Which APPLE ID to use for setting up iCloud? ETC.

Question

Hello,
I have upgraded my iMac to the latest operating system (OS X LION version 10.7.4). iTunes is the lastest version. I still have iPhoto '08 version 7.1.5. I reckon I have to download the recommended version (iPhoto '11 version 9.2 or later). CAN I DO THIS AFTER MOVING to iCloud?
I have had a MOBILEME account for many years. And they have been sending me e-mails to that account prompting me to upgrade in order to KEEP my Mobileme account. As I mentioned above, I have pretty much upgraded everything except for iPhoto.
Recently, I bought an iPad2. When I bought it, the technician helped me to get it set up and running. I did not have an iTunes account yet. I didn't realize that the Mobileme account could be used as an APPLE ID. SO, at that time, he set up my ipad2 using another e-mail address that I have. Hence that is being used for the APP STORE and the iTUNES store.
HOW do I coordinate these 2 different e-mail addresses now, i.e. APPLE IDS, per se??? I want to keep that Mobileme e-mail account. So should I respond to the MOVE TO iCLOUD e-mails being sent to that account and use that as an APPLE ID. And if I do that, what happens to the APPLE ID being used to access my itunes/App store accounts....... YIKES....... I reckon I am not the only person out there with this dilemma.
Or maybe I am just making it way too difficult. Please advise how to bring this all together to utilize this wonderful new service called iCloud!!!!

Answer 1

To begin with, I would like to try to explain Apple's confusing nomenclature in regard to iCloud.
Apple have called the whole cloud thing iCloud, there are a number of features under the iCloud umbrella, some of which require their own login. iTunes is one of these, another is what Apple have unfortunately also called iCloud.
You can use the same Apple ID (account) to login to both iCloud and iTunes, but you don't need to and often users will login to each service using a different ID.
The part that you need to remember is that the services available when you log into iCloud are completely different and unrelated to those when you log in to iTunes. Your iCloud login enables mail, contacts, calendars, find my phone, Back to My Mac, Documents & Data sharing and photosstream, it does not affect any of your iTunes services.
To avoid confusion when discussing your problem, when I mention iCloud, I am referring to the services under the iCloud login, Whereas I will refer to the whole cloud thing as The Cloud.
If you have made purchases under the current ID that you use for your iTunes account, you will need to continue to use that, otherwise you will lose those purchases. You can then choose whether to use that ID or migrate your MobileMe ID to use with your iCloud account.