Cloud Computing has arrived! The new "buzz word" of the internet is, well, yeah it's still Twitter, but remotely-hosted virtual computing services are the wave of the future, and the future is now. Cloud computing serves a wide variety of purposes, ranging from file backup options/solutions to project collaborations to website hosting and virtual hosted servers. And that's just the beginning.
The biggest hurdle with nearly any valuable new product, of course, is the price. Options like Google Sites are gret for business networks and site management, but aren't designed for everyday personal-computing use. Amazon offers cloud computing with their EC2 product, but it isn't free. GoGrid offers a pay-as-you go format, allowing you create on-the-fly instances of both Windows servers and Linux servers. It's not expensive, but again - not free.
The answer is iCloud. Supported by Internet Explorer and Firefox, the service turns your web browser into an online computer. It offers 3GB of "cloud storage" for your files, which allows you to access the content remotely from anywhere in the world, as long as you can find an internet connection. A full set of office applications are also available, as well as instant messenger, an RSS feed reader and more.
There are limitations, of course, as with any truly "free" product. 3GB will get used up mighty quickly by hardcore users. You don't get "server" services, such as the ability to set up an on-the-fly web server. You get the iCloud OS (Based on Linux), and if you don't like it, well, tough luck . Also, you don't get the option of installing more applications. But really, those issues are minor compared to the fact that you now have 3GB of free cloud storage space at your disposal.
To sign up for the service, just visit iCloud.com and register for your free account! It's as simple as that. I know I sound like a product pitchman here, but really, I'm just excited about a free product that's actually worth believing in.
