Page 38 - Oxted Local January 2025

38 January 2025 • Oxted Local 
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What is “The Cloud”? - It sounds
mysterious and ethereal however
it is just a large collection of
servers (computers) with huge
amounts of storage. When you
send or “Upload” something to
the cloud you are merely saving
it to one of these servers. The
biggest names in cloud storage
are Microsoft, Apple and Google
and they have their own “Clouds”
that you can save files to. They
come up with catchy names
so you can differentiate them
(Microsoft OneDrive, Google
Drive, and Apple iCloud) however
they are basically the same. They
each have their own ecosystems
that integrate with their other
services. They each have limits to
the amount of free storage that
you have access to. Google Drive
gives you 15 GB, OneDrive offers 5
GB, and iCloud gives 5 GB as well.
So, you can get a decent amount
of storage space without even
opening your wallet!
Common uses - As the servers
are connected to the internet,
you can then retrieve the saved
files from anywhere and from any
computer or device. This means
that, if there is a disaster (you
lose your tablet, drop your laptop
down the stairs), you can retrieve
the files and download them to
a new device. You can also share
areas of your cloud so that others
can download, upload and view
files.
T I P S
TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY
Just storage – At its
core, cloud storage is
basically a virtual filing
cabinet. You can upload
almost any type of file,
from photos, documents
to videos. Want to keep
your holiday photos in a
safe place? Just manually
upload the one you
want to Google Drive,
OneDrive, or iCloud,
and they’ll be ready for
whenever you want to
revisit that trip (or bore
your friends).
As backup to files – Many of
the companies offer a backup
facility. The automated backup
can copy typical folders or you
can specify custom areas to back
up. These are then automatically
synchronised with the cloud. If
you set up this option, just be
aware that you may be offered an
“optimised” backup where only
“references” to the files are stored
on your system. If this is the case,
you only “download” the file when
you need to access it. This does
mean that if you are offline you
cannot access the files.
As backup to system OS - If
you’re ready to get serious about
protecting everything on your
computer, including your OS
and settings, cloud storage can
Keep your Head in the Clouds
serve as a total system backup.
For Windows users, OneDrive
can back up not just files but
also critical system settings, so
you can restore your computer
to its old self if something goes
wrong. Similarly, Apple’s iCloud
offers users a seamless backup
experience, so if you need to
switch devices, everything can be
restored to the new device.
Think of the cloud as a digital
attic that you don’t have to
clean. It’s there, ready to store all
the memories, documents, and
pictures you’d rather not lose. You
may not want to keep your head
in the clouds, however you may
want to save some your files there.
© Martin Middleton - I.T.Aide
(see page 37 for contact details)