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Still not as competitive as WinSAT back in the old days.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Microsofthas released a new feature in its latest 26120.3576 and 22635.5090 Insider builds that helps users understand their PC’s capabilities (viaphantomofearthon X).
From its looks, this feature isn’t cutting-edge by any means, as a simple search on the internet will likely land you with many more detailed and fine-tuned answers. In addition, it also tells you if you have the latest Windows release installed on your system, but oddly asks you to verify the information in the Windows Update section.
Back in the Vista days, Microsoft released WinSAT, a tool designed to assess the capabilities of your hardware through a set of tests. It would report back the score on a scale between 1.0 and either 5.9 or 9.9, depending on the Windows version. While this number wasn’t definitive, it let people know where their PC stood. WinSAT also benchmarked individual components such as the CPU, memory, graphics, and disk enabling users to identify potential bottlenecks.
The new FAQ feature spans two different Windows Insider versions: build 26120.3576for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel for Windows 11 23H2 and build 22635.5090for Windows Insiders in the Beta and Dev Channels for Windows 11 24H2. Release notes for both releases mention the inclusion of a new “Frequently Asked Questions” list within “Device specifications” under System > About. The FAQs are disabled by default, though can be activated by enabling the “55305888” Feature ID.
Known FAQs (non-exhaustive) detailing your Windows version, followed by how much RAM you have and your system’s graphical capabilities have been compiled in aGitHub Gist. The first question allows users to check if their Windows is up-to-date but confusingly asks them to verify again within the Windows Update section. That’s most certainly a bug. The second question outlines what applications can be run on your system based on its RAM capacity, using a few common ranges such as <4GB, 4GB-8GB, 8GB-16GB, and >16GB. Lastly, the graphics section goes over the graphical capabilities of your system, or lack thereof if you don’t have a dedicated GPU.
This approach is not as quantifiable as WinSAT and omits assessment of key components such as the CPU and storage. Given Microsoft’s strong push for AI, an AI-driven hardware analysis utility would have been a significant overhaul to WinSAT. (Maybe I’m just reading too much into what’s supposed to be a supplementary feature.) Hopefully, the official release will include more detailed insights that provide users with more than just the basics.
Look just about anywhere, and you’ll see news of tariffs. A trade war has broken out between the U.S. and select countries—the American government is now imposing taxes on goods arriving from China, select products from Canada, and all steel and aluminum imports.
But while the headlines spout flat numbers like 20 percent on Chinese imports and 25 percent on steel, the tariffs’ effect on tech gear isn’t as clear cut. To understand the whole situation, I spoke with industry insiders. What they said is a sobering warning to consumers: We’re about to get hit hard.
Spoiler: A bumpy ride is headed our way. Buckle up.
Tariffs keep going up
First announced on February 1, the tariff on goods arriving from China began at 10 percent on February 4. Then on February 27, the U.S. government announced a raise to 20 percent, effective March 4th.
Meanwhile on March 12, tariffs of 25 percent started on all steel and aluminum imports. This move increased the tax on aluminum from 10 percent. No exemptions are allowed.
Currently, the U.S. government continues to suggest future tariffs, along with potential increases. For example, in mid-February, President Trump proposed a25 percent tariff upon semiconductorsstarting April 2, with the possibility of raising them much higher over time.
These tariffs can stack—for example, any steel and aluminum imports from China would betaxed at a 45 percent rate.
Companies don’t make a lot of money on tech products. Think 6 to 15 percent—a stark contrast to software, which has profit margins as high as 70 to 80 percent. Because of this reality, businesses that import goods from their factories in China can’t absorb this sudden tax hike. It’s too big.
Retailers also can’t cushion the blow, as evidenced byBest Buy and Targettelling shoppers to expect immediate price increases.
For some devices, you can still find them at lower prices—either reflecting “just” the effect of the original 10 percent tariff, or even the pre-tariff cost. Your luck will depend on how much stock was brought over before the March tariffs took effect.
The more popular the product, the more likely a constant stream of units come from China, rather than one big shipment. Its price will go up faster. For items that sell more slowly or have a bigger sitting inventory, the tariffs will have a more delayed impact.
The short version: Currently, the sooner you buy a new device, the cheaper it’ll be.
During the first Trump administration, tariffs were applied selectively. This time, these taxes apply across the board on all imports from China—the primary source for most electronics produced in the world.
So whether a laptop or a cheap printer, if it’s produced in China, it’s subject to this tax. Same goes for even the smallest of accessories, like adapters and cables.
Manufacturers have already begun looking into moving production (or more of their production) to other countries, like Vietnam and India. However, the process is slow. Building up factories capable of complex production demands takes time — months, if not years, depending on the product.
Nobody knows what’s going to happen next—which is why the tariffs keep appearing in the news. And businesses are scrambling to keep up. Your favorite companies can’t give a straight answer on what to expect because they’re still figuring that out for themselves.
Any predictions they made for the year (forecasts) have to now be redone. However, the task is hard to do when the tariffs keep rising and spreading, and more may still come. Companies have to pay upfront for tariffs in order to pass customs. This unexpected cost can’t be deferred; the duties must be paid for the product to enter the U.S.
When I spoke with industry insiders, many said they were still talking with their partners (like distributors and retailers) about what comes next. But even when that gets worked out now, it will likely change as U.S. government policy changes.
Overall, any price shifts will be unpredictable—even on a downward trajectory. Even if tariffs suddenly went away, costs will drift down based on how stable U.S. fiscal policy is, and how much remaining stock was brought into the country during the levies.
People outside the U.S. will feel the hit, too
Economists view tariffs as problematic—in the country that enacts them, they can slow the economy, hurt local industries, and spike costs for consumers. But a trade war can hurt more than just the country that starts them. Most vendors think globally when setting up their production, and that’s reflected in their logistics.
So for example, when Canadians buying from a store that utilizes a U.S-based fulfillment center, they’ll feel the pinch of the U.S.’ tariffs on Chinese imports, too.
But most tech vendors sell worldwide—so the impact of higher production costs will still ripple outward to buyers across the globe, in a couple of different ways. (Read on.)
MSRPs will be even more meaningless
Manufacturers give list prices so consumers know what to expect at retail. But as vendors absorb more production costs (like scaling up factory output in countries outside of China) and scale back on the amount of product available (because demand drops as prices rise), we may be in for another round of highly inflated street prices.
Multiple industry insiders say they don’t want to be caught with too many parts or products on hand that they can’t sell. Other ancillary costs may go up as well as companies scramble to comply with tariff demands—more hours must be spent on figuring out new logistics, as well as the full letter of the law.
If Nvidia, AMD, or Intel launch a new GPU at $200, but partners’ rising costs limit their ability to shave their margin thinner or even produce as many cards, that means demand may cause street prices to shoot way beyond the expected list price.
Innovation may slow
Industry insiders have hinted that without a stable economic environment, investment in new products may become more limited. The size of the company and how diverse its product lineup will influence the ability to commit.
On store shelves, that may result in fewer choices for available models, or less push on evolving standard features. Announced specs like Wi-Fi 7 and PCIe 7.0 might become an even further point in the distance.
You should read reviews carefully
As someone who writes reviews, I always want to think people read every word. But realistically, most people don’t—and if you’re looking for high value from your purchases, you could end up disappointed. With prices changing unpredictably, the final opinions in tech reviews may become outdated by the time you read them.
So in this uncertain market, dig into a review’s details. Find out what user experience to expect, the level of performance, and what quirks exist.
Since street prices could end up notably different than the MSRP quoted to the reviewer, you’ll need to decide for yourself if the actual price is worth the experience.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows may be a reason for skeptical gamers to consider a PS5 Pro upgrade. Digital Foundry showed how ray-traced global illumination added realism to the Japanese scenery. The Assassin’s Creed Shadows PS5 Pro version is missing some Sony-promoted features like PSSR upscaling.
Assassins Creed Shadows PS5 Pro banner (Image source: Sony PlayStation)
Developers aren’t always clear about what advantages a title will have on the PS5 Pro. Fortunately, Digital Foundry ran a comprehensive analysis before the Assassin’s Creed Shadows release date. The most significant improvements are with lighting effects, which make the game’s Japanese environments eerily realistic.
Like many recent console releases, Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers performance, quality, and balanced modes. Digital Foundry found that Sony’s most powerful gaming system realizes its potential with 60fps performance settings. The Assassin’s Creed Shadows PS5 Pro version includes ray-traced global illumination (RTGI), which isn’t available on the PS5. The footage shows how indirect light convincingly bounces off foliage, while the scenes with the PS5 look drab.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows PS5 Pro blanced vs quality mode comparison (Image source: screenshot, Digital Foundry YouTube)
Assassin’s Creed Shadows performance mode PS5 Pro vs PS5 comparison (Image source: screenshot, Digital Foundry YouTube)
Many PS5 titles receive post-launch patches to implement PS5 Pro-specific features. However, as a current-gen title only, it appearsAssassin’s Creed Shadowswas developed with the console in mind. Digital Foundry believes that Ubisoft’s game is one of the best demonstrations of PS5 Pro’s abilities yet. That said,Assassin’s Creed Shadowssurprisingly lacksPlayStation Spectral Super Resolution(PSSR) upscaling. Consequently, images at higher resolutions have more artifacts than expected.
Assassin’s Creed ShadowsPS5 Pro players can experience conventional ray tracing effects in quality mode. Otherwise, compared to the PS5, differences in smoothness and overall image sharpness are minor. If players are only interested in steady framerates, the Xbox or PS5 versions may suffice. Framerates generally met their targets in quality, performance, and balanced modes. On the other hand, like withMonster Hunter Wilds, the Xbox Series S shows its limitations with occasionally choppy gameplay.
>>>LIP1359 Battery for Sony Playstation3 Sixaxis Wireless Controller Ubisoft has dealt with delays and controversy leading up to theAssassin’s Creed Shadowsrelease date. Considering these difficulties, the publisher couldn’t afford to have poor performance cause more negative reactions. At least on consoles, the game presents a beautifully rendered open world with few technical hitches.
Source(s)
Digital Foundry YouTube
In today’s gaming world, multi-platform titles are becoming the standard. Some players are now using Boosteroid to stream PlayStation exclusives on Xbox consoles. Only purchased PC ports are compatible with the cloud gaming service.
PS5 logo shown on Xbox using Boosteroid cloud gaming (Image source: Xbox Wire, Sony PlayStation)
Microsoft loyalists may feel betrayed as more Xbox titles becomeplayable on the PS5. However, some gamers are gaining revenge by playing former PlayStation exclusives on Xbox consoles. TheBoosteroidcloud gaming service allows streaming select PlayStation games in the Edge browser. Of course, there are caveats, like needing to own a PC port of any PS4 or PS5 title.
Just asXbox Gaming has gone cross-platform, Sony has increased its presence on PCs. Titles, includingGod of War Ragnarok,Last of Us Part 1, andHelldivers 2, are available on Steam or the Epic Games Store. Still, Sony has tried to prevent any cloud gaming service from streaming these titles on Xbox consoles.Nvidia GeForce Nowhas an Xbox app, but the service doesn’t offer PlayStation exclusives.
God of War Ragnarok playing on Xbox console (Image source: screenshot, Console Gaming subreddit)
Instead of an app, Boosteroid relies on the Edge browser, accessible on Xbox consoles. Gamers must subscribe to the service for $7-$10 monthly and own the PlayStation game on Steam or another compatible marketplace. With a fast enough internet connection, gamers can play titles likeGod of War Ragnarokin 4K and up to 120 fps. Some gamers have postedsuccess stories on Reddit, reporting reasonable latency.
Critics may argue that using Boosteroid on an Xbox isn’t that appealing. Gamers still need to buy a PlayStation exclusive on PCs and a monthly subscription, so they aren’t saving much in costs. Also, the selection of compatible titles doesn’t include console-only games likeGran Turismo 7. Nevertheless, for cloud gaming supporters, it bypasses the need for a powerful gaming PC.
Considering the GeForce Now restrictions, the above workaround may not work much longer. Until then, the Xbox Series X|S has unexpectedly become more versatile.
Fresh round of emails encourages upgrades to Windows 11, but I’m not happy with the way some of this messaging is angled
Image Credit: Microsoft(Image credit: Microsoft)
Microsoft is sending out emails to push people to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11
While on the face of it, that seems a useful move to help some users, Microsoft’s angling of the email is far from ideal
It also runs the risk of making Windows 10 users feel spammed, particularly as they’re still getting nudged numerous times within the OS itself
Microsoftis once again trying to persuadeWindows 10users that they need toupgrade to Windows 11, ahead of the impending cessation of support for the older operating system later this year.
This time, though, the nudge to upgrade isn’t being delivered within Windows 10 itself, but via email – although it isn’t the first time Microsoft has tried this approach.
I received an email from Microsoft (sent to the email address linked to my Microsoft account) regarding my Windows 10 PC needing an upgrade at the end of November 2024, a few months back, but now the software giant is sending out fresh messages to upgrade this month.
I didn’t get this latest mail (not yet, anyway), butWindows Latestdid, and although it carries the same title, a warning that ‘End of support for Windows 10 is approaching,’ the email itself is somewhat different.
The overall thrust of the content is similar though. There’s a prominent reminder of the exact date that Microsoft halts support for Windows 10 – which happens on October 14, 2025 – and some suggestions of what to do with your old PC (trade it in, or recycle the machine). You can also click a link to check your upgrade eligibility forWindows 11.
Microsoft also clarifies that your PC will continue to work, it’s just that there will be no more support – as in software updates – piped through. There’s also a link to some blurb on how Windows 11 is more secure (which is certainly true), and a nudge to use OneDrive to back up your files if you plan to use Windows 10 after the deadline has passed, heading into 2026.
Analysis: Overstepping boundaries and taking some odd angles
There are a couple of things that strike me as odd here. Firstly, the plug for OneDrive feels very gratuitous, and hardly a solution to counter the prospect of having your PC compromised by running an out-of-date OS. Where on earth is the stern warning that it really isn’t a good idea to run Windows 10 on your PC when support for theoperating systemexpires?
As you may be aware, without security updates, your computer will be left vulnerable to exploits, as when holes appear in Windows 10, they will no longer be patched up – a recipe for disaster, potentially.
Of course, if you really want to stick with Windows 10, then for the first time ever, consumers can pay to extend support, and I’d recommend you do so. Oddly enough, Microsoft doesn’t mention this extension of support in its email.
I say it’s odd, but then, Microsoft would really prefer you upgrade to Windows 11 anyway, either on your current PC – if it’s eligible – or by purchasing a new Windows 11 computer. And to that end, there’s a link in the email to ‘explore new computers’ which is something Microsoft has been urging us to do for a while now.As I’ve discussed before, there’s arguably merit to the suggestion in some ways, but a whole lot of other concerns outweighing that around the environmental toll that aton of Windows 10 PCs ending up on the scrapheapmight usher in.
These are serious worries, and likely why Microsoft is sending the other message in this email advising on recycling (or trading in) your old Windows 10 PC if you do upgrade.
The other point here is do you want to be getting emails direct from Microsoft about Windows 10 upgrades? Well, in some ways, I guess it’s better (or at least slightly less annoying) than being pushed to upgrade within the operating system itself, but the problem is,Microsoft is doing that as well– so Windows 10 users are getting both barrels, as it were. Sigh…
We can likely expect several further barrages of these kind of emails as 2025 progresses, and the October support deadline draws nearer – messages that folks may well be wanting their spam filter to deal with, frankly.
Don’t get me wrong here: I’m not saying it isn’t important to warn consumers about the dangers of an out-of-date operating system – it definitely is – but Microsoft is rather overstepping with its broad approach here, and worse still, this particular email actually undersells those dangers (while overselling other Microsoft products).
A German retailer and a UAE classifieds site have listed the Pixel 9a for sale
Specs and images were also included
These listings suggest the phone will be launching imminently
TheGoogle Pixel 9amust be one of the most heavily leaked phones in recent memory, as along with leaked specs and images we recently saw detailedhands-on Pixel 9a videos– and now the phone has popped up for sale in two different places.
As spotted byGSMArena, the phone was listed on a now-removed page on the website of German retailerTechnomarkt. The listing included pictures, a starting price of 549 euros (roughly $600 / £460 / AU$940), and a fairly detailed specs list.
According to the listing, theGooglePixel 9a will come in Gray, Rose, Black, and Violet shades, will have Gorilla Glass 3 protection, and will have either 128GB or 256GB of storage.
It apparently has a 6.3-inch FHD+OLEDscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,700 nits, and it’s said to have a Tensor G4 chipset like the rest of thePixel 9line, 8GB of RAM, a 5,100mAh battery, a 48MP main camera, and a 13MP ultra-wide camera, all of which are details we’ve heard before.
(Image credit: Dubizzle)
The other listing is less revealing, and takes the form ofa classifieds postin the UAE. This then isn’t an official store; rather it’s an individual who’s selling a Pixel 9a for AED 2,350 (around $640 / £490 / AU$1,000), but the listing does include pictures of the box.
The fact that both of these listings exist suggests the Google Pixel 9a will launch very soon. Indeed, the German listing stated that the phone would be delivered in around 10-14 days.
We don’t know for sure when the Pixel 9a will be announced, but leaks suggestwe could see it as soon as tomorrow(March 19), in which case we should know all the official details soon – although with the Pixel 9a having been so extensively leaked, we don’t expect to learn much that we haven’t already heard.
HP wants to make its AI laptop names more informative
(Image credit: HP)
HP has debuted a number of new AI laptops at Amplify 2025
The company has followed Dell’s lead with AI-driven rebranding across its laptop lineup
800 and 600 series become EliteBook 8 and 6, while 400 series is now ProBook 4
HPhas launched a range of new AI laptops at its Amplify 2025 event with a host of new brand names.
The company’s 800 Series is now EliteBook 8, and the 600 Series is now EliteBook 6 (both systems come in 13, 14, and 16-inch sizes).
The 400 Series is now ProBook 4 (in 14 and 16-inch sizes). ZBook Firefly is now the ZBook 8 G1i (Intel) and G1a (AMD), ZBook Power is now the ZBook X G1i, Elite Mini/SFF/Tower is now EliteDesk and Elite AiO is now EliteStudio. Clear?
At the start of the year,Delldecided that the arrival of the AI era meant it was time for a fresh start, and in debuting a new Pro range of laptops, it waved goodbye to the belovedLatitudebrand, which was first introduced back in 1994.
The ax swinging didn’t end there, though. The company also debuted a new Pro Max mobile workstation family, which replaced the 32-year-oldPrecisionbrand. Intel, which finallyhas a new CEO, has also beenplaying the name game recentlyto try to make things clearer for customers.
While HP’s rebranding isn’t anywhere near as major as Dell’s (it’s also worth noting that more people will be familiar with Dell’sLatitudeandPrecisionbrands than any of HP’s brands), it’s still another big change for consumers to get their heads around. At least it’s straightforward enough.
If you want an EliteBook 8 G1 Series laptop, you can differentiate between the models by size (13, 14, 16), processor (G1i for Intel or G1a for AMD), and Next Gen and regular AI models (which offer different TOPS). Once you know what’s what, you can quickly spot the difference between the HP EliteBook 8 G1a 13” Next Gen AI PC and the HP EliteBook 8 G1i 16” AI PC.
Is the rebranding totally necessary? That’s a matter of debate.
“We take a very traditional and pragmatic approach,” Tom Butler, Lenovo’s executive director of commercial portfolio and product management, recently told.
“There is a series name for our ThinkPad products, like T series, L series or E series, with screen sizes in the product name for clarity – T14, T16 and so on. In order to keep it logical and help people keep track, we also put a generational name after. At the moment, we are not making any changes in our direction. Lenovo has solid brand equity, as do our sub-brands like ThinkPad, ThinkBook or Lenovo Yoga for consumers.”
Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday update is an important one, patching 57 security vulnerabilities (including seven zero-day flaws). It’s an update I’d encourage all Windows users to install as soon as possible, especially as those zero-day vulnerabilities pose a serious security risk to anyone using a PC.
As it happens, this update comes with an extra patch that Microsoft didn’t initially disclose, or, for that matter, intend:removing Copilot from Windows.
Some users, after installingKB5053598(Windows 11) orKB5053606(Windows 10) on their PCs, will notice the update not only unpinned Copilot from the taskbar, but uninstalled the Copilot app as well. Microsoft hasn’t disclosed why this issue is present in the latest Windows updates, but says it hasn’t seen the bug in theMicrosoft 365 Copilot app, the version of Copilot directly integrated into Microsoft’s office suite.
The company says it is working on a new update to fix the problem, and, presumably, restore Copilot access to affected Windows users. If you’re missing Copilot and want it back before Microsoft issues a new update, you canreinstall the app from the Microsoft Storeand pin it back to your taskbar yourself.
However, it’s possible youdon’twant to reinstall Copilot. After all, there are a number of users out there who aresearching for ways to disable Copilot, and there are eventools out there that help you remove it from Windows. Perhaps Microsoft actually did you a favor here. There is an irony to the situation, that the company pushing its AI tools so hard—whether you want them or not—just removed them on your behalf as part of a softwarepatch.
That’s not to say Copilot is useless: There are a number of potential benefits the AI tool offers Windows users (and, now, even Mac users). But if you haven’t found any benefits to these tools in your work or personal life in the two-and-a-half years since ChatGPT launched this generative AI revolution, you might be content with Microsoft’s inadvertent decision to remove its flagship assistant.
Google’s Find My is nearly a year old, but it has been quickly gaining new features in that short time.
Now, the ability to track friends and family via the Find My app is starting to roll out to Android users, which Googleannouncedin early March for Pixel phones. Other Android devices will get to use it in the future.
google
As with most Google features, it didn’t immediately land on Android devices and instead was rolled out over the last few weeks.
The Find My app now has two categories at the bottom of the screen labeled “Devices” and “People” (still in beta, apparently).
Tap on the people tab to see a map and a button called “+ New Share.” The map will show you the live locations of people who are sharing with you. The New Share button lets you send your location for various times including one hour, today only, a custom duration, or until you turn it off.
You can share your location via a link or select individuals to send your area, including Apple device owners.
This option already works similarly in theGoogle Mapsapp, and from what we can tell, Google isn’t removing that feature from the Maps app.
If you didn’t know this existed in Google Maps, you can find it by clicking your profile icon in Maps. It should be the fourth option down called “Location Sharing.”
Like the new People tab in the Find My app, you can share your location for selected times. The interface looks the same across the two apps once you click on location sharing.
People you share your location with in Google Maps can always find your Name and photo, the device’s recent location even when Google apps aren’t being used, the device’s battery power and if it’s charging and arrival and departure time if they add a Location Sharing notification.
Google
I think the sharing is easier to do in the Find My app and faster than through Google apps. Plus, it’s combined with the device search, which makes sense to be in the same place on your phone.
That said, using the feature asked me to turn off the power-saving mode. It’ll take some testing, but we’ll need to watch how power-hungry the mode is, especially on older devices.
Tracking your Android devices is more manageable if you haven’t used the Find My network. Google offers the Find My Device feature but requires a network connection and a turned-on device.
The newer Find My network accesses a network of Android devices andBluetoothto track phones, tablets or earbuds that may not be connected to a network.
Cloud hosting provides scalability, redundancy, and can be more cost effective
Image credit: Pixabay (Image credit: Pixabay)
Cloud hostingis more than just a marketing term thrown around. It’s a type of hosting that provides scalability, redundancy, and can be more cost effective for the right users. Unfortunately, the phrase cloud has been overly used and misrepresented so understanding what it is and what benefits it has is not the easiest thing to unpack. I’ve written this explainer to help you understand what cloud really is and whether you need it. This can help you pick thebest web hostingfor you.
What is cloud hosting?
To understand cloud hosting, we first need to understand traditional hosting. In traditional web hosting you rent a server that contains resources. Resources are the things your website needs to run. The three main resources are CPU, RAM, and storage.
You either share these resources throughshared hosting. Share them virtually through through VPS hosting or, don’t share them at all with dedicated hosting. The main characteristic here is that this is one physical server with a direct link between the website and the resources in the server.
With cloud hosting the resources don’t belong to individual servers. Instead the resources exist in a pool and websites can use what they need when they need it.
You can think of shared hosting like sitting around a table with a bowl of food in the middle. You don’t have your own plate everyone just grabs from what’s available. If there is a greedy eater at the table. You’re going to get less, and you might end up hungry.
VPS hostingis the same scenario but you have your own plate. At the beginning of the meal everyone takes what they want and puts it on their plate. This is much better because greedy eaters won’t take food from you and you always know how much food you have.
Dedicatedis the same scenario but you’re sitting at the table by yourself. Great if you have a big appetite but can be very wasteful.
Cloud is different. Instead of food being served in the middle of the table and people taking what they want at the beginning or free-for-all style cloud is like having your own waiter. Ask for something on the menu whenever you want it and the waiter will bring it immediately.
The main benefit of cloud hosting is scalability. By this I mean that you can add and remove resources for your site at the click of a button or automatically. The resources in cloud hosting are not attached to one server so you can pull resources from the entire network.
With traditional hosting you would need to physically add or remove a CPU, RAM, or storage when you needed it which takes time, is risky, and can result in downtime.
Redundancy is another word for duplication. In cloud hosting your site and backups can be duplicated and stored in many different locations (called geo-redundancy). So if the storage fails, no problem, it’s already ready to be used in a different location. If a disaster happens that causes the power to be cut off from a datacenter or a datacenter is destroyed entirely. No problem! Your site was never offline because there was another copy in another datacenter.
Cost-effectiveness
It seems counter-intuitive that a type of hosting that has additional features can be more cost effective but it can. At scale, it’s cheaper to use cloud resources for redundancy and scalability because you don’t need to own and maintain additional equipment. The cost effectiveness is only there at scale though. Unless you will benefit from scalability and redundancy, there is no need to pay extra for cloud.
Who needs cloud hosting?
If your website doesn’t need many resources and doesn’t see big fluctuations in traffic like a blog or portfolio, shared hosting is absolutely fine. It’s the cheapest type of hosting if you’re not very technical and you won’t suffer any of the negative aspects of shared hosting.
If you need to guarantee resources for your site and you know the resource requirements are the same every month, then using a VPS is a better choice than shared hosting. So, thebest VPS hostingis a good option for established sites that get frequent regular visitors that don’t need the benefits of redundancy.
Dedicated is for when you need additional security requirements and/or have a website or websites that demand a lot of resources. Dedicated hosting is not that popular anymore and is generally being replaced with cloud hosting because it provides all the benefits of dedicated hosting but cheaper and also has some additional bonusses. Unless you’re dealing with highly sensitive information or your business needs are super high like a web developer managing multiple sites and applications, there isn’t much need to think about dedicated hosting.
You can benefit from cloud hosting in the following scenarios
New businesses
When starting a new business the last thing you want to be dealing with is hosting issues. You also wont know for sure how many resources you need until you start getting site visits and then, what happens if you get more than expected? Opting for cloud hosting at the beginning can save you hassle and money in the long run. Once you have established what the regular visits to your site are and what resources they require you can try a VPS server to save money;
Online stores
Servers for online stores are doing a lot more heavy lifting than servers for blogs and portfolios due to larger databases, unique users, shopping carts, and taking payments. When a site is the main revenue source it’s also a lot more important to make sure it’s online all the time. Online stores also get higher fluctuations in traffic from things like promotions or festivals.
Cloud hosting helps alleviate these pressures on servers to ensure that an online store is always ready to go and always has the best user experience.
There are plenty of studies that show that slow sites lose revenue so spending more on cloud hosting can pay for itself in additional sales and higher ranking in searches.
Types of cloud hosting
You might see cloud hosting packaged in many different forms. Some is just fancy marketing. Some is genuine. To help you navigate the market I’ve broken down some of the key cloud packages.
It seems odd to say shared cloud because it’s technically not shared in the traditional sense and in another sense all cloud is shared. So, what is shared cloud?
Shared cloud is essentially a virtual server with many websites sharing that virtual server. It’s the same as the example I gave earlier of people eating at a table from a central pot in the middle. An amount of cloud resources are allocated to that space and the websites have to share whats there.
Many hosting companies now are based on cloud infrastructure and sell shared hosting this way, Some still call it shared, some call it shared cloud.
If shared servers are managed properly then from a users perspective it’s essentially the same. If a hosting company is charging more because their shared is cloud, check what cloud benefits the plan has. Are there offs-site backups? If not, then it’s not worth the extra price tag.
Cloud VPS
Cloud VPS is the same as above. A virtual environment is created and resources are reserved for it. This is the most common form of cloud hosting and usually comes with all the benefits of cloud like geo-redundancy and scalability. This is the most suitable type of hosting for online stores and growing businesses, or sites that require a custom server environment.
Cloud hosting round up
To summarise, cloud hosting is a type of infrastructure on which hosting plans can be created and managed. Cloud hosting adopts traditional hosting methodology but brings with it scalability and redundancy that traditional hosting cannot provide.
Cloud hosting is excellent for websites that have large fluctuations in site visits, new businesses that don’t know what their baseline requirements are, and for online stores that depend on excellent user experience and being always online.
