Overview
Cloud computing is actually not complicated. You can think of it as moving your computer or server onto the internet. Cloud computing hands these tasks over to online "cloud servers." By opening a web page or app on your phone or computer, you can use the resources of these servers.Some people may still find it abstract. Take a look at these scenarios you have definitely used—they are all actually cloud computing at work:
1. Cloud drives for storing photos (such as Baidu Cloud, Alibaba Cloud Drive)
The photos you take are uploaded and stored not on your own phone or computer, but on the platform's cloud servers. Even if you lose your phone, you can log in to your account on another device and still retrieve your photos. This is the "storage function" of cloud computing. You don't need to buy your own hard drive, and you don't have to worry about data loss if the drive fails.
2. Writing documents online (such as Tencent Docs, Feishu Docs)
When you and your colleagues revise a proposal together, you don't need to repeatedly send files back and forth or change version numbers. Just open the link and edit in real time, and your changes sync immediately. Behind this, cloud servers are processing your operations in real time and syncing the content to everyone. You don't need to rely on your own computer's processing power—even if you are using an old laptop, you can still work smoothly.
3. Occasionally playing cloud games (such as Tencent Cloud Gaming, NetEase Cloud Gaming)
Some large games can't run on your computer, but you can play them by opening a cloud gaming platform. This is because the game's graphics rendering and data calculations are all done on cloud servers. Your computer only needs to receive the visuals and send control commands. It's equivalent to "borrowing" a high-end cloud computer to play games, without installing a huge game client on your own device.
