Cloud computing is a concept that sounds appealing. You can store applications and data in cyberspace and access them whenever you like and from whatever device you choose. I’ve been a little leery of storing my information in the cloud due to privacy and offline access to my files. However, the temptation of free storage and free music from Amazon was too much to resist. The online retail giant offers plenty of free music to download, 5 gigabytes (GB) of free storage space in the cloud, and a convenient way to play the music on almost any web-enabled device. When I decided to check out some free music on Amazon, I ended up signing up for Amazon’s Cloud Drive and Cloud Player services. You can store music, pictures, and personal files on the Amazon Cloud Drive. You can store and play music files on the free Amazon Cloud Player.
Installation. The Amazon Cloud Player is easy to sign up for. All I did was “purchase” a free song on Amazon and I was prompted to sign up for a Cloud Drive and Cloud Player as part of my download process. My purchases were placed in the Music folder of my Amazon Cloud Drive and I could optionally download them to my PC as well. A System Tray icon for the Cloud Drive was placed on my PC and a shortcut was installed to the Amazon Cloud Player on my Desktop. If you want to download multiple songs, you will be prompted to install an Amazon download utility. I was initially somewhat taken aback by the need to download Amazon software simply to download a few free music files. However, the software installed smoothly, worked well, and made Amazon purchases more convenient.
Playing Music. To play music on your Amazon Cloud Player, you simply double-click on the Cloud Player desktop icon and log in to your Amazon account. The Cloud Player presents a searchable list of your music and you simply click on the song or songs you want to play. The player will then play all songs on your list. If you want to mix it up a little, you can elect to shuffle your music or repeat your play list. I found the Amazon Cloud Player to be a convenient way to store and play music without worry.
Performance. Even on a slow AT&T; DSL Internet connection, the streaming music from the Cloud Player did not seem to interfere with my web surfing performance.
Compatibility. I tried to use the Cloud Player service on my Augen 74 Mini Netbook and on my Barnes and Noble Nook. However, hardware and operating system issues on both devices prevented me from downloading the Android version of Cloud Player. I could get to the web sites and I could see files, but I wasn’t able to manipulate them. However, I was able to easily transfer downloaded MP3 files from my PC to an inexpensive Craig MP3 player.
File Storage and Convenience. The Cloud Drive has initial folders for Documents, Pictures, Music, Uploads, and Videos. You can create additional folders and manage the storage space much like a regular hard-drive. To upload files, you simply drag them from a directory on your PC to the Cloud Drive Icon on your system tray. I found it easy to operate on the Cloud Drive. It’s a convenient way to make files accessible from any web-enabled system.
Overall, I think Amazon has a powerful offering in its Cloud Drive and Cloud Player. Ultimately, they streamline the process of purchasing and downloading music. They also provide a place in “the cloud” to store files so that they can be accessed from a variety of devices. I was impressed. These Cloud Products illustrate the power of Amazon’s web ecosystem.
Sources:
Personal Experience
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