is mobile me the same as icloud

No. Mobile Me is mercifully no more. iCloud is Apple's new multipurpose cross-platform syncing, backup, and document storage service that replaced it. It's what Mobile Me was supposed to have been all along, without the dumb name.

With MobileMe you could backup files from your Mac and host websites. iCloud is just for syncing contacts, bookmarks, and photos, etc. between mobile devices and Macs and backing up up mobile devices as described in this Apple document: iCloud: iCloud storage and backup overview

What iCloud backs up

You have important information on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iCloud automatically backs up your device over Wi-Fi every day while it’s turned on, locked, and connected to a power source. With your device information backed up in iCloud, you can easily set up a new device or restore information on one you already have.

Here’s what iCloud backs up:

• Purchase history for music, movies, TV shows, apps, and booksYour iCloud backup includes information about the content you have purchased, but not the purchased content itself. When you restore from an iCloud backup, your purchased content is automatically downloaded from the iTunes Store, App Store, or iBooks Store. Some types of content aren’t downloaded automatically in all countries, and previous purchases may be unavailable if they have been refunded or are no longer available in the store. For more information, see the Apple Support article iTunes in the Cloud availability by country. Some types of content aren’t available in all countries. For more information, see the Apple Support article Which types of items can I buy in my country?.
• Photos and videos in your Camera Roll
• Device settings
• App data
• Home screen and app organization
• iMessage, text (SMS), and MMS messages
• Ringtones
• Visual Voicemail

This Apple document describes the Photo Stream feature of iCloud: iCloud: My Photo Stream FAQ

For backing up files from your Mac you'll need a external hard drive and a backup applicaiton like Time Machine (comes with all Macs).

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