Document explains iOS, Lion, Windows steps

A leaked PDF file shows how Apple intends to migrate people from MobileMe to iCloud. The document is split into three different sections: one for iOS 5, another for OS X Lion, and a third for Windows. With the first two, Apple's wording currently assumes a person is using the iOS 5 beta or the Lion developer preview.

In iOS the process begins by deciding how much MobileMe calendar data to sync. Under the Mail, Contacts, Calendars submenu in Settings, users can choose to sync events in a range from two weeks back through to an entire history. Once the data is copied, people must use the same submenu to disable MobileMe contact, calendar, bookmark and Find My iPhone sync, but choose to keep the current data. Mail and notes can stay active.

Only at this point can iCloud be safely configured. Apple recommends changing calendar sync back to a standard one month, though, for better performance. It also warns that duplicate events might show if a person has manually entered CalDAV accounts with cal.me.com as a server.

The Lion process is similar, requiring people to shut off MobileMe contact, bookmark and Back to My Mac options, and export calendars if the data wasn't already transferred through iOS. The MobileMe account should then be removed from iCal, and iCloud launched using an Apple ID.

The Windows procedure is somewhat more complicated, requiring a very specific save process in Outlook if calendars haven't already been transferred in iOS. The task is finished, however, by simply signing out of the MobileMe Control Panel, and then signing in with the new iCloud Control Panel, which guides users the rest of the way.

by MacNN Staff