How-To Geek
Use a Web OS to Get Work Done and Store Files In The Cloud
There are a lot of services these days that let you store files in “the cloud” and access them from virtually anywhere. These services are extremely handy, but what if you need a mobile operating system as well? Today we take a look at a couple of online operating systems that let you store your files and work on them as well.
Online operating systems are a good solution if you have say a Mac at home and PC at work. Or maybe certain features of Windows aren’t available on different machines you work on during the day. There are a lot of different scenarios where an online operating system could come in handy. Here we take a look at two such apps which have a lot of functionality and are free to use.
G.ho.st
This is a worthy free Web OS that gives you 15GB of storage and offers an office suite (powered by Zoho), sharing and collaboration, and access to your documents on a mobile device. The OS runs in a separate window of your browser and has a lot of neat functionality. Everything you do is saved and will be exactly the same no matter what computer you use to log into your account. The Go button acts like the Start menu on Windows and gives you access to all of the available apps and other utilities.
You can upload individual files, use the bulk uploader to transfer folders and large amounts of data, and they also offer a sync feature that will keep data on all of your machines and the G.ho.st OS synchronized. Another cool feature is getting 5GB of extra storage space for each friend or colleague you get to sing up for the service.
They offer the internal G.ho.st web browser which you could use as a security tool if you want to visit less than reputable sites without affecting your actual system.
It’s not all business either. There are some fun utilities included like a music player, it’s own email system, and links to social sites and games.
G.ho.st Lite lets you access your documents and basic features from your mobile device.
Glide OS
The next one we’ll take a look at is Glide OS which offers a free account and has 20GB of storage and up to 6 different users. It offers a lot of the same functionality of G.ho.st with their own unique interface and other features.
You can change the layout to Glide HD which allows easier navigation to the different services and features.
There are different available office features that allow you to create documents and presentations and collaborate with others as well.
Here is an example of working on a Word document inside Glide OS.
You can go through different themes and customize your desktop.
Conclusion
Other advantages of a Web OS are there is nothing to install, no Antivirus to worry with, and files and documents are available anywhere you have a web connection. Also you don’t need to worry a whole lot about a machines specs, but rather the speed of your Internet connection. There are a few other online operating systems to choose from like iCloud, and each one has different features. You might want to try each of them out to find the one that suites your needs. If you’re constantly moving from computer to computer to get work done, you may want to check out a Web OS. If nothing else, they are geeky and fun to play with.
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- By Mysticgeek on 01/6/10
Comments (6)
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I’m a BEEEG fan of the Online OS concept — mourned when YouOS died. Currently quite pleased with where G.ho.st is in development and use it often.
I’m less pleased with Glide (and several others that you didn’t address) than with G.ho.st largely based on how their office suite Save/Save As… items. If you can’t easily share your resultant work, what’s the point? G.ho.st uses Zoho’s really terrific suite of apps and that’s a major plus.
Also, having the online OS accessible from ANY desk-based OS is vital; a few of these really function best in IE, cutting out a growing segment of the market.
Also, while G.ho.st may give less initial storage, their 5gb per referral bonus quickly makes up that gap.
That’s pretty nice.
Do you know how secure the companies are? I’m a bit leery of using the ghost browser to log into accounts.
You also have http://eyeos.org which is open source, can be downloaded and installed on you own server, or used directly in their public server at http://eyeos.info
So, besides for Gyffes’s opinion – which is the best? I would rather not try them all and here a flat opinion.
I’m currently using Mint Linux as i can’t find an internet connection everywhere i like having some applications on my computer…. but in general all my work is now done in the cloud!
The integration of the Glide OS is very Mac like. It is amazing how all the apps are tied together. It feels like a real OS. The Glide search interface is a real improvement on the traditional search experience particularly the ability to capture web content into a Microsoft document or share it in an email or tweet. I think I will be getting rid of my Mac MobileMe account. It is too expensive and doesn’t have as much functionality or flexibility as Glide.