You’ve heard of Laptop and Desktop but have you heard of “WebTop“? I don’t think it’s something very new but it’s certainly new to me! A webtop or web desktop is a virtual desktop on the web, running in a web browser as software. Web desktops often are characterized by an environment similar to that of Windows, Mac, or Linux, but are now considered to have much more functionality being dependent on the internet. Typical benefits include the ability to save work and settings over the internet rather than to the local desktop.

Here’s a scenario. You are going overseas for a month. You don’t have a laptop and you only have a desktop. Of course you can use remote access to access your home desktop from another computer but to leave your desktop turned on 24 hours a day for the whole month is rather risky. What if there’s a power failure and it shuts off your computer? Moreover, leaving your desktop turned on 24 hours for the whole month gives hacker plenty of time to hack in.

Here’s how WebTop can be useful. You can upload your important files to a free WebTop service, and you can easily access your web desktop from any computer. You can also edit your documents from your webtop!

I got to know about WebTop when I heard about AjaxWindows.
AjaxWindows - Web Desktop
Then, while searching for more information on web desktop, I found 30 more web desktop. Some are free and some are commercial web desktop which requires you to pay. You can check the list at Wikipedia.

There are Pros and Cons in using WebTop.
Pros:
- Don’t require installation of software. Can run directly from web browser.
- You can access your own personalized desktop from anywhere
- Works on any operating system as long as there is internet connection and web browser
- Ability to share application among users located at different locations

Cons:
- A high speed internet is a must. I think it’d be impossible to use if you’re using a 56kbps connection.
- If someone manage to obtain your username and password, he is able to access your web desktop.
- If the webtop doesn’t use secure connection (https), it is possible for a hacker to sniff your data while you’re transferring documents from your desktop to your webtop.

WebTop is certainly a very good concept if you don’t want to use remote access. Other than using WebTop to retrieve your own files, you can also use to write quick notes in case you might forget when you get home. For example, sometimes when I am on a servicing job, I learn a new tip or got to know a new website. Instead of logging in to my webmail, and sending it to my own email address, I can log in to my WebTop and write a sticky note. When I get home, I can note down the website or tip.

See how useful can a web desktop (webtop) be? I love computer so much because there’s always something new to learn EVERYDAY.

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