G.ho.st – FREE Cloud Computing Is Here

I won’t be too technical in my definition of cloud computing which I discuss here. While the Wikipedia’s definition of cloud computing uses terminologies that sound like a jargon to me, I would like to take cloud computing to mean simply as a process where users can avoid spending on hardware, software and services and pay only the provider for what they use. You can either buy the server or just pay a Dedicated Server Reseller a monthly amount to store/host your data on their servers. Cloud as used in this compound word means the Internet while computing is what we commonly do using a computer like word processing, spreadsheet calculation, slide presentation, etc. When you start a computer and  proceed to the Internet (click a browser) where you have everything you need to do your computing, that’s cloud computing. Businesses that use it typically have their interim CIO set it up for them.

G.ho.st or Ghost means Global Hosted Operating System and is basically a virtual computer which comes complete with an operating system, a desktop, file storage and applications. Unlike traditional operating systems, G.ho.st does not reside on a single PC – it resides on the internet, accessible to the user via any computer with internet access or even a compatible mobile phone. So based on my definition above Ghost is cloud computing and the other important thing about it is it is FREE for everybody to use and enjoy. There is a nice third-party description of Ghost at FILEnetworks Blog on its being an online operating system and virtual desktop.

In a café where the computers are shared, the customer does not have the option to make his personal space in the desktop. He would not be able to change the settings of the desktop, keep his personal files and remember his favorite websites in the web browser since he is only renting the computer. Most likely the users will experience some discomforts since he has to bring a lot of things like USB drive to save his files, a pen and paper to jot down the different websites that he browsed and some computer programs that may not be available in the café.

Would it not be fun if he could have a desktop of his own that would contain all of his files, personalized in the way he prefers and containing all the web applications he needs to be productive. The user could access his desktop at any computer in the world as long as it has an Internet connection. These are what Ghost can give to its users at no cost to him except the Internet access and the computer that he rents in the café.

The country representative of G.ho.st in the Philippines, Mr. Gener Morada, who tirelessly performs his job of promoting the G.ho.st Virtual Computer told me that G.ho.st Inc is a start up company based in Israel and that it is a critical collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian programmers. Aside from offering the service for free, G.ho.st also commits to support any project aimed at alleviating the plight of the internet café industry in the country.

So, let’s go and and register an account with a company that supports the internet café industry. Click this link to G.ho.st or the image above to register.