Online Software

• The cloud just means "using the internet to store data or access software" instead of using your device's own resources.
• Hosted software (web apps) lives on a remote server and runs in your browser — e.g. Google Docs, Office 365.
• Local software is installed on your device's own storage and runs using your own processor/RAM — e.g. Adobe Photoshop, desktop Office.
• Online (cloud) storage keeps your files on remote servers, accessible from anywhere with internet.
• Local storage keeps your files physically on a device — HDD, SSD, USB stick, SD card.
• Cloud storage comes in three flavours: public, private, and hybrid cloud.
• Almost every exam question here is really asking: "give me an advantage/disadvantage of X compared to Y" — so understanding the trade-offs is 90% of the marks.

The core definition

People throw the word "cloud" around like it's some mysterious floating data-storage in the sky — but it's actually really simple. The cloud is just a way of describing "the internet" when it's being used to store data or run software, instead of your own device doing that work.

There are really only two categories of "where can my stuff live":

• Locally — confined to the resources of the specific device you're using right now (its own hard drive, its own processor, its own RAM).
• In the cloud — data and software live somewhere else entirely (a remote server), and you reach them only through an internet connection.

What makes software "hosted"?

Hosted software is software you access using the internet. Instead of the installation files sitting on your own hard drive like a normal program, the entire piece of software is stored on a remote server that belongs to the company providing it. You just open a web browser, log in, and the server does the heavy lifting while sending the results to your screen.

web application

• Microsoft Office 365
• Google Docs / Sheets / Slides