Windows XP users left out of Apple’s iCloud

By Tom Warren, on 8th Jun 11 10:32 pm with 37 Comments

No Windows XP for iCloud

Apple is planning to drop support for Windows XP with its upcoming iCloud system.

Apple introduced its iCloud service on Monday. Apple claims its new iCloud service is “the cloud the way it should be: automatic and effortless.” Apple has integrated iCloud into several iOS applications and will ship the enhancements as part of its new iOS 5 operating system. iCloud will store content and make it accessible to iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac or PC devices. Apple is also providing 5GB of free storage, purchased music, apps, photos and books don’t count against the free storage.

Apple’s Windows requirements for iCloud are different to its current MobileMe and iTunes requirements. TUAW spotted that iCloud PC users will have to run Windows Vista or Windows 7 in order to utilise the service. Apple is also recommending Outlook 2007 or 2010 to access contacts and calendars from iCloud. The lack of Windows XP support is noteworthy. Microsoft’s 10 year-old operating system is still widely used on home and business PCs across the world. However, Microsoft is slowly phasing out support for XP across its new products and services, favoring Windows 7 and more up-to-date browsers like Internet Explorer 9.

http://www.facebook.com/VincentLee.PiGuy Vincent Lee

I say good step…XP was great for its time, but its time is over…especially since technology is accelerating at a faster and faster rate, so the step from 2001 to 2011 is much greater than the step from 1991 to 2001….keep supporting XP, and people are going to get all tangled up trying to push forward new technology while having a dead weight cling to them for support.
- http://adamhaider.com Adam Haider
  
  Agreed. Exponential growth in computing means more consumers will need to learn to adapt to newer technologies as they become available, if not they will fall behind and wonder why their products aren’t being support any longer.
  
  Microsoft is obviously turning over a new leaf and transitioning into a new modern brand, so it’s illogical for them to continue to support the old products like Windows XP and Windows Mobile when it serves no purpose to their brand any longer.
Guest

I suspect a good deal of people will do like me a decided if I have to upgrade from XP I may as well pull the trigger and finally get a Mac!
- bob
  
  Not sure many XP users will want to pay the heavy Apple TAX.
- GB007
  
  Window + Virus Software = Apple tax – Headaches
- Guest
  
  Hey iTurd, you were saying…
  
  http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/new-apple-antivirus-signatures-bypassed-within-hours-by-malware-authors-update/3396
- Entegy
  
  Because a Mac will solve all your problems. Not. Don’t fall for their marketing, you still have to make sure it has all the programs and features you need.
- http://twitter.com/vonchambers Devon Chambers
  
  what features could you possibly want that Mac doesn’t have a similar alternative too, especially on such an outdated product … this isn’t 2000 still.
- bob
  
  You’re question is backwards. What features on a Mac could you possibly want that can’t be done on XP and CHEAPER?! Not counting the future Ping / MobileMe that is iCloud.
- Anonymous
  
  Which Windows 7 can still do, btw.
- Guest
  
  Spinning beach ball of death?
- Guest
  
  Wow, now even Harvard grads are trolls? Who’dathunkit? They must have lowered the entrance requirements lately.
- Guest
  
  Active directory seems an obvious one.
  Lot’s of stuff on windows that the mac is lacking.
- Guest
  
  Well, a Mac does solve the problem most of the trolls here face: it finally let’s them pretend the’re cool and not social misfits. Of course the reality doesn’t change but…
- Anonymous
  
  yeah sure…
  
  like there are some people who are getting windows or a pc because mac or osx isn’t working as expected.. or they just dont see a point in Lion?… its not like a real discover, obviously there are people who will change to linux, mac and windows. i hope when you finally get a mac (if you arenot in one and you just want to troll) you will not post in a site about windows like winrumours.
- http://twitter.com/mcakins McAkins Online
  
  These people are actually paid by Apples agents to troll the net spreading FUDs about anything not iFruity.
- http://twitter.com/mcakins McAkins Online
  
  These people are actually paid by Apples agents to troll the net spreading FUDs about anything not iFruity.
- Guest
  
  Nah, they’re a dozen losers that seek out every MS related site on the web and then spend all day trashing the company under a variety of aliases.
- Guest
  
  Nah, they’re a dozen losers that seek out every MS related site on the web and then spend all day trashing the company under a variety of aliases.
- Another Guest
  
  and Haiku OS. Woo!
- Guest
  
  I post here because I like Window XP, which is why I have not upgraded (thank god I did not do vista) but I have an iPhone (got it before WP7 game out) and it just makes sense that if I have to give up XP if I want to use iCloud I may as well get a Mac for streamline syncing. Dont be so sensitive fanboy.
- Guest
  
  Dude, if you’re still stuck on XP rather than upgraded to W7, and think even Vista wasn’t vastly superior, then go Mac. Computer morons like you are their target market.
- Guest
  
  XP still hold 30% market share equal to W7 so I with a majority you angry little child
- Guest
  
  XP still hold 30% market share equal to W7 so I with a majority you angry little child
http://www.twitter.com/wixostrix WixosTrix

Good riddance!
Anonymous

Guess people and businesses will have to upgrade to use iCloud, or wait out till Windows 8 which Microsoft will support longer.
Guest

“TUAW spotted that iCloud PC users will have to run Windows Vista or Windows 7 in order to utilise the service.”

Interesting. Back in the day when Apple was tiny, this would be no big deal. But now that iTunes has monopoly-like share and iCloud will feed off that, decisions like this to drop support for the most widely deployed OS out there and force version upgrades if you’re not using Apple’s own productivity tools, seems like it’s at least worthy of antitrust review.
- Guest
  
  Ballmer should pay Apple to do this. It will finally help him get people to upgrade.
- Guest
  
  Finnaly?
  
  Do you even realise that win7 is the fastest selling OS EVER?
Delta470

Why use iCloud when Skydrive and everything else Windows Live offers is much better and it comes with Windows XP Support for the time being. Not to mention you can replace that old XP machine with a Windows 7 machine for less than 500 bucks and not worry about all the BS that comes with Apple’s Monopoly of your iLife.
Ilinter 989

obviously apple supptorting microsoft looooolz
now windows 7 and windows 8 marketshare will be great
- Guest
  
  Or if not great then at least better the WP7
- Guest
  
  Yeah, WP7′s share sucks. It’s only at ww Mac share levels after less than a year on the market.
GB007

Apple making a bold move that Microsoft would never make: Apple is going to once killing the product the created, the PC. He’s making Windows inconsequential with iCloud.

The quicker Microsoft can turn itself into IBM the better for Redmond, because that appears to be their only chance.
- http://twitter.com/TroyGates TroyGates
  
  You know iCloud only stores the last 30 days right? I don’t know about you but I tend to like to keep my pictures and documents for much longer than 30 days. I will keep my PC and external hard drive over the iCloud thanks.
- Guest
  
  Maybe in lala-land…
  Over here in the real world, nobody cares about iCloud – which isn’t even a real cloud.
- Guest
  
  Maybe in lala-land…
  Over here in the real world, nobody cares about iCloud – which isn’t even a real cloud.

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Windows XP users left out of Apple’s iCloud