Just left apple store, still confused

Question

i was near the apple store so i thought i'd pop in and ask a few questions about icloud. was told that if we have multiple devices with the same apple id, which we do, then we have to be very careful about syncing with the cloud because we will get each others contacts and documents and so on. and we will also get each others imessages if we choose to use imessage. so my question now is, how hard would it be to now change the apple id's so my wife's iphone and my daughter's ipod touch 4g each has their own apple id? if i do that, would we all still be able to use the same itunes that we have been? is all that's required to have your own icloud account to have your own apple id? how would each of us with our own apple id be able to use all the music and apps that we have already purchased? thanks for any help.

Answer 1

On your computer, create a separate login for your wife. Launch iTunes, create HER iTunes account & authorize the computer: Store>Authorize this Computer. Do the same on your daughter's computer(for her iTunes account only). Then, you do the following under your wife's login & on your daughter's computer:
1. iTunes running.
2. Sign your wife/daughter out of iTunes & then you sign in, using YOUR Apple ID.
3. Store>Authorize this Computer.
4. You sign out, then sign each back in.
Then:
1. Disable auto sync when an iPod/iPhone is connected under iTunes>Preferences>Devices in itunes, for both your wife's login & on your daughter's computer.
2. Make sure you have one contact & one event in the supported applications(Address Book & iCal) on your daughter's computer & under your wife's login. These entries can be fake, doesn't matter, the important point is that these programs not be empty.
3. Connect your wife's phone, iTunes running, DO NOT SYNC at this point(do the same for your daughter's touch on her computer.
4. Sign each out of their respective iTunes accounts & then sign in using YOUR ID.
5. File>Transfer Purchases(To make sure all purchased content on your their devices will be in their itunes library).
6. Once complete, sign each back in to their respective iTunes accounts.
7. Right click in the device pane & select reset warnings.
8. Right click again and select backup.
9. Right click again & select restore from backup, select the backup you just made. When prompted to create another backup, decline.
10. This MUST be followed by a sync to restore their itunes content, which you select from the various tabs, You'll get a popup regarding your contacts & calendars asking to merge or replace, select merge.
All apps obtained using YOUR account MUST be updated using your account: wife/daughter sign out, you sign in, update apps, you sign out, each then signs back in.