Google Plans to Make PCs History

[Jtaylor1]

Google Plans to Make PCs History (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/25/google-drive-gdrive-internet)


Google is to launch a service that would enable users to access their personal computer from any internet connection, according to industry reports. But campaigners warn that it would give the online behemoth unprecedented control over individual's personal data.

The "Google Drive", or "GDrive" could kill off the desktop computer, which relies on a powerful hard drive. Instead a user's personal files and operating system could be stored on Google's own servers and accessed via the internet.

[FireStarterLE]

A nice concept but I like having my own little space.

And I like being able to solve my own hardware problems. If something goes wrong with that Google server it doesn't seem like there's much of anything I'd be able to do to resolve the issues thus I'm not able to access my files.

I get the feeling that not many people will feel that much differently either. So for now I believe the desktop is safe.

[EinBebop]

No more computer, just a monitor and an internet connection? Privacy concerns aside, this has interesting potential. I'd want some kind of guarantee that should the service ever shut down that i can somehow get my files; don't want an AOL pulled on me.

[Jedigreedo]

Wow, if the Government were proposing something like this there would be mass paranoia running amuck.

Anyways, I wouldn't trust it - at least not until they somehow abolished all hackery in the world and made the internet the safest place on Earth. And even then I wouldn't trust it; I'm a private person. Usually.

[TheTerror]

This is something I definatly would not trust and I don't see this really going anywhere. Google is cool and all, but sometimes companies get too innovative for their own good and nothing cool ever comes out of it.

[mowub]

Bad idea. Hackers could get into your personal data.

[Sparticus]

I recall there being something like this before... Driveway was it? It never really took off - too many security issues, I think.

I can see the concept being useful if you're not really a computer person and only check your email and stuff, but for everyone else I think it'd be more of a hassle. I mean, if the net goes down right in the middle of a big Photoshop project, yer screwed. :P

[GWOtaku]

It's a bad idea. Online storage is an option for backup but I'm sure not leaving all my data in the hands of some third party. If your internet connection goes out, for example, you're pretty much screwed.

[PC!]

They can try all they want to get rid of me, but I won't make it easy for them! >:(

...oooooh, you mean COMPUTERS.

Eh, the day is coming when PCs will be phased out. Maybe not for a while yet, but the day is coming. What the replacement will be, who knows, but technology continues to advance at an amazing rate. I'm just astounded at how fast things have developed, just over the last several years.

[chdr]

I'm starting to get creeped out by Google at this point.

[Classic Speedy]

Surprised there hasn't been a porn joke yet.

[Peter Paltridge]

Bad idea. Hackers could get into your personal data.
Well, hackers can already get into your personal data, but....

....no, I'm not wild about this concept either. And I doubt it'll get any further than the flying car.

Data transfer isn't "perfect" enough yet to guarantee access to your files. No company would rely on this because one internet downtime could result in the loss of millions of dollars. And companies would have to be a big factor in its success if it wanted to get anywhere.

[tb4000]

Isn't this how Skynet started?

[Jedigreedo]

Surprised there hasn't been a porn joke yet.

I was going to make one, but it was too easy.

Just like those in porn.

Happy now? :evil:

[Michael24]

Yeeeaaahhh.... I'll stick with my PC.

[defunctzombie]

Well, your files would never be your own if this thing were a reality. You'd be renting/using GOOGLE space, and they would rat on you if anything wasn't kosher.

One step closer to Big Brother (or Big Butter in Martianinvader's case :D).

[.bg]

I don't really get it, considering that the Internet requires a computer to work, and computers require more than just a monitor. This won't go anywhere.

[veemonjosh]

Last I checked, PC stands for PERSONAL Computer.

I'm not giving Google my PERSONAL things.

[garfield15]

Isn't this how Skynet started?
Not the exact same way but quite similar.

[Yusuke Urameshi]

Sounds like a horrible idea, I mean, wasnt the internet created for easy acess to the world while at the comfort of your own home?

[Scirel]

Isn't this how Skynet started?


LOL. Thinking of the same thing.

If this comes true there will actually be a central internet hub.

[Racattack!Force]

Google shall never have my videos of dancing ducks or my test animations. :mad: They shall never get my personal things, and their plan to takeover the world shall fail.

[chdr]

Google shall never have my videos of dancing ducks or my test animations. :mad: They shall never get my personal things, and their plan to takeover the world shall fail.Don't they already have those, through Youtube?

[Racattack!Force]

Don't they already have those, through Youtube?...:sad:...Oh wait, I didn't post them yet. :sweat:

[Mynd Hed]

"Making PCs history" is a bit of typical overstatement, since there are plenty of tasks that pretty much demand a large amount of local storage space and processing power. I don't envision bandwidth becoming cheap and ubiquitous enough any time soon to make something like gaming, video editing, or serious image editing on a dummy terminal (with the actual work being done on a Google server) too terribly practical.

Still, it IS true that many applications we currently use PCs for, such as word processing, Internet surfing, email, etc., could be accomplished just as easily server-side. A cheap Google-branded netbook relying on Google servers for storage and processing would be an interesting proposition.

[Zekehawk]

So they would have everyone's data? I wonder how great that will turn out. :shrug:

[Elven Moon]

Thanks but no thanks. I like my PC :)

[wonderfly]

I'm curious, how would such a concept affect PC gaming? Would I be saving my Sims2 games to their server?