Is cloud computing the future?
The announcement by Google that it was going to create a new operating system caused a firestorm of discussion. Much of the discussion, however, downplayed or even ignored the fact that the proposed (it doesn’t exist yet) Google Chrome operating system would be a minimalist version aimed solely at getting on the Internet. A system would then depend on Web applications or the “cloud” for its functions. Is cloud computing the future? Not everybody would agree that computing is going to move online but the Week in Review section of Sunday’s New York Times has an article that says:
Whether Chrome OS succeeds may not matter. Much of the computer world is inexorably moving toward “cloud computing,” in a shift that could greatly simplify the way we access and process digital information.
There would be no more pesky software installations, no more trudging through menu after menu to configure programs, no more backups or upgrades. E-mailing bulky attachments would be a thing of the past, as people could allow others to access their files online, making collaboration easier.
Any device, anywhere — from a desktop PC to a mobile phone — could give users instant access to all their files and programs so long as it had a Web browser. At the same time, new kinds of devices would be possible, from portable computers that are even lighter than today’s thinnest PCs, to, say, a Web-connected screen in a hotel room that would give guests full access to their digital lives.
What’s your opinion? Would you be willing to do most of your computer activity on the Web?
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