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Three things keeping me from running a cloud desktop
Don't get me wrong - the people developing various cloud desktops like eyeOS and iCloud have created some very interesting apps with slick features. There are just a few nagging issues I have that prevent me from using one - or even thinking about using one any time soon.
First, there's my concern over data. I don't even want to consider the possibility of a company I don't control storing all my data. Heck, my GMail account doesn't even contain any really sensitive information and I've used it full time for five years. I just don't have any desire to place things like family videos, photos, and records in the hands of a business that could shut down at any time (screenshot?).
What if my cloud runs out of capital? What if they do something shady and their harware is confiscated? Where does that leave me?
Of course for that to be a dilemma, I'd have to be able to upload a significant amount of data somewhere at a reasonable speed. Which I can't.
Problem number two is created by my ISP. I've had DSL service for years, and while my download speeds have recently increased to about twice what they were when I originally signed up my uploads are still capped at an appalling 30K/s. Hardly a speed that makes the process of uploading large amounts of data a snap.
Online backup and cloud desktops? Forget it. Until my upstream flows more freely, I'm not uploading anything I don't have to.
Last but not least, there's Java. I recently took iCloud for a spin. It's a nice enough app, but task manager reported that my IE window was using about 390Mb of memory and as much as 40% of my processor. That's a pretty massive footprint. I can run Crunchbang or my own stripped-down XP install using much less than that, and they are infinitely more flexibile.
And then there's the lag. Dragging windows and launching apps in iCloud isn't nearly as fast as it is on even my slowest laptop. Until Java-based cloud desktops can offer comparable performance or someone comes up with a better alternative, forget it.
Our own Christina Warren recently weighed in on cloud pitfalls (specifically, the Google outage) on TechVI - check out the video!
Comments
9
Subscribe to commentsmichas_piMay 15th 2009 2:28PM
Cloud computing is stupid.
Gilbert PalauMay 15th 2009 2:43PM
You should try running your own cloud then, when www.groundos.org launches their's i'll probably look into it.
TomMay 15th 2009 2:50PM
You should try runnin' DeezNutz. Good OS.
T. C.May 15th 2009 2:51PM
I think there could be more potential for these cloud "operating systems" if they would start to use the new web frameworks that are out there, like Google Gears for data caching, or Silverlight for a faster and slicker UI.
The cloud os projects out there now are useless. You'd have more of an "operating system" installing Drupal or Wordpress.
DanMay 15th 2009 3:22PM
Cloud COMPUTING, yes, I agree. When it comes to cloud anti-virus/anti-malware solutions, I think it's utterly brilliant.
I'd never go a cloud OS, mainly for the first reason mentioned. I was a YouOS user for a short while. :^/
burnblueMay 15th 2009 7:30PM
I actually like the recent trend of editorializing on here
Pau Garcia-MilàMay 16th 2009 12:39PM
In fact, you can host eyeOS yourself (it's free software) so you're not sending your data to anywhere! (All you need is a LAMP platform).
DobiMay 18th 2009 8:04AM
Are you kidding, I like cloud computing especially online backups. It's a life saving technology since I lost all my files I saved on my external HDD.
For me SafeCopy, www.safecopybackup.com is a perfect fit. I can backup USB drives, share files and backup both my Mac and PC with one account. I'm very happy with it and it may be worth checking out.
JoeJun 21st 2009 12:33PM
Hey, how about opening up Microsoft Word when you want to write something, hitting print, save or send, and then not worrying about "how" you are doing that?
Is it so important HOW we accomplish our tasks--or is it important THAT we accomplish our tasks?
Just shut the hell up and work.