Paperspace wants to run your computer in the cloud

 

The idea of connecting a basic computer to a more powerful one over a network isn't new – the first modern computer networks began as dumb terminals that accessed smart mainframes – but improvements in hardware technology, internet speeds and online software are now making the concept genuinely viable for consumers. Enter new startup Paperspace, which wants you to run your computer from the cloud.

This is how it works. At home, you log into Paperspace's servers, and your virtual desktop, applications and webpages are streamed to you from the cloud. There's the option of logging in via a browser on an existing computer, or using a small puck-shaped device supplied by Paperspace (called the Paperweight) that you connect up to any monitor, keyboard and mouse you have lying around.

It might not be an ideal solution for everyone – and if Paperspace goes down, your computer goes down with it – but it's an interesting alternative to the way home computing has worked for the past few decades. Once high-speed, stable internet becomes ubiquitous, more services like Paperspace and the Nvidia Shield console are going to pop up.

Paperspace is now taking US$50 pre-orders for the Paperweight device. The promo video below introduces the system and gives basic cloud service pricing as being around US$10 per month. The service is also available to business users. It's expected to launch officially in September.