Endurion
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: iCloud Drive Storage Larger Than Local Hard Drive?

I noticed when looking at the new MacBook, under the option to view "How much storage is right for you?" it states:

 

How much storage is right for you?

MacBook comes in two PCIe-based onboard flash storage sizes: 256GB and 512GB. The larger the capacity of your storage, the more space is available to store your files on your Mac.

 

 

If you prefer to store most of your files — like music, photos, and movies — on iCloud, then the smaller storage size may be a good choice for you. For people who like to store most of those files on their Mac, the larger capacity is probably the right fit. Be sure to consider how your storage needs may change over time.

 

I'm confused about this. On OS X, don't the entire contents of your iCloud Drive synchronize with the hard drive of your Mac?

 

How can someone store files on iCloud that do not synchronize to the Mac? I know you can do this (in a way) with iTunes Match, and the forthcoming Photos App.

 

Should we expect iCloud Drive to support some sort of "fusion-drive-like" architecture that would give us a fusion between an iCloud Drive and our local hard drive, with smart space utilization and frequently accessed file allocation? Or, does iCloud Drive already perform smart space management?


What happens if I have 500GB worth of data in my iCloud Drive and I link a Mac with only 250GB to it?

Posted on Mar 21, 2015 10:00 PM

Close
Endurion

Q: iCloud Drive Storage Larger Than Local Hard Drive?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Mar 22, 2015 12:56 AM in response to Endurion
    Level 10 (108,894 points)
    iCloud
    Mar 22, 2015 12:56 AM in response to Endurion

    On OS X, don't the entire contents of your iCloud Drive synchronize with the hard drive of your Mac?

     

    How can someone store files on iCloud that do not synchronize to the Mac? I know you can do this (in a way) with iTunes Match, and the forthcoming Photos App.

    iCloud is not only iCloud Drive - there are also iCloud Photo Library (Beta), iTunes Match, iMovie Theater.

     

    The paragraph you quoted is referring to the other iCloud services for large media files: music, photos, movies, not iCloud Drive, which is meant for documents - a common storage for all your documents, updated across all devices.

     

    • Music files: With iTunes Match, you can store your complete iTunes library in iCloud, after backing it up on an external drive.
    • Image files: With Cloud Photo Library (Beta) you can keep all original photos in iCloud and only optimised previews on your devices. iCloud Photo Library (Beta) is not yet available on a Mac, but will be released this spring (see: Apple - OS X - Photos Preview)
    • Videos: iMovie Theater keeps your movies in iCloud and off your devices.

     

    What happens if I have 500GB worth of data in my iCloud Drive and I link a Mac with only 250GB to it?

    Don't let it happen. Apple does not explain what will happen in any of the support documents for iCloud Drive:

    iCloud Drive FAQ - Apple Support

    Manage your iCloud storage - Apple Support

    From my own experience you will see plenty of cloud symbols for files that will not download to your Mac.

     

    The general idea is, that the bulk of your data are media files, photos, videos, music, that will not use iCloud drive and are not synced to your mac. They will use your paid iCloud storage or iTunes Match storage, however.