Is "cloud computing" just a lot of hype with no substance?

[powerpleb]

I noticed on Ubuntu JJ countdown graphic that it mentions the 'cloud'. I've heard a lot of people talking about this cloud computing business but I still don't know what it is. Sounds like a lot of hype to me.
Is it just web based apps and storage?

[Skripka]

It is a pipe-nightmare. Literally, and metaphorically.

[Lateforgym]

I was at RIT a few months back where someone from Amazon(?) was talking about it and it got some of us talking.

The bottom line is yes, its hype in its current form.

The only reason it exists is so that people quit pirating software. However, its being sold as a way for companies to not have to keep upgrading their PCs. Thats thats whats really going on. The average computer connection doesnt support speeds needed for business and gamer usage. Thats what you wont hear people discuss who are trying to hawk this.

[HappinessNow]

Cloud-assisted computing has already been very well established by Zonbu (long before Ubuntu jumped on the bandwagon):

http://www.zonbu.com/home/index.htm

reference this thread:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1133741

[Skripka]

I was at RIT a few months back where someone from Amazon(?) was talking about it and it got some of us talking.

The bottom line is yes, its hype in its current form.

The only reason it exists is so that people quit pirating software. However, its being sold as a way for companies to not have to keep upgrading their PCs. Thats thats whats really going on. The average computer connection doesnt support speeds needed for business and gamer usage. Thats what you wont hear people discuss who are trying to hawk this.

The other thing people don't admit when hawking-

Cloud computing lets OS and software makers turn their "products" into "services"--so in the long run you have to pay more for the same thing....and not only pay more but a monthly fee as well.

[Skripka]

Cloud-assisted computing has already been very well established by Zonbu (long before Ubuntu jumped on the bandwagon):

http://www.zonbu.com/home/index.htm

Thank you for making my point.

[EGOvoruhk]

I'm not down with the cloud. I like to have tangible things for the money I pay. I don't want to have to worry about the future, when their servers go down. I want to be able to install my product 20 years from now, when I'm feeling nostalgic

[forrestcupp]

It is not empty hype, but it is ridiculous, especially if they want to head toward complete cloud computing.

They're going to have to make standard internet connections about 50x faster with no bandwidth caps if they want to turn everything into cloud computing. They'll also have to give us that at much lower costs to make it affordable for everyone.

I don't have a problem with some things living in the cloud, but making everything that way is just not feasible. Because of the ISP's greed, I don't think it will ever be feasible.

[Keyper7]

As everything that's overhyped, the problem is the extremists. On one side, we have people rushing to move everything to the cloud without thinking and some things are not ready for it yet. On other side, we have detractors simply saying "it's overhyped, therefore irrelevant". This is also wrong: the cloud has its advantages.

At the end of the day, it's just like any other advance in computing: in some cases it's the best tool for the job, in other cases it is just another option, and in other cases it's the worst tool possible.

I like to think of the cloud as the concept of thin terminals taken to a extreme: the philosophy of "let the server to the heavy work, let your computer just show the results". Good idea in theory, but anyone who's used a not-very-prepared-to-scale internal network knows it can be complicated in practice.

[3rdalbum]

Cloud computing is what they used to call "Applications in the web browser". I remember this being discussed in 1998 as being the way things were rapidly heading.

Back then, Java was going to deliver this to us. Now it's AJAX and Flash. It's all hype until they can put the same level of complexity of offline applications into online applications, and make the user experience just as immediate with high bandwidth. In short, it's not going to happen for a long time yet.

[HappinessNow]

Cloud computing is what they used to call "Applications in the web browser". I remember this being discussed in 1998 as being the way things were rapidly heading.

Back then, Java was going to deliver this to us. Now it's AJAX and Flash. It's all hype until they can put the same level of complexity of offline applications into online applications, and make the user experience just as immediate with high bandwidth. In short, it's not going to happen for a long time yet.


...but it is happening already! http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1133741

[James_Lochhead]

I noticed on Ubuntu JJ countdown graphic that it mentions the 'cloud'. I've heard a lot of people talking about this cloud computing business but I still don't know what it is. Sounds like a lot of hype to me.
Is it just web based apps and storage?

Cloud computing is where everything is done on servers (that you rent from companies). You would rent part of a cloud (or whatever the correct term is), put programs and data on, hook it up to your computer via the Internet and use the servers for doing all the processing/storage.

The (possible) upside: Lower costs to consumers due to economies of scale. You will not keep having to buy expensive new devices that do storage/processing every few years.

The downside: Privacy.

Realistically speaking though, it is not coming in any time soon. Internet connections in most parts of the world (except maybe Japan) are not fast enough for this yet. Mainly it is for business at the moment. We might see this coming in to mainstream society in 10-20 years IMO (simply because of the cost).

It is never going to be fast enough for intensive applications like Photoshop and games...

[HappinessNow]

Realistically speaking though, it is not coming in any time soon. Internet connections in most parts of the world (except maybe Japan) are not fast enough for this yet.

except maybe Japan and South Korea.

[James_Lochhead]

except maybe Japan and South Korea.

Yea I hear the South Koreans have good Internet as well. For some reason though I have been hearing that Japan is the only country in the world with the infrastructure for really high bandwidth stuff such as TV (Times article). Don't know why though as I hear they have Internet that goes the same speed as that of Japan... maybe something to do with ISPs not having the capacity?

[juancarlospaco]

But Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud is Open Source and Private Cloud.
so its free because is your cloud, and is fine because you can customize your cloud.

Let it rain...

[forrestcupp]

...but it is happening already! http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1133741

It's not happening already. Until I can boot up to the net and play Halo 2 completely off the internet, we're not there yet. That is what we're saying won't happen for a long time. It can't feasibly happen until internet speeds are at least as fast as hard drive speeds. I don't see that happening any time soon, at least not in a way that will satisfy any non-bandwagon-rider.

But if all you ever want to do on your computer is chat and use Google Apps, then cloud compute away!

[tacantara]

I have read up on this "cloud computing" concept, but I don't trust the internet enough to completely place my trust in it. Hackers can manipulate websites to distribute their viruses, worms, etc. and the cloud would make a lucrative target as it gains popularity. Just remember, even an internet e-mail account can be easily hacked (remember the story of Sarah Palin's Yahoo e-mail account?). JMHO, but something to think about.