The Next Good OS: Cloud

From the makers of the gOS comes Cloud. According to the website, "Cloud is a browser operating system that combines beautiful design with sophisticated technologies to make the PC faster, safer, and easier."[Cloud]

While the idea of running an OS via a web browser is new, it is definitely intriguing. Since the OS is not available right now, the footprint isn't know. It would be assumed that it will be small and compact compared to current OS's.

One benefit seen on this is the seemingly virtual way the OS will be run. You have to have an OS booted to run a browser, right? So if you have an OS loaded, and then you run Cloud, you are effectively running a virtual machine OS.

Here is the features list:

Feature List

• Web browser with Icon Dock Inside
• Network Manager
• Power Button
• Boot to Window XP/Vista or Linux OS
• Battery Life Indicator
• Volume Controls
• My Files & Viewers

Specifications & Requirements

• Standard x86 Processor
• 128 MB Ram
• 35 MB Storage (Can be smaller or larger)
• Preloaded in HDD/SSD of PC
• Preloaded in on board flash storage of MB
• Preloaded in CD as Windows Installer
• Cloud does not require additional hardware and is compatible with any operating system.

Cloud Computing: Is The World Ready?

So is the world,  or at least the mainstream business world, ready for "cloud computing?" Google has put a lot of their eggs in this technology basket, while Microsoft tends to dismiss it as a futuristic myth.

So the question is, is anyone really making these types of applications yet? I know people that use the Google apps. I have seen an Open Office online suite as well. It doesn't seem that the concept is too main stream right now.

With hardware costs coming down and storage capacity going through the roof, what is the need of cloud computing?

With cloud computing, you can get back to the good old world or dummy terminals. PC monitors, with no brains and almost no capacity. They hook into a server, and the server does all the work, for all terminals.

That is a cheaper, yet less efficient way to get the software needed (on the servers or Internet) to the employees without buying the hardware and licensing the company doesn't need.

It has an interesting present, and an even more interesting future. But I would agree that the world is not ready for full blown cloud computing.