Windows recently released the latest version of its software in October and it is now available in its finalized form as Windows 8.1. The new operating system has had positive reviews and many people are now running it on their machines. A key feature of the new OS is its heavy integration of the cloud into the system. The popularity of Windows and this new update is likely to put cloud computing even more on the map than it has been in recent years. As an integral part of the new Windows, cloud computing is expected to see a dramatic increase in its visibility as people adopt the new technology though this major update.
Cloud established with Sky Drive
Even previous versions of Windows have already established the cloud as a part of the system with the popular program Sky Drive. This program is a cloud storage service such as Mac’s iCloud or Dropbox. With the new version of Windows, however, Sky Drive is much more integrated into the system and is an important part of the Windows experience. Anytime you save a document using Microsoft Office you will be encouraged to do using your Sky Drive ‘Documents’ folder rather than a folder on your C drive. Using Sky Drive to save important documents will make it quicker and easier to access those files from anywhere at any time. You can use cloud storage as a kind of backup that will be treated like any other folder on your computer. With Sky Drive storage you will never lose your files and other Windows apps automatically save files to the cloud such as photos taken with the camera app to ensure you can always access it later.
Cloud is no longer just an alternative
Now with the updates to Windows 8.1, the cloud is no longer just an alternative option that technology buffs can choose it is becoming streamlined into a major operating system. Sky Drive is now part of the usual quick links on your computer and can even become the default option for saving files. With the cloud playing such an important role in this new system, Windows has even increased the amount of storage available for free on its new devices. Earlier versions of the Surface Pro included 7GB worth of free storage to anyone who bought one to supplement the small amount of built-in storage on the device. It gave users the ability to store larger files that would be impossible without the extra cloud storage. The newest version of the Surface now includes 200GB of free storage along with the purchase of the device. This huge amount of free storage is a sign that cloud computing is becoming a much more integral part of modern computing.
Expect more cloud
Anyone that purchases a new Microsoft device or operating system for their computer will now be using the cloud and familiarizing themselves with the benefits of this new technology. As Windows further embraces the cloud it seems that it will continue to evolve because other companies like Apple and Google are likely to respond with even more cloud integration into their systems as well. People will begin to see cloud storage as an important part of their computing system.
Leo Hart has become a virtualization expert thanks to his years of experience, his current focus is VPS hosting for Custom Cloud.
