Cloud Computing on Google Chrome
Cloud computing simplifies computing to its basics: you use your computer to work on documents using Internet-based software and hardware, and then store them on the cloud (the Internet). You can then access the document from any cloud-friendly device such as netbook computers, tablet PCs, and even smartphones such as iPhones and BlackBerries. And Google Chrome has one of the easiest platforms for cloud computing available.
Doing all your work on a computer means that in an increasingly mobile and connected world, you keep bumping your noggin on the following increasingly frustrating problems:
- You can’t access data from your computer while you’re out and about.
- You can’t look up a document from your network if you’ve only got a smartphone or PDA.
- You can’t collaborate with folks who can’t access your network.
Google’s solution for all these woes is to allow you to shift your data to the cloud. If you have a Google account, you can store your documents in your Google online storage area.
Online storage is useful, to be sure, but Google ups the ante by also offering an online suite of applications called Google Docs, which includes a word processor, spreadsheet application, and presentation program, as well as applications such as Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google Maps, and more. These are powerful and useful programs that run in the cloud instead of on your local PC.
The Pros of Cloud Computing on Google Chrome
Here’s how this helps to solve the problems mentioned earlier:
- You can access any document that resides on the server from anywhere in the world that has an Internet connection.
- The Google applications work in a wide variety of browsers (not just Google Chrome). This means you can at least view your documents using your smartphone, PDA, or any other web-enabled device.
- The Google Docs applications not only enable you to view and edit documents online, they also enable multiple users to collaborate on a document, which means you can work with someone outside your network.
Clearly, cloud computing is a whole new kettle of electronic fish.
The Cons of Cloud Computing on Google Chrome
Not surprisingly, there are a few downsides to cloud computing on Google Chrome:
- No Internet? No joy. If where you are has no Internet connection, then you’re toast, plain and simple. To do cloud-bound work—particularly using Google Chrome OS—you must be able to connect to the Net.
- Slow Internet? Only a little joy. Doing even basic web surfing is a frustrating bit of business with a slow Internet connection, but trying to actually do some work in the slow lane? Cloud computing requires a fast connection, period.
- Molasses-in-January applications. Even if you have the zippiest broadband connection possible, you’ll still find online applications noticeably slower than offline programs. That’s because the online application must occasionally converse with the server (for example, to save your work), and although that’s usually done remarkably quickly, you’ll notice some delays.
- Missing-in-action applications. The cloud actually offers a surprising range of online applications—word processors, spreadsheets, photo sharing, and many more—but don’t expect to find every type of program out there.
- Need more space? It’ll cost you. You need a Google account to use Google Chrome OS, and the default account comes with 1 GB of storage for Google Docs. (Gmail offers 7 GB for messages, while Picasa Web Albums offers 1 GB for photos.) That’s not much, and if you want more you have to buy it. For example, an extra 20 GB goes for $5 a year, an additional 200 GB will cost you $50 a year, and 1 TB (1,024 GB) will set you back $256 annually.
How Google Chrome OS Fits into All This
You’re no doubt used to your operating systems coming with a bunch of programs installed on your computer, such as WordPad and Paint in Windows and Mail and Address Book in Mac OS X. But Google Chrome OS only installs one program: the Google Chrome web browser. That program starts when you log in to Google Chrome OS, it runs constantly throughout your session, and you can’t switch to any other program or close it (unless you turn off your machine). That’s sounds like you’re getting ripped off, but it’s just the Google Chrome OS way of doing things. That is, you use the Chrome browser to access the web and do all your work in the cloud using online applications such as Google Docs, Gmail, and Google Calendar. If you create any files as you do your cloud-work, those files remain in the cloud indefinitely after you shut down your Google Chrome OS session.
Preparing to Use the Cloud
There is a bit of prep work you’ll need to do before making the switch to cloud computing:
- Get your mitts on a Google account. This is a must.
- Add storage to your account. It’s possible that the default storage limits will be enough for you, but it’s worth it to take a little time and figure out approximately how much you’ll be storing in the cloud, then bump up your storage accordingly.
- Get your word processing documents ready. If you’re going to use the Google Docs word processor, you’ll need to convert your existing Microsoft Word, StarOffice, or OpenDocument files to the Google Docs word processing format. However, the maximum word processing document size that Google Docs will convert is 500 KB. If you have a document larger than that, consider splitting it into multiple files to get them smaller than 500 KB.
- Get your spreadsheets ready. You’ll need to convert existing spreadsheet files to the Google Docs spreadsheet format. You can convert Microsoft Excel and OpenDocument files, but the maximum size Google Docs can handle is 1 MB. Consider splitting any spreadsheet over that size to get the resulting fragments under the limit.
- Get your presentations ready. If you’re going to use the Google Docs presentation program, you can convert your existing Microsoft PowerPoint files to the Google Docs presentation format. The maximum presentation size that Google Docs will convert is 10 MB, so if you have a presentation bigger than that, you’ll need to split it into smaller files.
Getting Started
Getting started is easy: first, download Google Chrome and sign up for a Google account (if you don’t have one already). Once you’re logged in, just click on Documents at the top of the screen. Then you can either Create a new document or Upload an existing one. Now any document you upload can be accessed from any device with an Internet connection!
It may take a little while to get the hang of working in the cloud on Google Chrome, but once you learn the ropes, you’ll become more efficient, and life may even be a bit easier!
From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Google Chrome and Chrome OS by Paul McFedries
