In designing future operating systems, it is important for Apple, Microsoft and Google to develop an OS that maintains the same user experience no matter how the applications and data are accessed.  In today’s world, users are almost always connected, but currently data is stored in many different locations across several computers and mobile devices.  To make life easier, Windows 8, MacOS 11 and Chrome OS should all natively support Cloud Computing.  Windows 8 or MacOS 11 should have a login screen that recognizes if you want to login to your account on the cloud, or use the local machine.  When new applications are installed, the programs should actually be installed in your own self-contained folder in the cloud.

From the OS perspective this should be preferred.  Microsoft or Apple would only have to install the program one time, and then the user would need to provide proof the program was purchased or purchase directly from the OS provider (similar to the iTunes App Store).  It would help with piracy, because proof of purchase would be necessary before access to the application was granted.  It would help with compatiability, because the OS creator would only need to certify that the application worked in the cloud.  Even though the the need for packaged software is eliminated, online retailers could still act as resellers of the license.  The cloud architecture would allow everything from settings, installed applications, desktop backgrounds, and start menu configurations to remain the same on every computer used.

By having a Cloud OS, the end-user would be able to store all documents in one central place.  The user would not have to worry about using a third-party program to sync documents between a home computer, laptop and work computer, they would be able to store and access everything in the cloud.  This would provide central storage of photos, documents, music and video collections.  It would also ease transition to new machines because all the user’s programs, data and settings would immediately sync to any new machine used.

The risk of this type of architecture is loss of data and privacy.  As seen this week, even Microsoft cannot be trusted to backup cloud data,  so to be successful, the Cloud OS would need to offer third-party services for archiving data, and also provide an option of downloading copies of the data to the local computer.  This may be data intensive the first time completed, but once data is transfered the first time, only changes would be synced between the local computer and the cloud.  The Cloud OS could still require that you purchase a license to install the base OS on every computer, and even could charge an additional subscription fee for the cloud option.  It would be important that a local-only option be provided for individuals that are concerned about having all personal data in the cloud.

From a security prespective, the Cloud OS would have to include encryption and virus detection natively.  With the primary version of the data placed in the cloud, the OS could prevent the spread of malicious code and prevent phishing by providing constant updates without any action needed by the end user.  As security risks were found, the updates would be installed in the cloud.  This would automate tasks that consume valuable IT and end-user time and expertise.

The other component necessary for the Cloud OS to be sucessful, is having a mobile access option.  Data would need to be availabe whether using an iPhone, a Windows Mobile device, an Android Phone, or a BlackBerry.  On the mobile device, due to space limitations and connectivity issues, options would need to be provided to sync some data locally (i.e. music, documents or photos), and stream or have online access to the remainder of the cloud data.  This structure would have to be implemented through device specific applications or a mobile browser.  (A subset of these features are already available from cloud-based backup services like SugarSync and MobileMe).

It is also important that software developers incorporate cloud computing in all future software releases.  When new software is developed and sold, both locally-installed and cloud versions of the applications should be created.  Large companies like Adobe, Microsoft and Google are already working on products that embrace cloud computing.  Microsoft’s next version of Office is being developed concurrently with a web-based version, and even a free ad-supported version.  This is great for the Cloud OS, because it guarantees that Microsoft Word and Excel functionality would be available to every user of the Cloud OS.  Google already has cross-platform versions of Google Applications that offer similar functionality, and is developing its future Chrome OS to extend the features of the cloud applications.

Fortunately, current trends suggest that the future of computing is Cloud-Based whether Microsoft of Apple embrace it.  Many people already use and depend on cloud computing everyday without even realizing it. GMail, Yahoo Mail, HotMail, AOL Mail, and Exchange Accounts all use the cloud to store your data.  Even Facebook and Twitter are cloud platforms.  Many users are now using Facebook as a primary address book, instant messaging service, mail service, and photo archive.  If you enjoy the availability of the data on FaceBook, imagine how great it would be if everything you used on a personal computer was available the same way.  The Cloud OS would take these features and seamlessly integrate them everywhere.  Every document, song, picture, or program you purchased would always be available, and you would never again have to reconfigure program preferences or options repeatedly.

Please let me know your thoughts on my vision of the Cloud Computing future, and if you haven’t already, start to take advantage of cloud computing options that are currently available.

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For a long period now, I have resisted the change to Google Reader (despite the market share that Google had racked up).  When I had tried the product in the past, I was not satisfied with the options available to me. The biggest problem had been the lack of ability to synchronize my feeds with a mobile application.  Therefore, the announcement from Newsgator came to my mind as both a blessing and a curse.

Although Newsgator has not yet released the new version of the iPhone NetNewsWire application that will synchronize with Google, I decided to bite the bullet and to import all of my RSS subscriptions into Google immediately after reading the announcement.  I decided I would begin to use the Google product and get used to its features so that I would be able to determine if I would need to find a new RSS reader application for the iPhone.

To my surprise, the Google reader product has come a long way since the last time I tried it.  There were still several annoyances, but overall I realized that it is a well-designed product.

The most significant annoyance was the default read order for each RSS feed that I subscribed to.  I like to read the oldest story first, and the newest last.  I found that this was not the default action of the Google reader product.  In order to change the default read order, I had to select each feed separately, and change the read order for each and everyone.  There is no setting to change the read order of all feeds you are subscribed to globally in Google Reader (or none that I could find).

After selecting my default reading order for each RSS feed separately, my next task was using the online web-based version of Google Reader to actually read posts.  I was very satisfied with the experience of the web version of Reader.  As I moved down the page, Google automatically marked all the stories as I passed as “read”.  Options were available to read individual posts either in the expanded view, (which included the entire portion of the post that was syndicated by the author), or in the list view (where only the title of the post is listed, and a reader could click on the individual story they wanted to read).  There were also options to read each feed individually, or to read all posts from each feed in one page.

Additionally, social networking aspects are available in every post that you read.  Stars or tags can be added to any post, and using these tools allows you to share stories with others (or refer back to them later for your own personal use).  Posts can be emailed to any of your friends, or they can be marked as unread if you want the posts to remain in your Google Reader Inbox.  You are also automatically provided with recommendations for other blogs based on your current subscriptions (I have already added 4 new subscriptions). Google keeps trends of your own viewing activity and also of the blogs that you are subscribed to.  Other users of Google Reader and of Google Profiles can also “follow” any of the tags, stars, or shared posts that you mark public.

I have quickly found that Google’s product is now much more polished than the Newsgator online product was.  My next concern was the mobile experience.

Although Newsgator promises to have an update of the NetNewsWire iPhone application released within the coming days, the deadline for the switch to Google Reader was set as August 31, 2009.  Not wanting to wait until the last minute to make the switch, I decided that I would use the mobile version of Google reader until the new NetNewsWire product is released and approved by Apple.  I was also very surprised to learn how far Google’s mobile reader has come in usability since my last experience with it.

By default, Google detected that I was using an iPhone mobile browser to view my subscriptions, and reverted me to the mobile version.  Instead of stories being expanded by default, as they are in the web version, in the mobile version the stories are provided to you in the list format.  By default, 15 stories are shown per page, and whenever you click on a story, it expands in place.  The entire feed that the publisher has decided to syndicate is available to you without having to click through to the story.  (You only are required to click through if the publisher has only provided a synopsis of the story.)  When you get to the bottom of the page, you can mark all posts on the page as read, and the next 15 stories will load.

The default mobile option in Google Reader is to show you all stories from all sources in one feed.  Although the Newsgator website and NetNewsWire also had this option, I always had read posts by source (or feed)  in the past (for example I would click on Engadget and read all Engadget posts, then I would click on the next feed I was subscribed to and read all new posts in that blog).  I found after using the mobile version of Google Reader, that I actually enjoyed reading all stories from all sources (in chronological order) better now.  There is a button on the mobile version of Google Reader so that you can still go back and read by individual feeds, but I have not used it once.

The social functions described for the web version of Google Reader, are also available in the mobile version of Google Reader.

I have already found myself using the “Star” option, the “Like” option, the “Share” option, and the “Tag” functions of the Google Reader.  These have all made the news feeds that I am subscribed to and using more useful to me (easily replacing Newsgator’s clipping function), and also allowed me to share stories of interest in an easier fashion.

In the past, I would email links to any stories that I thought my friends might find relevant. Now I can just tell friends to follow me on Google Reader.  This way if they are not interested in the links I have been sending them, they do not have to have their inbox clogged up with my junk mail.  I also found myself commenting on many more stories.  Because it is so easy to do, I have discovered the value of this feature.  The social aspects of Google Reader are integrated into your Google Profile if you have one.

Although I was initially very disappointed when I received the email from Newsgator about the change, I am now enthusiastic about it.

I think that I will be following my subscriptions much more closely during the day now that I am using Google Reader.  I already routinely visit Google repeatedly throughout a workday for searches, now I will also think about reading my subscriptions.  I believe that I will use the social aspects that I always had ignored on the Newsgator product, and share information with clients, colleagues and friends.  I am not even sure that I care when, or if, the updated NetNewsWire product comes out for the iPhone.

Please let me know what your experiences have been with following RSS feeds and using Google Reader.  If you are not familiar with RSS feeds, please let me know and I will consider creating a separate blog post to explain the significance of RSS feeds.  If you decide to try Google reader, follow my public shared items at http://www.google.com/reader/shared/sbutler76.

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