Source: Microsoft Windows 10
What is the cloud?
In the simplest terms, “the cloud” is internet data storage... where people's programs and files are stored on the internet instead of (or in addition to) the hard drives in your computers and memory in your devices. A cloud is comprised of hundreds or thousands of secure servers (usually scattered around the globe) that talk to each other... creating one big, virtually limitless storage space. In a perfect world, cloud storage is pretty much self-maintaining, it “mirrors” or makes backup copies of people's files within itself to protect data from being lost, and it is supposedly a very vast and secure form of data storage.
The cloud as we know it today is more of a coined term to easily describe huge clusters of internet-networked servers without having to go into all of the technical details of how these clusters are constructed. No one person or company invented “the cloud”. In fact, large corporate enterprises have been using different forms of “the cloud” in various applications for many years, so it's hard to actually determine the true origin of when cloud storage was initially developed.
Some of today's notable companies include Google, Amazon, Facebook, Youtube, Carbonite, Dropbox and thousands of other major corporations that have already embraced the obvious benefits of cloud storage. I can't help but snicker about the fact that Microsoft is jumping into mainstream cloud storage so late in the game, in yet, carrying along their usual narcissistic persona, they are acting like they practically invented cloud storage themselves!
The cloud as we know it today is more of a coined term to easily describe huge clusters of internet-networked servers without having to go into all of the technical details of how these clusters are constructed. No one person or company invented “the cloud”. In fact, large corporate enterprises have been using different forms of “the cloud” in various applications for many years, so it's hard to actually determine the true origin of when cloud storage was initially developed.
Some of today's notable companies include Google, Amazon, Facebook, Youtube, Carbonite, Dropbox and thousands of other major corporations that have already embraced the obvious benefits of cloud storage. I can't help but snicker about the fact that Microsoft is jumping into mainstream cloud storage so late in the game, in yet, carrying along their usual narcissistic persona, they are acting like they practically invented cloud storage themselves!
What makes Microsoft's cloud so special?
If any particular company could claim the invention of cloud storage, I would say that it was likely IBM who created it decades before people even understood what wide-spread networking was all about... and that's who Microsoft is partnering with in order to provide their sub-branded cloud storage to the masses. These two companies have adopted a hybrid cloud computing platform by merging Microsoft Azure and IBM Cloud; which will force most major corporations into cloud storage compliance if they haven't already embraced the said convergence.
Microsoft believes that its own approach to delivering the industry’s “complete cloud” is supposedly unique. Their plan is a cloud for every business, every industry and every geography. Microsoft believes that the cloud is transforming our world today at an accelerated pace and businesses are redefining what is possible with Microsoft’s cloud; from “creating an intelligent asset monitoring system that improves business operations in real time, to reaching millions of users on every imaginable device, to storing and distributing massive amounts of data.” Some of these details may become reality, but only by Microsoft wielding its power and forcing all of us users to embrace it against our collective will.
Microsoft believes that its own approach to delivering the industry’s “complete cloud” is supposedly unique. Their plan is a cloud for every business, every industry and every geography. Microsoft believes that the cloud is transforming our world today at an accelerated pace and businesses are redefining what is possible with Microsoft’s cloud; from “creating an intelligent asset monitoring system that improves business operations in real time, to reaching millions of users on every imaginable device, to storing and distributing massive amounts of data.” Some of these details may become reality, but only by Microsoft wielding its power and forcing all of us users to embrace it against our collective will.
What are the primary concerns about cloud storage?
Is cloud storage secure enough to prevent hackers from infiltrating a cloud's data? There are numerous ongoing debates among today's security experts on this subject, so I can only offer my own personal opinion. I believe that cloud storage is no more secure than your personal storage on your computer, or your webmail account. The fact is that any form of internet-accessible account can potentially be hacked one way or another, by data pirates or even by disgruntled employees who work for cloud storage companies, etc. Social networking is a perfect example of potential security issues. Clouds also have the potential to crash as a whole, and they could also be vulnerable to network-level malware, forms of malware that haven't even been invented yet. So the short answer in my opinion is “no”; cloud storage is less secure than storing your own data in your own devices at your own location.
What about data ownership? If you are storing your personal and/or business information in someone's cloud, then who actually owns it? Your data is essentially no longer in your own possession, it's living in a corporation's cloud and you're accessing it remotely; the internet providers, telephone and media companies control your access to your own data. So putting all of your faith in the cloud means that you're also putting all of your faith in the companies that store it and allow you to access it. Will you actually own your own data anymore? After all, there's no central body governing use of the cloud for storage and services. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is trying to establish standards for use especially for the business sector. But the problem is that cloud computing is much like Pirates of the Caribbean, where the rules are made up as you go, you do what you want, and you hope for the best.
Most assuredly, access to your own data in a company's cloud is likely going to cost you some amount of money to store it and access it, much like a virtual self-storage or space rental situation. And your digital storage will cost you more and more over time as companies find ways to make you pay for monthly or annual data storage subscriptions, etc. You may even start to get charged for metered bandwidth in addition to base-storage fees! Essentially we will all end up becoming renters of virtual data “apartments” on the internet in the future!
What about data ownership? If you are storing your personal and/or business information in someone's cloud, then who actually owns it? Your data is essentially no longer in your own possession, it's living in a corporation's cloud and you're accessing it remotely; the internet providers, telephone and media companies control your access to your own data. So putting all of your faith in the cloud means that you're also putting all of your faith in the companies that store it and allow you to access it. Will you actually own your own data anymore? After all, there's no central body governing use of the cloud for storage and services. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is trying to establish standards for use especially for the business sector. But the problem is that cloud computing is much like Pirates of the Caribbean, where the rules are made up as you go, you do what you want, and you hope for the best.
Most assuredly, access to your own data in a company's cloud is likely going to cost you some amount of money to store it and access it, much like a virtual self-storage or space rental situation. And your digital storage will cost you more and more over time as companies find ways to make you pay for monthly or annual data storage subscriptions, etc. You may even start to get charged for metered bandwidth in addition to base-storage fees! Essentially we will all end up becoming renters of virtual data “apartments” on the internet in the future!
Where does Windows 10 fit into all of this cloud business?
Windows 10, as it has been re-knighted from Windows 9, is more or less a cloud-based adaptation of Windows 8.1. Microsoft expects that the adoption of hybrid cloud computing in Windows 10 will give clients, partners and developers more drive into new business opportunities, spurred innovations and supposedly reduced costs. Some minor surface-level niceties like the new Start menu and the ability to run Universal mobile apps on the desktop side-by-side with other applications are considered by Microsoft to be important changes, but in reality they are minor variances in comparison to 8.1.
The more noticeable move, as expected, is the attempted Windows 10 platform unification across PCs, tablets, phones, Xbox, Internet of Things and future devices; but again, this creates yet a higher level of forced embrace and compliance for all of us end users. I don't know about you, but I don't like companies telling me what I can or cannot do with my devices that I own and have paid for, or dictating to me where I'm going to be storing my personal data. Overall, the morphing of Windows 8.1 into Windows 10 and its adaptations for forced living, working and storing our data in the cloud is the tool that Microsoft plans to use to convert all of us into forced paid subscribers; versus us being free-willed, mindful consumers with the capability to make personal decisions.
The more noticeable move, as expected, is the attempted Windows 10 platform unification across PCs, tablets, phones, Xbox, Internet of Things and future devices; but again, this creates yet a higher level of forced embrace and compliance for all of us end users. I don't know about you, but I don't like companies telling me what I can or cannot do with my devices that I own and have paid for, or dictating to me where I'm going to be storing my personal data. Overall, the morphing of Windows 8.1 into Windows 10 and its adaptations for forced living, working and storing our data in the cloud is the tool that Microsoft plans to use to convert all of us into forced paid subscribers; versus us being free-willed, mindful consumers with the capability to make personal decisions.
More money, more money, more money!
I've been keeping a close eye on Microsoft, especially since they developed Windows 8 (another impractical flop like Windows Vista) and I've been monitoring their actions closely as they've lit a bonfire under all of their hype about cloud storage, etc. Look at today's enforced subscriptions for Microsoft Office. Taking all of these concerns into consideration, I think that this “forced embrace” of cloud storage is going to be horrendous. As companies like Microsoft make us comply to the concept of paying to store all of our personal, financial and business information in their cloud, within cloud accounts that we will all end up paying for... there's a huge potential for horrible problems in the next five years or so, and you and I are going to have our wallets drained because of it all.
The only reason Microsoft is pushing for all of this unneeded change is because they have been losing money in today's PC market, so by forcing the whole market to morph into a subscription-paid self-storage community that we'll all end up paying for is really the only way that they can afford to stay in business. Since Microsoft is pretty much 95% of the personal computing market today, just as it has always has been, their well-known dictatorship forces us all into the usual “upgrade or die” mentality, starting with big businesses and trickling on down to our level.
Just like the Imperial force in Star Wars, our entire planet faces either complete compliance to their new rules, or total annihilation. Our only alternative to Microsoft's Socialist/Communist control is, of course the Rebel Alliance... but who represents the Rebel Alliance in today's personal computer world? Certainly not Apple, because they are too infatuated with themselves... think about it, all of their devices start with “i”, the iPhone, iPad, iPod... that's obvious mobile infatuation to me!
That said, the only real rebel alliance against the dark forces of Microsoft is the Linux community. European and Asian countries have embraced all flavors of Linux-based personal computers much deeper and more favorably than we have here in the states. In fact, as we Americans have all been so preoccupied with ourselves and our “i” devices (as usual) Linux popularity has really hit it off in foreign countries, and Linux may very well end up being the only alternative that we have to the dark forces of Microsoft. If you don't feel comfortable with all of your data living in the cloud, consider reading up on Linux as an alternative.
The only reason Microsoft is pushing for all of this unneeded change is because they have been losing money in today's PC market, so by forcing the whole market to morph into a subscription-paid self-storage community that we'll all end up paying for is really the only way that they can afford to stay in business. Since Microsoft is pretty much 95% of the personal computing market today, just as it has always has been, their well-known dictatorship forces us all into the usual “upgrade or die” mentality, starting with big businesses and trickling on down to our level.
Just like the Imperial force in Star Wars, our entire planet faces either complete compliance to their new rules, or total annihilation. Our only alternative to Microsoft's Socialist/Communist control is, of course the Rebel Alliance... but who represents the Rebel Alliance in today's personal computer world? Certainly not Apple, because they are too infatuated with themselves... think about it, all of their devices start with “i”, the iPhone, iPad, iPod... that's obvious mobile infatuation to me!
That said, the only real rebel alliance against the dark forces of Microsoft is the Linux community. European and Asian countries have embraced all flavors of Linux-based personal computers much deeper and more favorably than we have here in the states. In fact, as we Americans have all been so preoccupied with ourselves and our “i” devices (as usual) Linux popularity has really hit it off in foreign countries, and Linux may very well end up being the only alternative that we have to the dark forces of Microsoft. If you don't feel comfortable with all of your data living in the cloud, consider reading up on Linux as an alternative.
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