What use is cloud computing to me?

[jimw]

Having just barely heard of "cloud computing" in the last few days, I went to look it up to see what it was.

To the best of my understanding, it seems to be what was once referred to as "vapourware" (IIRC). Your programs and data don't reside on your machine, but on the net, which seems to me to be massively insecure.

Can someone explain to me what use cloud computing could be to me, a home computer user?

JimW

[JasenGroves]

I have the same fears. To me, it's insecure and what happens when I'm somewhere without a connection to the internet. But the home computer market is the target group. Here you can have all your software and data anywhere you go without having to take it with you... as long as you have a connection. I just don't like that idea, you have to be connected to a secure connection. I can't say that the coffee shop down the block has a secure connection...

[starcraft.man]

This calls for.............. WIKIPEDIA!

Link. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing)

A more involved explanation from me would take a while, but basically any service offered on the web storing data like google docs, gmail, xmarks can all be considered cloud computing.

As to security, that is relative not absolute. How important is the data in question, and how secure is your home system? How secure is the service (Google vs xmarks vs Joe's amateur server). I for instance use gmail, I suppose that could be hacked, but is it likely? By the same token, nothing on it is life threatening to my existence, I certainly don't store my SS or visa number in it. Security is hard to measure, I do agree with your concern on data being in the cloud, too many people are oblivious to the problems with the cloud.

[niteshifter]

Having just barely heard of "cloud computing" in the last few days, I went to look it up to see what it was.

To the best of my understanding, it seems to be what was once referred to as "vapourware" (IIRC). Your programs and data don't reside on your machine, but on the net, which seems to me to be massively insecure.

Can someone explain to me what use cloud computing could be to me, a home computer user?

JimW

GoogleDocs is an example of cloud computing. "Vaporware" is a term that refers to software that that is promised, but is not actually available. Example (classic!): The game Duke Nukem Forever.

The term does have relevance to cloud computing via Internet. All it takes for all of one's processes, documents and data to become vaporware is for the provider selected to go out of business. Or an errant backhoe operator.

[Johnny B]

you can easily encrypt your files before you upload them

[JasenGroves]

you can easily encrypt your files before you upload them

if someone wants to crack the encryption, they will.

[ddrichardson]

if someone wants to crack the encryption, they will.
If someone wants to break into your house and steal your computer they will. That your files could be intercepted doesn't mean the alternative is more secure, in fact in my experience few people are encrypting home computers.

[aysiu]

you can easily encrypt your files before you upload them
Or just use SpiderOak.

[Sporkman]

The benefit is you can take advantage of powerful apps from your wimpy internet-connected netbook... And you get the latest & greatest apps, without having to install updates, etc.

[JohnFH]

if someone wants to crack the encryption, they will.

??? No they won't. Why do you think the US government doesn't like people using strong encryption? Because they can't crack it.

[koshatnik]

For apps, its great. For data, perhaps not so great.

With the advent of network drives, I can access my data anywhere in the world anyway. So its a bit of a non-issue really.

[KiwiNZ]

Cloud Computing in the commercial market is a reality that will come . Has huge advantages.
As for home users? hmmm not so sure , parts of it may have advantages but widespread take up, not for a very long time. Cost will be a big limiting factor for home users.

[MasterNetra]

??? No they won't. Why do you think the US government doesn't like people using strong encryption? Because they can't crack it.

The government's hacking team sucks ***, there inability to crack strong encryption means nothing. There is bound to be someone elsewhere though who can crack it.

[doas777]

Cloud Computing in the commercial market is a reality that will come . Has huge advantages.

thats what they said about business intelligence a few years ago. that one never materialised either. I don't like the idea of utility/leased computing. it;s like we're stepping back 20 years.


edit: poor trimming on quote. sry

[richg]

I have been using a version of Cloud computing since June 1998. I use Yahoo web based mail and all my emails and many file attachments are in the Cloud somewhere. I can find those emails and files from any PC, anywhere.
No problem

Rich

[Katalog]

Having just barely heard of "cloud computing" in the last few days, I went to look it up to see what it was.

To the best of my understanding, it seems to be what was once referred to as "vapourware" (IIRC). Your programs and data don't reside on your machine, but on the net, which seems to me to be massively insecure.

Can someone explain to me what use cloud computing could be to me, a home computer user?

JimW

It may not be of much benefit for someone with a desktop and large amounts of physical storage, and possibly their own servers, except when it comes to the ability for groups of people to collaborate on projects and need to share data who have access to limited resources. But for someone like my wife who is running Ubuntu from a 20 GB SSD, the benefit could be immeasurable having the ability to store loads of data offsite.

[donkyhotay]

The funny thing is cloud computing takes computers back full-circle to the old days when you had 1 massive mainframe for your business and all your employees logged into it with dumb terminals. Eventually computers became more prevelent until almost everyone has one. Now it's going back to where computers are becoming more 'dumb' with all the serious processing happening on online server farms.

[jonobr]

Hey, just want to throw in another aspect here that people may not have considered.

In other developing countries where internet access and hardware is prohibitively expensive. Where groups of people, families or houses come together to get a computer to gain Internet access, you can offer a very cheap box that has a limited form factor , a monitor and a keyboard, and all the applications are stored centrally.

For most people here, this is crazy, where you cant have your data on a removable drive, or install the apps you want, but in other countries and regions, this will be a big thing.

[Sporkman]

The funny thing is cloud computing takes computers back full-circle to the old days when you had 1 massive mainframe for your business and all your employees logged into it with dumb terminals. Eventually computers became more prevelent until almost everyone has one. Now it's going back to where computers are becoming more 'dumb' with all the serious processing happening on online server farms.

That's because both processing power and network capacity was slow & expensive. Then processing power leaped ahead, resulting in localized processing. Then, with the internet, network capacity caught back up.

The central processing model is more efficient & easier to administer.

[hanzomon4]

To me the advantage is storage, access, and the ability to sync my web-enabled "devices". A great example is google mail calendar contacts. With imap I don't have to download my entire mail box to evolution and when I send an email from my iphone (which is connected to the same account via imap) that sent email shows up on my iphone, in evolution, kmail, mail.app.. any email app that's connected to that imap account. The same thing happens with my google contacts and calendars. Both are synced across my various devices and OSes. I make a change on my iphone or in evolution it's instantly updated everywhere else. I have facebook synced to my Google calendar so that all of my rsvped events get streamed to me, even all of my friends birthdays.

[PurposeOfReason]

The government's hacking team sucks ***, there inability to crack strong encryption means nothing. There is bound to be someone elsewhere though who can crack it.
Do you know anything on encryption? Shift encryption took forever to figure out when it was king (of course now it takes two seconds). If you want to take a go at a 128bit key, be my guest; but by the time you do crack it you'll be dead or the data not relevant anymore.