“Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a metered service over a network (typically the Internet).”

Urging boomers to engage and reap the digital flow. A personal perspective.

So you’re in a bind. Your Microsoft Windows ☛ XP or ☛ Vista machine (computer) is running at max (CPU and maybe RAM) power and the waiting is bothersome. Irksome even. That old steam-powered, scrapyard ☛ ready, desktop clunker that cost you a fat fortune back in the day is too slow. Hardware is to blame. What to do?Upgrade? Nope. Too hard, too expensive and too often impossible. Buy new? Yup. But wait. Not so fast my dear gadget-mesmerised reader. Start with a question. What comes first – the chicken (i.e. software) or the egg (i.e. hardware)? Software! Yup, software comes first.

Back to basics. Why (back to basics) ? Because the criteria of your earlier purchase decision-making have changed in keeping with the relentlessly progressive disruptive technology we openly embrace ‘most everyday.

Always iterating software (and your data) make your digital world go ’round. And ever evolving hardware make your personal digital experience come to life. Jump into the foreseeable future and imagine living your digital experience on your eyeballs and in your ears – directly. Mean-time, hardware is transitional – a moving feast of the next must-have gadgets – all advancing toward personal use ‘singularity’. But I digress.

Back to software (and your data) and how your purchase decision-making criteria is adapting. Thin is in. Today you are emphatically encouraged to use The Internet and the world-wide-web (the web) for the state-of-the-art digital future, available to you in the here and now. Open Google ☛ search, Bing ☛ search, or whatever ☛ search engine (guess that’s why they call ’em software engineers ☛ @ wikipedia.org) you may choose and look-up the many installed software applications you are using on your XP or Vista machine and ask the web to give you the on-line equivalent or substitute. And prepare to be amazed and, yes, even thrilled that your needs are (already) being met on the web.

How? Cloud software and hardware.

“Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a metered service over a network (typically the Internet).” ☛ @ wikipedia.org

What is the Cloud? ☛ (infographic) Click on the ‘Enlarge’ symbol, showing up as you mouse-over the infographic, or just click anywhere on the infographic, for the big picture. Traditional computing versus the Cloud ☛ (infographic). Growth of the Cloud  ☛ (infographic) and Growth of the Cloud by 2015 ☛ (infographic). The small business journey to the Cloud  ☛ (infographic) and small businesses and the Cloud ☛ (infographic). More cloud computing ☛ (infographics).

Cloud computing ☛ How it all works (embedded below : 2:33).

Web-based software (aka webware or web applications ☛ @ wikipedia.org) uses your web-browser to deliver similar or very same outcomes as your desktop software applications do but does the processing (and stores your data) in the cloud – on the web-software provider’s own hardware and not yours. Many suitable web-based software solutions and services are free to personally use. No more desktop application software purchases and upgrades for you – ever. No more sudden hardware upgrades to meet increasing desktop application software minimum specs. Older hardware is newer again. Most modern (and free) web-browsers continue to fully support XP and Vista machines. Yes, you will need a speedy Internet connection and yes, dial-up is insufficient.

But aren’t we just trading one cost for another? Not really. You gain budget friendly technology access and use of your favoured application softwares (and ready access to your data) – anywhere, any-time, any device. You gain more operational consistency and more time to be creative. Less hardware headaches, less software headaches, less pocket-hurt, less user stress. More you-time. Are we making sense? You be the judge. And go have a look-see for yourself. Selected linkage below.

Replacing personal hardware is pocket-hurt. And regularly replacing personal hardware and software is pocket-draining. Might you truly delay or even eliminate hardware (and software) upgrade pocket-hurt? Yes, I have personally retired my email desktop applications (yes, two were in constant use) in favour of free Google mail ☛ or Gmail supporting fourteen (14) email addresses – anywhere, any-time, any device. And now you can Follow an email’s journey at ☛ Story of Send (embedded video below : 1:49).

I am using free SugarSync ☛ file sync and online backup (first 5GB) to store my data on-line for global access – anywhere, any-time, any device (top 5 free cloud storage options ☛ @ techsplurge.com). Next up is Office to free Google Docs ☛ online documents, spreadsheets, presentations, surveys, file storage, and more – anywhere, any-time, any device. And so on. My second-hand machine, manufactured 2006, with 1.5GB RAM and 160 GB hard drive and running the latest Google ☛ Chrome (Google Chrome Web-Browser ☛ post @ SeniorNet), Mozilla ☛ FireFox, Apple ☛ Safari and Opera ☛ web-browsers – all providing the state-of-the-art Internet and the web. You get the picture. Now, go migrate to your digital bliss .

PPS. Free web apps and online software alternatives to Office ☛ @ alternativeto.net (including Microsoft and Google free webware and services). Worth your while exploring.

Selected linkage . . Best free online applications and services ☛ @ http://www.techsupportalert.com, 50 great web alternatives to desktop software ☛ @ web.appstorm.net, Online tools and application ☛ @ http://www.go2web20.net, Web 2.0 Directory ☛ @ http://www.listio.com, Use your applications and files anywhere ☛ @ spoon.net, 40+ tips to get the most out of your web apps ☛ @ web.appstorm.net.

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