Topic: Would you switch to the cloud?

tl;dr - if you're already well aware of the cloud, don't bother reading the post. Just answer the subject question :3

It seems cloud computing is the next big step - people's internet connections are getting faster and more reliable; a variety of cloud-focused operating systems are springing up all over the place; web applications are becoming increasingly prevalent and full-featured (apps like Cloud Canvas, Google Docs and Microsoft Office Live have you well-covered on the practical side of things, and the internet's certainly no stranger to in-browser gaming); and the social networking boom means most of us are constantly connected to our Twitters, Facebooks, and Messengers (which, coincidentally, are all connected to each other too, and god only knows how many services let you log in with your Facebook and Google accounts).

JoliOS desktop

There's certainly advantages - cheaper machines that boot in seconds; no more waiting for applications to install and that are constantly up-to-date; and the ability to access all your files in the cloud from anywhere, on any machine, without having to worry about where you put your memory stick. And chances are those files in the cloud are backed up better than the files on your own hard drive.

Of course, those who need their heavy-duty desktop applications aren't going to go for it, and most of us will probably end up in a happy medium - desktop apps with cloud features, and maybe a few important things stored in a service like Dropbox. And swapping your 1Tb harddrive for files stored in several servers across several sites is something of a turn-off... and all those monthly fees if you want anything that seems like a decent amount of storage. And how reliable is your internet connection anyway? Reliable enough to store important documents and trust you'll still be able to get to them later? And finally that old cookie of trusting somebody else to look after your stuff.

It's possibly best, if not entirely accurate, to describe cloud computing as 'light' computing - for those who want it quick, convenient and on-the-go; access to everything they need and nothing they don't. It's certainly intriguing, but would you go the whole way? Ditch Windows/Mac/Linux in favor of Chrome OS/JoliOS? _{Before anyone points out that JoliOS and probably ChromeOS are Linux-based, yes I know that}

Personally, I think I might. Once uni's over anyway. For me, the benefits outweigh the costs - it's not like I do much gaming on this thing, and I've pretty much given up programming as a bad job in favor of a less headache-inducing career path, so 90% of the things I do are on the browser and the other 10% could go to the browser without me losing much. At the very least, I can see myself using an OS that leans far more to the cloud than it does to the desktop.

_{If anyone's got a better word than 'desktop' to use for non-cloud computing, please fill me in because I can't think of one}

I wouldn't switch, here's a few reasons why: one, my internet connection is very unreliable; two, I hate the concept of being charged fees for adequate storage; and three, I'm quite paranoid about my stuff being misappropriated (physical or otherwise), so I definitely wouldn't be able to trust that all my files would be kept safe...

The whole cloud computing thing sounds pretty good, but it's just not my cup of tea...

I'm paranoid when it comes to files and documents - I have so much school and project work on my PC, as well as my good old personal stuff. I need a lot of space; you should see how many times my virtual memory has been increased. I prefer my sturdy old 'heavy' desktop. I'm not really a light 'on-the-go' person where computers are involved.

It's not a hypothetical question for me. I'm responding on a CR-48, Google's Chrome OS netbook, that I got free as part of their pilot program. My one and only gripe is that they don't have Java support, but I can live with that.

I think the cloud is good enough for most computer users. There will always be the power users who definitely do need a traditional computer for what they want out of it, but I think most would find they don't miss the hard drive once it's gone. I've been using Google Docs for a long time, and it has much more space than I've ever needed and has also been much more reliable than any hard drive I've ever used, most of which eventually crashed or at least suffered the occasional virus.

Meh, the internal storage on my laptop is more than I ever could need - and plenty of storage space will be even cheaper when it needs to be replaced. I like the idea of the convenience cloud provides - but I don't want to pay a subscription for it. Especially once you consider most anywhere I'd work would have too much security for me to just put my work computer info "into the cloud" and access it from home.

I guess I'll have to stick with my thumb drive/emailing the occasional document to myself.

@Adam - how is google docs? Can I upload stuff from Microsoft on there (and have others download it without it being a pain in the butt formatting-wise? I despise Office, but it's a necessary evil, unfortunately.

It'll convert Microsoft documents. I haven't had reason to in awhile, so I can't recall if there are formatting issues. Converting files from any format to another always comes with little quirks though, so I wouldn't be surprised.