---

---

Released: June 23, 2011

Demystifying cloud computing for consumers

Source: Scott Martin, USA Today

Apple and Google are each rolling the dice on competing visions of cloud-based media, placing high-stakes bets on digital delivery of entertainment at a time when confusion runs high for such services. The problem is, most of the people they want to market those services to only have a vague notion of what "the cloud" means. "It's not just consumers and lay people who struggle with the cloud, it's experienced IT people who struggle with it," says Gartner analyst David Smith. "The whole idea from a consumer perspective is … it's supposed to be a magical cloud in the sky." n a way, the cloud is as old and simple as the Internet itself. The cloud is really just about accessing storage or software remotely from a computer via the Internet. It's a modern twist on an old concept of timesharing on giant mainframe computers dating back to the '60s, industry experts say.

Read Full Article: Demystifying cloud computing for consumers