iCloud Explained - iConnected: Use AirPlay, iCloud, Apps, and More to Bring Your Apple Devices Together - page 10

Figure 1-2
You can view and manage your iCloud Storage from an iOS device (shown here) or your
computer.
What Is an Apple ID?
Chances are that you already have an Apple ID. If you've ever made a purchase through iTunes,
you have an Apple ID, for example. If you have an e-mail address ending in @mac.com or @me.com,
you also have an Apple ID. The Apple ID is the e-mail address and password you use to login to all
Apple services, and it's best to use the Apple ID associated with your iTunes account with iCloud as
well. You do have the option to use a separate account for iTunes and iCloud if you want (I explore
that in Chapter 2 ), but it makes things a lot simpler if you stick with one ID for everything.
One of the few reasons you may want to use one Apple ID for iTunes purchases and another for
iCloud is to preserve previous iTunes purchases you made on iTunes and to be able to access them on
all your devices while still creating an @me.com address. However, if you have those purchases
downloaded to your computer, you could use iTunes Match (see Chapter 3 ) to add them to your new
iCloud account at a later stage.
Another reason is security: If someone got a hold of your iCloud account ID, he or she would also
be able to purchase things at the iTunes Store, App Store, and in some cases even the Apple Store us-
ing the same account. Keeping them separate limits the risk of having your sign-in information
stolen.
You may also share an Apple ID with a family member but want to use a personal iCloud account
for your e-mail and other iCloud contents. If that's the case, there's a method for that too that I ex-
plore in Chapter 2 .
For the cleanest possible route to using iCloud, it's best to start with a fresh account. It's also the
easiest way to follow the setup process: Simply pick your own @me.com e-mail address and you're
good to go. So let's figure out if you have an iCloud account already.