101 Computer Uses

Cloud 101: Are You a PC, Mac or Cloud?

When we talk about a computer’s local operating system (OS) today, we’re usually talking about Mac OSX or Microsoft Windows (or increasingly, Linux). An OS is basically the software that tells your computer how to run and how to appear. Every computer has one.

Now, however, cloud computing gives you another option: the cloud OS. A cloud OS is designed to run within your Web browser, which means that it and all your programs and data live on the Internet rather than locally on your computer’s hard drive. In fact, everything comes from the cloud: your screen’s appearance, the applications you use and the files you create and save.

Because all your data lives on the Internet, you can log onto your “computer” from any online device -- a tablet, laptop, PC or even a smartphone -- using just a Web browser. The benefit of going with a cloud OS is that you’ll naturally use other applications via the cloud too, so your data is always available and you won’t lose it if, for example, your hard drive crashes. However, you’ll need to be online to access your “computer,” so you need Web access wherever you want to use it.

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