It’s quite funny how my perception of on board data and Internet connections have changed over the years. Back no more than five or so years, in my Windows Mobile days, I can recall deeming it extremely vital that all of the data, pertinent to my productivity, required being absolutely 100% on my device. The thought of keeping it stored online somewhere was unthinkable mostly because that held you at the mercy of your carrier and your Internet connection.
Well, needless to say, things have definitely changed. Not only are most users storing their data online, but it’s now unthinkable that you would attempt to keep vast amounts of it on your device or sd card. Why? Well, there are few reasons. Not only is your sd card limited in size, but keeping data in the cloud, for the most part, has become more and more reliable over the years and if you lose or break your device you simply just get a new one, sign in and wallah, all of your data gets pushed back onto it in no time. Back in the day you had to ensure that data was secured somewhere like an external hard drive and then copy it all back onto your sd card should a problem occur. Well, that is clearly a thing of the past. Today, more and more users are relying on the cloud mostly because you can store large amounts of data, in the gigabyte range, at the drop of a hat and for a very cheap price. Heck, often it’s free. One of the biggest reasons I rely so heavily on cloud technology is due to the fact that I’m constantly using multiple devices. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to access my content on any given device seamlessly and without effort. I often use a Dell Inspiron mini, an original Samsung Galaxy Tab and my T-Mobile G2X smartphone.
Most of the applications I use are for productivity. Among them you’ll find Evernote, Google Docs, OurGroceries, Amazon’s Cloud Player, Google Music Beta and Kindle, just to name a few. With Evernote, I can easily view any and all notes from either one of those devices while on the go. I often access various documents for work and home with Google Docs on my tab and phone. In just seconds I can add an item to OurGroceries account and my wife can see it instantly on her smartphone walking up and down the isles at the supermarket. I can finish reading a book I began on my tablet at home then in the car on my smartphone waiting for the wife to come out of the store. It’s a win win if you ask me. I’m worry free when my sd card decides to reformat itself for no reason. I’m no victim if I leave my device on a train or cab, only to fall off and smash into a hundred pieces (yes, I’ve done that before). I can access and listen to any of my music from the Tab, smartphone or laptop in a heart beat.
Now, keep in mind that you’re still heavily dependent on an internet connection since most, if not all of these applications, require a data plan. But rest assured, with the ever expansion of the carrier, our connections are more reliable than they’ve ever been. And just to prove how much I believe and trust in cloud computing, everything I own, all of my data, are currently on Google’s services and servers. Gotta practice what you preach right? So, how often do you rely on cloud storage/sync? What’s the most used app in your arsenal? Feel free to share below in the comments section.