You have an alternative to syncing content by using iTunes. At the time that Apple launched iOS 5, it also introduced iCloud, a service that allows you to back up all your content and certain settings, such as bookmarks, to online storage. That content and those settings are then pushed automatically to all your Apple devices through a wireless connection.
All you need to do is get an iCloud account, which is free, and then make settings on each device for which types of content you want to have pushed to each device. After you’ve done that, any content you create or purchase on one device — such as music, apps, books, and TV shows, as well as documents created in Apple’s iWork apps, photos, and so on — can be synced among your devices automatically.
When you get an iCloud account, you get 5GB of free storage; content you purchase through Apple (such as apps, books, music, and TV shows) are not counted against your storage. If you want additional storage, you can buy an upgrade from one of your devices. 10GB costs $20 per year; 20GB is $40; and 50GB is $100 a year. Most people will do just fine with the free 5GB of storage.Note that items you’ve purchased from iTunes, which include any music such as ripped CDs that you’ve synced across devices using the iTunes Match service, doesn’t count toward your data storage.
To upgrade your storage, go to iCloud in Settings, tap Storage & Backup, and then tap Manage Storage. In the dialog that appears, tap Buy More Storage. Tap the amount you need and then tap Buy.
Tip
You can make settings for backing up your content to iCloud in the iCloud section of Settings. You can have content backed up automatically, or back it up manually. See Chapter 9 in this minibook for more about this topic.
Getting an iCloud accountBefore you can use iCloud, you need an iCloud account, which is tied to the Apple ID you probably already have. You can turn on iCloud when first setting up your iPad or use Settings to sign up using your Apple ID. Follow these steps:
1. When first setting up your iPad (except for an original iPad), tap Use iCloud in the sequence of screens that appears (see Figure 5-6).
2. In the next dialog, tap Backup to iCloud. Your account is now set up based on the Apple ID you entered earlier in the setup sequence.
Here are the steps to set up iCloud on your iPad if you didn’t do so on first setting up iPad:
1. Tap Settings and then tap iCloud.
2. Tap the On/Off button to turn on iCloud.
4. Tap OK. A dialog may appear asking whether you want to allow iCloud to use the location of your iPad. Tap OK. Your account is now set up.
Making iCloud sync settings
When you have an iCloud account up and running (see the preceding section), you have to specify which type of content should be synced with your iPad via iCloud. Note that content that you purchase and download is synced among your devices automatically via iCloud. Follow these steps:
2. In the iCloud settings, as shown in Figure 5-8, tap the On/Off button for any item that’s turned off that you want to turn on (or vice versa). You can sync Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Safari, and Notes.
3. To turn Photo Stream, Documents & Data, or Storage & Backup on or off (so you can sync photos, documents created in iWork, or settings data, respectively), tap those options in the list (refer to Figure 5-8) and then tap the On/Off button for each particular setting in the subsequent screen.
4. To enable automatic downloads of music, apps, and books, tap Store in the Settings pane.
5. Tap the On/Off button for Music, Apps, or Books to set up automatic downloads of any of this content to your iPad via iCloud.
If you want to allow iCloud to provide a service for locating a lost or stolen iPad, tap the On/Off button in the Find My iPad field to activate it. This service helps you locate, send a message to, or delete content from your iPad if it falls into other hands.
taken from :
iPad® All-in-One For Dummies®, 5th Edition
by Nancy Muir
