iCloud’s real purpose is to kill Windows
And what happens once all our data is in that iCloud, is there any easy way to get it back out? Nope. It’s in there forever and we are captive customers — trapped more completely than Microsoft ever imagined.
I’ve already experienced that trap twice:
1) Tumblr not having XML export except for Macs
2) Twitter taking my tweets and making them impossible to search
I’m not up for being an eejit a third time.
You’re probably wondering about this blog. I can do XML exports of it. There are some additional tags in it, but nothing some good GREP could not strip out. That bit of labor is worth it to ensure the data is mine.
If Apple ever makes a personal cloud server that only I have control over, that resides on my property, that doesn’t flow through them, they’d have something I’d want.
Mike Cane’s xBlog 
Mike, cannot agree more with your post!
I am convinced, that it will the next step of cloud computing, or rather beyond cloud computing, to have “personal cloud server that only I have control over, that resides on my property.” It might be not be called “cloud”, maybe “peer-to-peer”. Whowever.
Many people do not trust these services. Can businesses do? No.
Technology and services for what you describe and would like to use are evolving, slowly, but they will be coming. I know, because I am working in the field and on the topic myself. It will take another two years from now, which is my guess.
>>>It will take another two years from now, which is my guess.
In the meantime I’ll keep buying more hard drives.