Partly cloudy, with a chance of ...


Each day, it seems, brings more news about the so-called cloud, with the latest, Apple's announcement about its iCloud service, set for Monday. Leaving aside, at least for a moment, our worries about Big Brother, our feelings about there being no real need for this -- and anything else that might darken these skies -- let me ask one simple question: What kinds of files are we talking about here? Would they be like the crappy iTunes downloads? Would they be high res files? Something in between? If anyone has been reporting this, I'm afraid I've missed it.
Any knowledge/speculation about how high (res) the clouds would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
-- Howard
hodu
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My company moved our email to the cloud six months ago, I suspect our website and other stuff is next (maybe it already is?). Before we were cloud based I would have to initiate a VPN connection then open Outlook, the cloud-master means I don't need the VPN. Now that we're cloud based I have unlimited storage and no limitation on file sizes attached to emails, so if that's any indication I'm liking the cloud.
So wtf is the Cloud? Some sort of scheme to store all our computer on rented space or something? Does this mean if we miss a payment all our music is kaput?
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Well.... if you bought a redbook CD or a High Res music file and then ripped it to your NASS Drive for your home media server... You own the music. Now, to get it to your portable media player... you would have to transcode it and download the file. PIA. Once the disk is full... you have to decide to kick something off.... (People hate this idea..) or buy a bigger device.

I would imagine that with cloud media delivery, you could then hit synch and be able to have the file you own on your server now synched to the cloud media player in your account. Then as needed the cloud would push file to your media player and you could play the low res files on your smart phone /media player, or office PC with out having to manage the downloading and transcoding. If it kept track of plays and offloaded the music you haven't listened to.... brilliant. If you suddenly rediscover the music... you still own it... and back it comes.

Since apple will have to include wireless and new firmware on all of the media players.... One more round of media players to be sold. That is where they will get ya!

Now, Why you would waste your time listening to this low res music? I am the wrong guy to ask.
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I think it has a silver lining. Once it's implemented, then constantly improved and perfected, it will become the standard. ...And as Liz said, you will like it. Technology marches on...relentlessly. Orwellian, yes, but it's already too late. The clouds' convenience will make it a juggernaut in computing, and somewhere down the line you will be forced to join.
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