What is the Cloud?
You may have heard people using terms
like the cloud, cloud computing, or cloud storage. But
what exactly is the cloud? Basically, the cloud is the internet—more
specifically, it's all of the things that you can access remotely over
the internet. When something is in the cloud, it means it is stored on servers
on the internet, instead of on your computer. It lets you access your calendar,
email, files, and more from any computer that has an internet
connection. If you've ever used web-based email, then you've used the cloud—all
of the emails in your inbox are stored on servers.
However, there are many other services that use the cloud in different ways. Here are just a few examples:
- · Dropbox is a cloud storage service that lets you easily store and share files with other people, and it lets you access your files from a mobile device as well.
- Evernote lets you type notes, clip web pages, take photos, and organize all of them from your computer or mobile device.
- · Mozy and Carbonite can automatically back up your data in case your computer is lost, stolen, or damaged.
Why Use the Cloud?
There are many reasons to use the
cloud, but the main reasons are convenience and reliability. In
the past, if you wanted to bring a file with you, you would have to save
it to a USB flash drive, external hard drive, or CD-R disc.
Saving a file to the cloud ensures that
you'll be able to access it with any
computer that has an internet connection, so you don't have any physical media
to keep track of. The cloud also makes it much easier to share a
file with coworkers or friends, making it possible to collaborate over
the internet. With the cloud, you're much less likely to lose your data,
since it is stored on servers. However, just like anything online, there is
always a risk that someone may try to gain access to your personal data,
so it's important to choose a strong password and pay attention to any privacy
settings for the service you're using.
What is a Web App?
Previously, we talked about how desktop
applications allow you to perform tasks on your computer. However, there
are also web applications (or web apps), which run in the
cloud and do not need to be installed on your computer. These are sometimes
called cloud apps.
Examples of Web Apps
- · Online Email Services: Services like Gmail and Yahoo! Mail run within your browser and can do many of the same things that email programs like Microsoft Outlook can do. After you sign up for an online email service, you can begin using it immediately—no installation is required. Instead of being stored on your computer, your emails are stored in the cloud.
- · Google Docs: Google Docs is an office suite that runs within your browser. Much like Microsoft Office, you can use it to create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more. Your documents are stored in the cloud, which makes it easy to share your documents with other people.
- · Facebook: Facebook lets you create an online profile and interact with your friends. Profiles and conversations are constantly evolving, so Facebook uses web app technologies throughout the site to keep the information up-to-date.
There are also games and other web
apps that you can add to your Facebook profile. Web apps are becoming more
and more integrated with websites, and it may be hard to distinguish between
a web application and a "regular" website. In many cases, you may be
using a web application without even knowing it!
How Does Web Apps Work?
When you use a web app, you are working
from your computer or mobile device, but much of the actual processing is done
by a network of servers. These servers can pool all of their
processing power in order to handle requests from all over the world. They
also use specialized servers to store the data that you're working with,
as well as the data from all of the other users. All of this happens very seamlessly,
so it looks almost like the application is running on your computer.
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