Cloud-Based OSs And Netbooks Are The Future, Maybe…

Since netbooks seemed to have taken off like many said they wouldn’t, it’s raised some questions as to the future of cloud-based computing and the devices we use to access it.  Since the applications and overall functions of today’s computers are being moved online, or the “clouds,” the devices and computers needed to access them require much less substance, battery power, and processing power.  In other words, the “computing” of today’s computers will be moved online.  The speed of the processing will then rely on the Internet connection rather than the computer’s hardware which is much easier to increase remotely and cheaply.

Since netbooks really don’t need bulky Windows installed on it, it’s left open a niche for OSs built specifically for netbooks.  Some have been introduced which are pretty cool.  One from “Good OS” called “gOS” was reviewed recently:

Good OS has been trying to position their operating system as a good fit for netbooks for ages. Or for what passes for ages in a market that’s barely over a year old. While gOS can run pretty much any application that runs on Ubuntu, the operating system’s claim to fame is its integration with web-based services like Gmail, Google Docs, and YouTube. In other words, applications that are hosted online in the “cloud” and which don’t run natively on your computer.

The concept makes a lot of sense. After all, netbooks tend to be underpowered when compared with more traditional laptop and desktop computers. So why exert a lot of processing power to load local apps when all you really need is a web browser than can reach remote applications? But if you think about it, web-based applications aren’t exactly choc full of powerful features. After all, Google, Zoho, and other web service providers have to make sure their applications can interface with thousands or millions of web browsers simultaneously. So while it’s certainly nice that gOS offers a few big buttons that let you access web apps, the truth is you can easily run native desktop apps like OpenOffice.org that probably offer more features than the web apps.

On the other hand, the nice thing about Cloud Computing isn’t just that you don’t need to install and run software locally. It’s that you can access it from any system. And since most people probably don’t use a 8.9 inch netbook as their primary computer, cloud-based applications like Google Calendar can be a great way to update your data on one comptuer and access it on another. In other words, you can upload your Word or Excel documents to Zoho Office from your home or work computer, and edit them on the go by logging into your Zoho account on your portable machine. Or you can update your appointments with Google Docs

I don’t know know if something like this will ever be more popular than a simple Linux-based OS which is also light-weight and pretty perfect for netbooks.  It might provide an easy-to-use OS for niche netbook designs but widespread popularity is doubtful if you ask me.