> I mean, really, I've been using web-mail and various varieties of > remote > storage for over a decade. What is *new* about the concept? (I see > some > hints above, but it's mixed in with a lot of other stuff...)
In essence, you're correct, this concept of cloud computing actually have existed for some time, but there is a difference between the "classic" cloud computing and "new" cloud computing. The classic cloud computing is rather limited emails, bbs, newsgroup, etc while the new cloud computing also refers to the newly available scope such as word processing, image processing, and even video editing. In essence they're the same, you store your files on their server, and you used a webbased tools to access your file, but nowadays people wouldn't consider the classic cloud computing a cloud computing anymore, as they've become too "normal". It's not a completely meaningless marketing buzz phrase, the concept has existed for some time, but the word is new. Another way to look at this is: "classic" cloud computing are cloud computing that is done because it can't be done the other way (what use is an email address if you could only receive emails if your desktop is always on, what use is a newsgroup if people could only post if they are physically in front of the computer hosting the newsgroup). While the "new" cloud computing refers to applications that previously exist as desktop applications, but now ported to become web-based applications, meaning the application could be usable without the "cloud", but some features like universal availability could not be used. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
