I admit it: I still see the Cloud as a storage option located in yonder cyberspace. I use it to store and transfer files but I still feel disconnected in a way.
I refer to my cloud documents as out there or up there. You know, in the Cloud.
With Windows 8 will come an ideological shift for people like me because it will innovatively integrate Microsoft's cloud storage solution SkyDrive.
I find myself really absorbed in the news surrounding this preview. The 'big deal' is that cloud storage solutions used to be peripheral choices. Now, the Cloud will be right on my desktop.
SkyDrive will be listed as a location option along with others drives or libraries familiar to most of us (My Documents, E: Drive, etc.).
Not only will this make uploading to and downloading from the Cloud practically effortless, but it also will make backing up data an increasingly archaic notion. Implications such as that keep me watching all this forecasting in a suspense that could only be called meteorological.
Aside from basic system requirements that have not yet been formally articulated, all that will be required to sign in to SkyDrive is a Windows Live password. It is a free cloud repository with 25 GB of space. That is impressive storage capability, and it could even increase.
iPad Folks--this applies to you, too! Thanks to Splashtop's Win 8 Metro Testbed app, Windows 8 developers can test their apps before the official Windows 8 release. Microsoft is also rumored to be developing Office apps for iPad.
Think of the productivity implications of this coupled with Microsoft's University Suite, for example, which also offers students increased web functionality. Access to the cloud will also make it that much easier for educators using Windows-compatible tools to make learning more dynamic.
From education, to the public and private sector, Windows 8 emphasizes a paradigm shift, particularly in the context of competitors such as Dropbox and SugarSync. It will be fascinating to watch how this plays out.
I fully expect to hear as many grievances as accolades for Windows 8, but rain or shine, I am here with my nose up against the glass, waiting to see what happens next.
Please share your thoughts on cloud solutions. What have you liked and what are you hoping to see improved? I always benefit from reading your experiences.
(c) Images courtesy of Microsoft