A Challenge: Get on the Cloud and Live there

By Sajith Sivanandan, Country Manager, Google Malaysia 

You turn on your PC or laptop, wait for it to boot up, glance at your desktop icons then click on your internet browser icon. Your web browser pops open, and you go about working on your report, updating spreadsheet figures, emailing friends, listening to some banging tunes and editing your holiday photos (multitasking is a given these days).

And all this while, your desktop icons linger in the background, feeling left out and lonely until its time for you to shut down. If this describes you, or if you’re using a web-based mail service like Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail instead of a traditional desktop email programme, you’re already “living in the cloud”.

Just like you, millions of people around the world are communicating, exchanging and storing information in the cloud, giving them access to their mail, music, movies, work and more from wherever they are, on whatever device. Cloud computing (the “cloud” refers to data and computer programs that live on centrally located servers rather than on your computer) aims to change your life and in doing so, makes it easier for you at work, play and all times in between. Its also easy to get onto the cloud: just one click on your browser icon and you’re there.

Sajith Sivanandan, Country Manager, Google Malaysia

As web apps become more sophisticated, you can now do everything “in the cloud.” In other words, you can accomplish almost any task you used to do with desktop software inside your web browser, and on top of that, you can access your data anytime from any device, be it a PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone or netbook. By keeping and accessing the information that’s important online, or in the cloud, you’re bringing an unprecedented level of flexibility and accessibility to your life, for instance:

• Everything you need is always available everywhere you are
• You never need worry about losing anything ever again.
• Your files and software are always up to date, all the time.
• No need to spend money on storage media like USB keys, external drives, and recordable DVDs.
• Easier to collaborate (even in real-time) and share files with your coworkers and friends.

 
And since you already do more via your browser – whether it’s chatting, posting photos, watching movies or having a video conference, you’ll find staying in the cloud and off your desktop a breeze. If you’re not convinced that you can do all your computer tasks via only your browser or through mobile devices, why not spend a week (or month) living completely in the cloud?

You’ll need:

• An internet-connected laptop, desktop computer, smartphone, tablet, netbook … or any combination of these. (The more devices you use, the more you’ll enjoy life in the cloud!)
• Web apps, interactive online services like Gmail, which you can access through a web browser on your laptop or desktop computer.

 
Guidelines to remember

1. Your web browser should be the only piece of software you use on your laptop or desktop computer (but apps on mobile devices are okay).

2. You can only access files that are stored in the cloud and thus accessible to all your devices

3. You must continue this for one full week (or month).

Tips

1. Browser: The web browser is your gateway to cloud living, so choose carefully. Since you’ll rely on web apps running inside your browser to get stuff done in the cloud, you need a fast, secure web browser like Google Chrome or the latest versions of Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer. One advantage of using Chrome is that it’s also available for Android and iOS phones and tablets, so you can sync your bookmarks, open tabs, browsing history and other browser settings across all your devices.

2. Storage: Instead of moving files around with external drives and USB keys, use Google Drive, Dropbox, Box or a similar cloud storage service to make sure you’re always in sync. You can upload and access files through your web browser or through apps on your mobile devices.

3. Email: If you’re still relying on desktop mail programs like Outlook, you can set up Gmail to receive POP mail, either through the web or your mobile device.

4. Other tasks: Need replacements for your favorite desktop software? Now, you can do virtually everything you used to do with your desktop software inside your browser.

• Word processing (Word → Google Docs, which can even view and edit Word files)
• Presentation software (PowerPoint → Google Docs Presentation Editor, Prezi, Slide Rocket, etc.)
• Instant Messaging (AIM → Google Talk in Gmail, Whats App, Line)
• Video chat (Skype → Google+ Hangouts, video chat in Gmail, FaceTime)
• Photo editing (Photoshop → Photoshop Express online app)
• Video editing (iMovie → YouTube.com’s Video Editor, JayCut.com, WeVideo)
• Movies (DVDs → YouTube)
• Music (iTunes → internet radio apps, YouTube)
• Entertainment (Paperbacks → Google Books, Kindle) (Movies → YouTube) etc.
• Contact management (Outlook → Contacts in Gmail, SalesForce)
• Anything else you’re missing? Search the Chrome Web Store to find web apps for virtually any computing task.

5. Games: If you’re an avid gamer, consider leaving your portable gaming device at home. Games are available in both the Chrome Web Store and Google Play, from arcade classics to Angry Birds. Full-fledged tablets like the iPad and Nexus 7 allow for high-performance 3D gaming.

6. Offline: What can you do when you aren’t internet connected? With Google Chrome, you can set up your Google Docs, Gmail, Calendar, and Drive for offline access.

You’ve got your device ready, you know the rules and how to go about doing almost everything in the cloud. So take the challenge, and hopefully, you’ll enjoy your time in the cloud so much that you’ll stay there!