What is Jolicloud?
Jolicloud is the first operating system designed
entirely for people who live on the web (yes, it
was there before the Chrome OS. )
Basically a sophisticated web browser, Jolicloud is a delight
to use. It is a simple, straight-forward operating system that’s
based on Linux and was created keeping netbooks in mind. It
integrates web apps and popular sites like Facebook to
provide a seamless and immersive web experience.
Even if you’re not yet ready to commit, Jolicloud offers
the option to test it out inside the Chrome web browser
before installing it. But trust me, you don’t need a trial.
Why do I need it?
Jolicloud’s intense focus on the bare essentials really
plays to the strengths of older machines that have seen better
days. My laptop from 2006 had been becoming steadily more
sluggish and difficult to use with time, but with an install of
Jolicloud, my laptop booted up in seconds. It gave a new life
to an old, deteriorating machine, and saved me the expense
of replacing it.
It’s not only speed that Jolicloud offers. There’s ease of
use too. I think of it as the operating system that even your
Grandma can use. No-fuss automated updates, one click
installation and removal of apps, a personalized launcher,
and syncing in the cloud are some of the features. You can
access your files by logging into my.jolicloud.com on any
web-connected device.
Sounds great. Now what about apps?
Web apps are readily available and quite numerous,
with the most popular apps like Facebook and Twitter
coming preinstalled. The best and latest apps are in their own
“Featured Apps Directory”, and apps are also synchronized
in the cloud, making them accessible from any computer.
Most of the apps are nothing but bookmarks to the official
app sites, but, there are some standouts like Google Voice
that show the true potential of the platform.
Installing JoliCloud
Lets go through the steps of installing it on Windows.
Step 1: Direct your browser to Jolicloud’s official site, and
select the Download link at the top of the screen. (Shown
below)
Step 2: On the download page you are given two options, to
either install Jolicloud alongside your pre-existing Windows
operating system, or to install Jolicloud on top of Windows,
making it your primary operating system.
For this tutorial, I chose to install it alongside Windows.
Step 3: You might want to play a game of Angry Birds on
your iPhone because the download might take a while.
Step 4: Once the JolicloudInstaller file has finished
downloading, locate the file and open it up. The window
shown below will appear. Go ahead and click Get started to
begin the installation.
Step 5: Choose a login name and password to use with
Jolicloud. This will be the username and password you will
use to access your computer at startup. You will be asked to
create another set for accessing your Jolicloud account, and
consequently, for the files you choose to save in the cloud.
Jolicloud has no rules regarding numeric characters,
uppercase or anything else, so feel free to pick whatever you
would like.
Step 6: Here is where you choose how much hard drive
space you wish to allocate to Jolicloud. I recommend going
with the optimal setting of 29 GB, as Jolicloud does not need
any extra space due to its compact nature.
Step 7: Time for a coffee break, although this install only
takes a few minutes.
Step 8: Jolicloud requires a reboot to finish installing. When
your computer restarts you will be given the option of
booting into Windows or Jolicloud. Use the directional
arrows on your keyboard to choose Jolicloud and then hit
enter.
Step 9: Jolicloud will put you through another 3-5 minutes
of final install time before finally booting up into the screen
you see below.
Step 10: If you have an encrypted connection, a dialogue
will come up asking you to connect to the Internet. Locate an
icon at the top of the screen (an unplugged wire) and right
click on it to bring up a list of available networks. Then select
yours and enter the password. Once it connects, click “I’m
online now!”
Step 11: It is now time to create a login and password for
your Jolicloud account. I found it easiest to have the same
username and password for my operating system as well as
my Jolicloud account, but that is up to you.
There is also the option to use your Facebook login to
access Jolicloud. However, I am not a fan of letting programs
have unlimited access to my personal Facebook account, so I
skipped that option.
Step 12: Another dialogue box will pop up. Press “Start”,
and it will load for a second before asking you to describe
your device as either a netbook, laptop, desktop, or other.
Choose the machine you are currently using and press next.
It will then ask you the brand and model of the device that
you are using. Choose your device’s brand and model, then
press next. If your model is not an option, enter it in the
“other” box. You then get to name your new Jolicloud device,
so have fun with it!
If you have completed all of the above steps, you are
now using a brand new Jolicloud desktop. Congratulations!
You are a pioneer of the cloud computing community and
have bravely gone where few others have before.
Now go forth and spread the word! And do let us know your
experience of using it.
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