The Pros and Cons of Using "The Cloud"

"The Cloud" is a new way of thinking about computing. Saving files remotely will not only free space on the machine you're using, but also back them up on a secure server. What that means is if anything even happens to your laptop or desktop pc, or even your mobile phone you can still retrieve the files with another device.

Pros of using the cloud:

• Ease of use (and mostly free!)
• Securing backup of files somewhere safe
• Freeing up space on your computer or mobile by storing files you don't use everyday online
• Some Cloud services have cool applications within the cloud 
• The cloud can digitally sync files to all your devices

With that said it's not all wine and roses being in the cloud. The most obvious issue is security. Your personal information and files are stored in a server room somewhere so there is always a chance it could get compromised. Also if your files or backups are in the cloud you'll need an internet connection to get them. So if you have DSL or *gulp* dial up it might take you a few days to download your phone's 4GB backup file. 

Cons of using the cloud:

• Security issues
• You need an internet connection to access your files
• It's still a new idea so not every service is problem free
• Not ever service is easy to use or well developed either

Here are a few cloud services I use. Box is relatively new and offers 50GB of free storage, which is a lot for free. Previously Dropbox was my go to service but they only gives you 2GB of free storage. I have an iPhone and iPad so I use the iCloud services and backup to sync files between my phone, tablet, and laptop. Google docs is good for editing documents and saving them online so they're always accessible to you as long as you can log into your Google account. I don't use Office in the cloud because I have a copy of Office on my laptop, but if I didn't I might have an Office cloud account. Here are the links:

www.box.com (50GB free storage)

www.dropbox.com (2GB free storage)

www.icloud.com (Apple's cloud service. 5GB free storage and online apps)

www.docs.google.com (Google document apps in the cloud)

Office featuring cloud services (Office suite in the cloud)