Operating Systems That Are Common on the Internet - Research Paper Example

? Web Operating Systems A web operating system can be defined as a user interface which provides users with access to the applications that may either be partly or completely stored on the Web. “It might mimic the user interface of traditional computer operating systems like Windows, but it doesn't interact directly with the computer's hardware” (Strickland, 2012). There is a whole range of mixtures of computers on the Internet on the server as well as the client side of the operating systems. The Internet contains different operating systems. Three of the most common operating systems on the Internet whose web pages are commonly requested by people to be displayed on the computer for the client side of operating systems are Linus, MAC, and Microsoft. The family of Microsoft operating systems available on the Internet includes Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 97, Microsoft Windows 2000, and Microsoft Windows ME. The most common operating system among these is the Microsoft Windows XP because of its gamming industry. In the contemporary computers’ market, two power houses because of which people purchase new computers are the latest games, and people’s attempts to keep up with Joneses. “The reason that the gaming industry is the biggest power house is every person that buys a computer will buy some type of game for that computer and with the gamming industry pushing the envelope of processors and video cards consumers want the most realistic games they can find” (Healy, 2003, p. 1). Web operating systems provide the users with a wonderful way to access their data sitting anywhere across the globe. All that is required by the users is a computer, an Internet connection, and a browser. Web operating systems prove quite handy particularly if the user has many computers, and the user travels frequently and wants all of the data to be compiled in one place instead of many. Five of the most well-known web operating systems are eyeOS, Jolicloud, G.ho.st, Glide OS, and icloud. They are described as follows: eyeOS eyeOS is the web desktop of the open source cloud computing. Individual users and organizations both can use this operating system. eyeOS can be either downloaded from the Internet and run on the server or its account can be created to use it. eyeOS plays the role of a platform for web applications with the help of the eyeOS Toolkit. eyeOS has a Desktop environment which consists of system utilities and 67 other applications that include but are not limited to the address book, word processor, PDF reader, and numerous applications created by the community. Jolicloud Netbooks developed an Internet based operating system with the name Jolicloud. It is a Net focused operating system that supports different kinds of connectivity hardware including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 3G modems. Users of the social media particularly find Jolicloud very convenient to use as it provides them with easy access to such social media websites as Twitter and Facebook. Other features included in Jolicloud include Google Reader, Skype, VLC, Meebo, and Gmail. Jolicloud provides the online users with the facility to live-synch updates from their netbooks using the Jolicloud homebase. The users can read, edit, and write documents, and develop presentations and spreadsheets using the Zoho apps. “By connecting to the apps and services you already use and love, Jolicloud Me automatically streamlines all the things you create, like or receive into your very own personal library” (jolicloud, n.d.). Jolicloud has compatibility with AIR, Windows, Linux, and other applications which support Gears and Flash for the offline web. G.ho.st G.ho.st is another web operating system. It is an abbreviation for Global hosted operating system. It is a kind of virtual computer with almost all of the features of a physical computer that include but are not limited to file storage, desktop, and apps. G.ho.st has two versions; G.ho.st Lite and G.ho.st VC. G.ho.st Lite provides access from old computers that have dial-up connection, and mobile phones whereas G.ho.st VC stands for virtual computer. Some of the prime features of G.ho.st are sharing and collaboration, 15GB disk space that is professionally hosted, office suite with which the users can develop and edit documents, presentations, and spreadsheets with the help of G.ho.st integrations with the Zoho, web browser, and mail. Glide OS Glide OS 3.0 is a cloud computing solution that is ad-free. It can be accessed both from a mobile phone and a computer. Glide OS 3.0 is a free suite of application that provides the users with a free storage equal to 10GB. Glide OS 3.0 consists of application compatibility and automatic file across operating systems. Glide OS 3.0 provides the users with the facility to open up to six accounts of family members that includes one account for a child. The interface of Glide OS 3.0 is intuitive and is quite user-friendly. The account on Glide OS 3.0 can be established in no more than two minutes after which, the user gets straightforward access to all of its features. “Files synced to Glide are automatically converted into compatible previews for a broad range of devices” (Glide, 2010). File formats supports by Glide IS exceed 250 in number. Salient features of Glide OS 3.0 include but are not limited to Glide webmail, photo editor, synchronization, website creator, file sharing, virtual disk space equal to 10GB, and different kinds of office tools like presentation creator, calendar, calculator, and word processor. icloud icloud is a very important web operating system. It is one of the best web operating systems in terms of aesthetic appeal. Icloud provides the users with different kinds of useful applications along with an online storage of up to 50GB. It provides easy sharing and a feature of application development. Salient features of the icloud web operating system include an online file system where all types of files can be stored, WebDAV-support that provides the users with access to the icloud-storage, and different kinds of productivity applications including calendar, contacts, calculator, ToDo, mail, a free icloud account, Unzip, radio, media player, web browser, IM, and Notepad. The photo organizer offered by icloud has sharing capability. References: Glide. (2010, Nov. 29). Glide. Retrieved from http://www.glideos.com/downloads.html. Healy, J. (2003). Operating Systems Common on the Internet. Retrieved from http://www.kg6pir.com/schoolpapers/osci.pdf. Jolicloud. (n.d.). Jolicloud Me. Retrieved from http://www.jolicloud.com/. Strickland, J. (2012). How Web Operating Systems Work. 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