Cloud Computing

Do you really need that new computer? A technology revolution is occurring that may enable us to squeeze years’ more use out of the tools we have. It’s called “cloud computing,” where the heavy lifting happens not in the machine in front of you but in remote areas on the Internet. It means is that any computer capable of running a reasonably late-model browser (such as Google Chrome or Opera or Mozilla Firefox) and with high-speed Internet access can stay on equal footing with a brand-new ultraspeedy computer.

If you use Gmail, the e-mail application from Google, you probably are aware of cloud computing. Cloud computing via Google offers much of the functionality of applications such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird. But all the computing takes place online on Google-owned and -maintained computers. Google Apps, for example, is a suite of business applications that offers most of the functionality of Microsoft Office, including presentation software that rivals PowerPoint. The price is unbeatable—it’s free.

Is cloud computing slower than computing on the desktop? Not usually. Broadband Internet access, via cable modem or DSL, ought to allow superspeedy computing in the cloud. Cloud providers increasingly offer tools that let users do work while offline; Google lets users read, respond to, and write new Gmail while offline. So even when the power is out or the Internet is inaccessible, some work can be done with cloud tools.

The cloud may even put superpowerful software at your disposal. Sun Microsystems, for one, makes available very powerful tools on an à la carte basis via its Network.com. Want to create 3D tools? You could buy software for that, or you can pay nominal fees to use Sun’s Blender application, which lets you tap into much more robust computing power than you are likely to have in your office.

One way to get started in cloud computing is to stop backing up files on the desktop; instead, back everything up to the cloud. That service was pricey just a few years ago, but now there are many low-cost options such as Mozy.com for just $4.95 a month; it’s owned by EMC, a powerhouse in business-to-business computer gear. Amazon’s JungleDisk jungledisk.com charges by the gigabyte, and the cost should work out to just a few dollars monthly. Backing up in the cloud means you don’t need to buy that extra drive for the desktop, plus you gain the safety and security of offsite, redundant backup. If your computer is destroyed in a fire or other disaster, your files are safe because they are kept on remote servers.

Bottom line: Cloud computing just may be the step that allows you to go another year or three without a hardware upgrade.