Cloud computing — Computing, 7–10
Cloud computing means using computers somewhere else through a network, instead of keeping every program and file on your own device.
What the cloud really is
The cloud is not a magical place in the sky. It is a group of computers in buildings called data centres, connected to you through a network. When you save a photo online or watch a video without downloading it first, those computers do some of the work and send the result to your device.
Why use computers elsewhere?
A tablet has limited space, battery and processing power, but a data centre can hold huge amounts of information and share the work among many machines. This idea grew from the need to let lots of people use powerful computers without buying one each. It also means you can reach the same work from more than one device.
A photo in the cloud
Imagine taking a photo on a tablet and opening it later on a family computer. First, the tablet turns the picture into digital information. Next, it sends that information through the network to a cloud service, which stores a copy. When the computer asks for the photo, the service sends the copy back, and the computer displays it.
The cloud is not everywhere
It is easy to think that cloud files are available no matter what. They usually need a working network connection, and the service itself can be offline or changed. A file shown on your screen may also be only a temporary copy, not proof that it is safely stored forever, so keep important work in another place too.
Clouds you may already use
Online photo albums, shared classroom documents, music streaming and many games use cloud computers. They let several people see or change the same information, even when their devices are different. The useful question is not just “Is it in the cloud?” but also “Who can access it, and what happens if the connection stops?”
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