Apple Inc took a big step toward getting people to store and access their data on the Internet as CEO Steve Jobs emerged from medical leave to present the iCloud music-streaming service.

A thin Jobs walked out on Monday (June 6) to a standing ovation from the more than 5,000 Apple faithful at its Worldwide Developers’ Conference, outlining a service that could further untether users who rely on storing their data on home computers even as

they walk around with more and more mobile devices.

‘The vision that I heard presented this morning was so compelling and so unifying in terms of understanding how people use a combination of desktop and mobile devices that I really think that Apple has nailed it on the head,’ said developer Joe Wein.

Systems manager Dave Kaminsky was excited about the new developments but had some reservations about the cloud.

‘How do we keep our secure IP from going out to the cloud?’ he asked.

Developer Joe Pezzillo said the iCloud confirmed Apple’s commitment to the end users of its devices.

‘Right out of the gate, (it) is looking like it’s going to be extremely competitive with what other people are offering and should be a real boon for users. I mean, ultimately the thing that we saw to day is that Apple has recommitted itself, or continues to have its commitment toward end users and it’s trying to do the best possible things for them on all the different devices and now in the cloud,’ he said.

Jobs, a pancreatic cancer survivor whose decision to headline the event assuaged some concerns on Wall Street about his health, said nothing about his health, but strode onstage after James Brown’s seminal soul classic ‘I Got You (I Feel Good)’ blasted over the sound system.

‘We think this solution is our next big insight. Which is, we’re going to demote the PC and the Mac to just be a device, just like an iPhone, an iPad or an iPod Touch. And we’re going to move the digital hub, the center of your digital life, into the cloud. Because all these new devices have communications built into them, they can all talk to the cloud whenever they want,’ he said of the iCloud, which lets users play their music and get access to their data from any Apple device — a crucial capability for users increasingly accustomed to performing tasks on the move.

Jobs looked frail, but it didn’t worry the conference attendees.

‘Honestly, to me he looks the same as he looked last year and the year before. I hope his health is improving. But he’s a great speaker. I don’t know how much he’s involved in the day-to-day, but I love listening to him speak,’ said Kaminsky

‘I don’t think that he is letting his personal medical struggles get in the way of executing his vision, so I was very impressed by that as well,’ said Wein.

Monday was only the second appearance by Jobs in public on his company’s behalf since he went on medical leave in January. He shared the spotlight, letting his executive team showcase new features in Apple’s mobile and computer operating software, before returning to the stage to launch the iCloud.

Story source: www.bigpond.com

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