'll switch away my tools from Apple. My wallet is still my best weapon.

egabrag wrote:

Michael Black wrote:

To get back to the heart of this thread - what the OP "read" is just flat out wrong. Mavericks and iTunes 11 still support manually sync and backup, and wifi sync and backup.

That's totally false. Mavericks and iTunes 11 don't support manually sync and backup, neither wifi sync and backup. You have to use iCloud to see an iPad or iPhone in iTunes 11 with Mavericks. Without iCloud, no iDevice shown in iTunes. But one could use iTunes under Windows. That's what I'll use for some time before I'll switch away my tools from Apple. My wallet is still my best weapon.

Really? Then I guess I've just been imaging connecting to iTunes 11 in Mavericks and backing up over wifi every few days for the past months of testing? Or syncing audiobook purchases over wifi once a week or so? Or transferring my iPhone and iPad purchases over wifi to back them up on my MBP?

After installing Maverick I've realised that the local sync between iTunes and iPhone has gone. Until now we had the option to choose betwen iCloud sync and local sync. For different reasons, iCloud sync is not an option for me. So now I've to downgrad to Mountain Lion to get the local sync functionality back.

What a pity as Maverick has some great features.

Gerrit7 wrote:

Did you do that with the release version of Mavericks or are you still running one of the betas/prerelease versions?

I'm on the GM installed via the Mac App Store this morning, and I can still wifi sync and USB sync.

I also note that the none of the iOS 7 device manuals have been updated to say this is not possible and still include instructions for manual (USB) and wifi sync, as does the current iTunes manual.

I cannot discount a bug in iTunes for those just updating now, but it certainly still works for me.

Gerrit7 wrote:

Did you do the update from a prerelease version or from 10.8.x?

I ask because it wouldn't be the first time a software update behaves differently when coming from a prerelease compared to coming from the previous official version.

Yes it was on top of the penultimate GM release, but it was not an update - beta testers had to download and run the full 5+GB 10.9 installer.

Having asked several other Mac users I know here, I am actually leaning towards a bug in the iTunes updater. Only one of five Mac users here have issues with syncing in iTunes 11.1.2 now that they have updated to Mavericks (and all were upgrading from OS X 10.8). So I am beginning to think that people's issues described here are not Mavericks related, but are, somehow, iTunes 11.1.2 related?

P.S. I also noticed one thread here of someone saying they could USB sync, but everytime the tried enabling wifi sync, as soon as they disconnected the USB cable, the wifi sync option turned off in iTunes and the connection was dropped?

I can try and experiment a bit later - I have one clone of a 10.7 install still sitting around, and I can boot from that and try the upgrade there to see if it replicates any of these post's experiences.