The Uncanny Convenience of Living the Web-Hosted Life

I've been using web-hosted apps exclusively for the past two years. I don't use any traditional software on my computer now, and spend very little time using offline apps.

I use a Samsung Chromebook for my laptop and a Chromebox for my desktop computer. Both use Chrome OS, which focuses on the browser without the distractions of typical software at all.

The transition was a little difficult at first. After all, everyone needs a copy of Microsoft Word, iTunes, and PowerPoint, right?

As I've discovered, the answer is no!

The web-hosted apps available today far exceed most software that has existed before. Here are some of the benefits of living a web-hosted life:

1. Portability. You can go anywhere, use any device, and still get the same tasks done. With web-hosted apps, your data is where you need it—whether you log on at home or the other side of the world.
2. Security. When your hard drive is designed to hold nothing but essential files, viruses are a non-issue. I haven't had to worry about security in years, because Chrome OS wipes nonessential programs with each boot.
3. Consistency. The way web-hosted apps are typically designed, your files are saved as you go. That means you don't have to worry about backups or hard drives, because your files are saved on cloud servers all over the world.
4. Simplicity. I love the freedom of leaving my house with nothing but my mobile phone. I have access to every file I use, should I want it for any reason at all.
5. Affordability. I bought my Chromebook for less than $500, and the next generation is selling for $250 right now. It's designed to focus on capabilities on the web, so it's super-fast, cheap, and high quality, too.

Why worry about software downloads, when you can use the same features elsewhere on the web?

• To write, I use Google Docs and Gingko.
• For presentations, I use Google Slides or Slides.com.
• For music, I use Google Play. When I'm working, I listen to Focus@Will.
• To edit images, I use Canva. For more advanced edits, I use Pixlr Editor.

And the list goes on (see my tools page for more).

With an abundance of cloud-based apps, plus a full library of on- and off-line Chrome extensions, I'm good to go.

The world is moving more and more to a cloud-based, interconnected environment. I'm curious to see where next we will go!

How could a web-hosted life benefit you?