Apple's iCloud user base breaks 250 million

During yesterday's Q1 2013 earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook mentioned several times that the iCloud storage service now has more than 250 million users.

That's not particularly surprising, since signing up for a free iCloud account is part of the setup process when you purchase any new Apple product. What is surprising is how quickly the service has grown, jumping from 85 million in January of 2012 to triple that number in 2013.

The company is investing in the data centers used for iCloud. Part of the discussion with analysts yesterday afternoon dealt with capital expenditures, with Apple planning to spend money on three primary targets -- retail stores, equipment for suppliers and data centers.