Getting to grips with Apple Mobile Me

I have just subscribed to Mobile Me (go to me.com), Apple cloud and email service. I have not got to grips with all its features but I have dug into some of its features. Here is what I learned:

Using iDisk

iDisk is a cloud storage area which you can use to save/retrieve files. You set up your access to your Mobile Me account in the System Preferences/Mobile Me pane, then open your Finder, and you will see a new 'cloud' iDisk drive icon at the top of the DEVICES list:



You can up/download files to the folders pre-defined for you. I use Documents mostly as this is where you put Pages, Numbers and Keynote files you want to access on your iPad. You can force a sync by hitting the circular arrows icon.

You can view your iDisk on the iPad using the iDisk App. This allows you to preview files, copy PDF's to iBooks, Open the file in Pages, Numbers or Keynote, Share the file by providing an email link to a web page at files/me.com/user_name/file-ref, Delete the file, Display Info about the file.

Page, Numbers and Keynote

You can up/download documents, spreadsheets and presentations using iDisk.


- MacBook to iPad: save the file to iDisk/Documents, Copy from Idisk in the iPad app


- iPad to MacBook: Copy the file to iDisk (it will go into the iDisk/Documents folder), open on the MacBook. (You can copy the file from the iPad in the native format, or as PDF or as a .DOC file for Word)

Using photo Gallery

This is complicated!

First your photos should be saved to either iPhoto or Aperture on your MacBook. They can then be uploaded to the Gallery by selecting them and hitting the Mobile Me button.

Aperture


iPhoto


Then, you can view your uploaded photos using the iPad Gallery App, this will display your albums, thumbnails and photos. You can run a slide show of the photos and email someone a link to them. (Unfortunately for now you cannot stream the display to Apple TV using Airplay, but hopefully this will come in an update...)

Last, you can manage your gallery by going to me.com (on your MacBook, it doesn't work on the iPad...), login with your user name and password.

Login page


Gallery page


Here you can:

- Chose the Cloud button, and album

- Upload new files, adjust settings, Delete both Albums and Photos (the dustbin icon), Rotate (the rotate icon)

- Chose the "Gear" icon, and chose New Album, Select All, Select None, Show Info, Set Key Photo, Delete, AutoHide

- Chose your User Name, Manage your account, get Help and SIgn-out

Web viewing

Anyone can view your gallery by going to gallery.me.com/your_user_name. They can also download photos.

Viewing My Gallery

Apple TV

You can directly view your photos on your TV using an Apple TV, but only from your MacBook, not from the cloud Gallery. You can display any photos you have in your iPhoto or Aperture library.

Conclusion

The whole Apple iDisk and Gallery, and other services (Sync Mail, Calendar, Bookmarks, Photos...) is a bit disconnected and there does not seem to be a single Help file...