Cloudo

Cloudo was previously part of Xindesk, a company that was promising a WebOS and Widget platform that we’ve mentioned in passing previously. The widget platform is now known as “Widget Plus” with the WebOS taking the Cloudo name.

Cloudo offers standard fare in terms of a WebOS, including file hosting, virtual desktop widgets, applications, email and contact management and eventually a full suite of programs you’d expect from a regular desktop Operating System. Where it excels is in appearance; offerings like AjaxWindows have a touch of ugly about them, Jooce and EyeOS try to be original. Cloudo gets the visuals right first time around, with a high quality visually appealing standard layout. Better still, if you don’t like it, Cloudo comes complete with a big range of themes, including other operating systems including various flavors of Windows, Mac and Linux so users can make themselves feel right at home.

I remember the first time I saw Cloudo when it was Xindesk and I was impressed then, but here in lies the problem. There was mention of Xindesk soon launching in the comments on this post in February 2007. When I first was pitched Xindesk in the middle of last year I was told it would be ready by the end of 2007, early 2008. Cloudo’s current status: they’re inviting more people into the alpha this week and its current release schedule has it being ready to open its doors in the last quarter of 2008. This is a product with potential that if it gets off the ground could well convert people to the cloud, however we might all get significantly older waiting for the launch, and Cloudo could be passed function wise and aesthetically by more nimble competitors while we are waiting.

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Desktops function as ways to organize and manage applications on our operating system. Browsers serve this function for web applications. If I want to check my email, I go to Gmail. If I want to check my finances, I check out my bank’s web page. Managing these applications is best done within the tabs of my browser, not a processor intensive ajax webtop. Ironically it also has a web browser.

There’s no value added by being able to overlay my web applications in ajax windows. Moreover, any platform’s utility is linked to the quality and number of applications developed on it. In the best case scenario, AjaxWindows has to mimic the best web applications on the net within their own service. In the worst case, it simply becomes an elaborate ajax wrapper for those applications.

There have been several other takes on bringing desktop functionality to the web. EyeOS takes an open source approach, YouOS is in alpha, and DesktopTwo is aiming at enterprise clients. Other variants of interfaces for accessing your online life anywhere include start pages like Netvibes, Pageflakes, and Goowy. Further blending the line between the web and your desktop are Adobe AIR, Silverlight, Dekoh, and Mozilla’s yet-to-be-released Parakey.

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