Technology for the Masses

“What is cloud computing?” will most likely be your first question and a justifiable one.  Cloud Computing refers to computing on the Web and not your PC.  The Internet is also known as the Cloud to many IT Professionals.  Still not clear?  Thought so.  See, most people use their computers resources/hardware to run things like Microsoft Office, Email Software, Photo editing, etc.  Cloud Computing shifts the need for software installed on your computer and turns it into a web-service (or web-based software) that is run off remote servers. 

A hybrid example for this is Gmail (you go to their site, compose, read, and send emails all on their system – not yours).  Typically, people use to email through Microsoft Outlook which had to be installed on your PC and it only used the internet to send the message and ask for new ones.  If your computer crashed, you lost all your email and attachments.

Another newer example of Cloud Computing is Google Docs – which enables you to login to your account and have your documents written, published, and saved on the Internet (in the Cloud).  Typically people install Microsoft Office on their computer then create and save the files to their computer.  If the computer crashes, you have lost all your Documents and the installation of Microsoft Office.

Let’s Expand

The beauty of Cloud Computing is that nothing is kept on your computer system at all.  This is vaguely familiar to “dumb terminals” that make servers do all the processing and terminals to output the result.  However, in modern computing, when someone goes to Facebook to post, comment, or search those operations are being done on Facebook servers – not your personal computer.

The Cost Benefits

You’re probably reading this on an overpowered workhorse computer with the latest technology in it.  You probably also paid $1500 or more for it.  What you bought was COMPUTING POWER.  Guess what?  The majority of us never use a computers full computing power.  Web 2.0, Facebook, Hotmail, Gmail, MySpace, Google Docs, etc all do the majority of computing through the internet on their own web servers.  Not your PC.  An obvious cost benefit of Cloud Computing is the diminishing need for expensive computer systems. 

If you recall my article on Buying a Computer, you’ll see I am not a proponent of purchasing expensive machines.  I believe you should buy what is in your budget and according to your needs.  Most peoples needs are for word processing, photos, music, and email.  Sadly, a 10 year old computer can do all of that for you so you have no need for overpriced hardware. 

As technology increases and the web becomes smarter we should not have to be pumping money into costly hardware.

Centralization Benefits

Cloud computing has the distinct advantage of keeping your data and applications located on a remote server and not your local PC.  This means that the provider of the cloud-based application will backup your data for you and make it available as often as needed.  If you use several computers or one crashes, you can still access your data in the same application and files regardless of what computer you’re using.  It basically puts data and applications in a centralized location on the Internet – instead of your PC.

The Privacy Issue

Now all this sounds so promising but there may be one downside.  Privacy is an issue for some people who may not want to keep their personal photos or business information on anything but their own PC.  Keeping it on the Internet (although probably still secure) leads to a possibility for information leakage.  What is important here is to choose applications and online storage that respects the users rights to privacy and offers written Terms of Service on security and usage.  

In it’s hybrid form, you’re already sharing your personal information with everyone when you post information or links to Facebook, share photos on Picasa, etc. Most other users will make be looking at this information, but, Facebook and Google do use “anonymous” user data to fine-tune their search and marketing programs.

The Real Eye Opener

If some of this information has seemed confusing then this explanation should help.  I know Technicians will feel this one!

The benefit in cloud computing comes to realization when your computer system or hard drive crashes and you lose all your information. 

What do I mean?

If you were in an solely Cloud computing environment or Operating System (not Microsoft Windows, OSX, etc) then you could pick up any other computer, login, and have access to your files as if nothing changed.  Super right?  Yes.

Now imagine if you were using a typical computing environment – if your hard drive crashed, then you’d lose all those music, documents, photos, and special software programs like Microsoft Office immediately. 

Delving Deeper

I’ve mentioned things like Facebook, Google DOCs, and Web 2.0 before.  Right now, these are just a step in the right direction and examples of how we cloud compute on a regular basis.  See, you’ve been doing it and haven’t realized all this time!  Congrats! But its a hybrid solution.  Let me explain…

You Cloud Compute when you:

• Type a Document and save it in Google DOCs
• If you write an email on Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail and send it Online
• Search a database online
• Post information to Myspace, Facebook, etc.

You “Locally Compute” (as in solely on your PC), when you:

• Save pictures, music, documents on your computer
• Write a Microsoft Office Word document or Excel
• Open Adobe Reader, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, or any kind of manually installed software program.

Bottom Line: 100% Cloud Computing would do all of these things in the Cloud and not on your PC

Computing Nirvana: A New Wave

I’m imagining in the near future there will be a new wave of minimal, easy to use, cloud computing devices (such as Netbooks with Cloud Operating Systems).  This would take us away from typical Operating Systems such as Windows, AppleOS, and Linux which are not 100% Cloud Computing Operating Systems.

This will lead way to a minimal and functional Operating System that has one job: Keep you connected to the Internet to access all your files, applications, and media.  The computer crashes?  Repair, reboot, login – and everything is there.  Changing computers?  Login – and everything is there.  Your house burns down with everything in it?  Login on any other computer or similar OS – everything is there.  Kind of groovy isn’t it?

Want to be a Tech Cowboy and Cloud Compute?

Up until more recently Cloud Computing was something that only businesses were able to take a hold of.  However, as a regular end-user things may be looking up for us to tap into this kind of technology.  If you want to look into converting an old PC, Netbook, or laptop to try out 100% Cloud computing then keep on eye on these technologies:

• Jolicloud – Cloud Based Operating System which is a Linux Distro. Competitor of Chromium.
• Google Chrome or Chromium – This is currently in testing and should release next year.  I have a lot of hopes for this Minimal list Cloud based OS.
• Ubuntu Netbook Remix
• Moblin

Do you have your own ideas about cloud computing or would like to add upon mine?  Please feel free to comment below!

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