Techs & Trends

the cloud is exactly that. The Cloud is a concept first designed for business, in which all media files and documents are stored on remote servers, thus removing the need for local storage. In layman's terms, the cloud allows users to access all of their files, pictures, music, etc. from any computer that has internet access, because all of the content is saved on a server in Greenland, for example, rather than on your hard drive. As the cloud is fully developed and graduates from its current infant stage, the need for massive hard drives will become obsolete. Rather than buy a computer with a 2 terabyte hard drive, you will buy a razor thin netbook (or tablet, etc.) with a hard drive of perhaps 2-10 GB. The only function of that hard drive will be to store the operating system and system settings. Other than that, everything will be stored remotely.

The concept will make computing so much easier. Google just announced their newest operating system at I/O just a week ago. Google has never been short sighted, thus it comes as no surprise that their laptops will be merely a portal to the cloud. One of the coolest features of their laptops is that, even if your laptop is lost, stolen, or destroyed, you can simply purchase another Google laptop and have instant access to all of your files. Over the next few years, the cloud will become very familiar, and in five to ten years, the name will be recognizable even by seniors. Microsoft's advertising is horrendous, because they convey the image that the cloud can somehow edit pictures in a professional manner with the simple click of a button; there is no explanation of what the cloud is. I think it confuses people more than introduces a new and very exciting product.