G.ho.st®, pronounced ghost, is the Global Hosted Operating SysTem that provides a free and complete Internet-based Virtual Computer (VC) service, including personal desktop, files and applications, available from any browser, anywhere. G.ho.st® is written with dots in order to make it into a valid web address (URL).
2 - What is a Virtual Computer (VC)?
A service which behaves just like a computer (with a desktop, file system, applications, etc.) but that is not physically installed on any one computer but instead is hosted in a professional data center on the Internet and is accessible from any Internet browser.
3 - What is a Web OS?
Windows® and Mac-OS® are the operating systems you use offline - they are physically installed on one computer. By contrast the term Web Operating System or hosted operating system is sometimes used for the technology behind the G.ho.st® Virtual Computer or similar services. Note that whichever computer accesses G.ho.st® still needs a local operating system to manage the hardware and provide a browser - but all the interesting stuff - the desktop, file system, apps, etc. are handled by G.ho.st®.
4 - What are the advantages of a VC over a PC?
Your desktop, files, apps, are accessible from any computer in the world
G.ho.st® helps you manage all your web stuff from multiple service providers
No administration - automatically updated, backed-up and secured
Privacy - when you use G.ho.st® there is no trail of your activity on the physical computer you are using
Fun and easy to use
5 - How do I use the G.ho.st® VC alongside Windows?
At home you can use Windows. You can use the G.ho.st® file upload/download facility to keep your most important documents, music and photos on G.ho.st® as well so that you can access them from other places. You can also use G.ho.st® My Items to manage your Web stuff (links to Flickr photos, Google Docs, YouTube videos, etc.) since Windows doesn't do that well.
6 - How do I use the G.ho.st® VC instead of Windows?
You can use the G.ho.st® file upload/download facility to permanently move your files (documents, music, photos, etc.) to G.ho.st®. You can use G.ho.st® Mail as your e-mail service and use the POP aggregation to receive e-mails from your other e-mail services (as well as your new @G.ho.st email). You can also use G.ho.st® My Items to manage your Web stuff (links to Flickr photos, Google Docs, YouTube videos, etc.) and use the G.ho.st® Browser to make sure that your bookmarks and cookies are available everywhere.
7 - How can I trust G.ho.st® with my data?
G.ho.st® has chosen the very best available storage service for your precious data - namely at Amazon.com's S3 Web Service. Amazon keep multiple copies of every file in state-of-the-art secure data centers.
8 - Is G.ho.st® built on an existing operating system like Linux?
No, existing operating systems are only suitable for running locally installed on a physical PC. G.ho.st® has been architected as a new Web-based operating system.
The Virtual Computer (VC) details
9 - What computers can I use G.ho.st® on?
Almost any computer - all that is required is an Internet Browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer, FireFox or Safari) with the already popular Flash plug-in (at least version 8). G.ho.st® will run best on a reasonably up-to-date computer with a Pentium 4 or better CPU, at least 512MB RAM (preferably more if you have other programs running) and an Internet connection of at least 1.5mbps. For Windows users with a non-US keyboard or a slow CPU we recommend Internet Explorer rather than FireFox.
10 - Which software applications are available on G.ho.st®? Can I run my Windows software?
You cannot run Windows software applications on G.ho.st®. Instead, G.ho.st® is integrating with more-and-more Web-based hosted software (or software-as-a-service). Fortunately for most popular Windows programs including Outlook®, Word®, PowerPoint®, Excel® there are good online equivalents which are available on G.ho.st®, and many of them are free.
11- Do I need to install software apps? Do I need to update them when there are new versions?
G.ho.st® never requires you to install or update any application. They just work and are updated automatically.
12 - How do I find and launch software apps?
Many applications are listed in the G.ho.st® Directory accessed from the Go Menu, and others are accessed by double-clicking on different types of files in G.ho.st® Storage. The list is growing continuously.
13 - How much file storage do I get?
The G.ho.st® VC comes with 15GB of free file storage. More storage will be available soon via different promotions or for a modest monthly fee.
14 - How do I upload/download files from Windows?
You can upload/download individual files from your desktop within G.ho.st® Storage. For uploading/downloading multiple files or directories we recommend ftp.
15 - Does G.ho.st® work on Mac?
Absolutely. However certain parts of G.ho.st® such as G.ho.st® Mail work better on FireFox than on Safari on a Mac.
16 - How do I edit documents, spreadsheets and images?
You can upload .doc, .ppt and .xls files to G.ho.st® Storage or create new ones there using the New Menu. Then just double click on the files in G.ho.st® Storage to edit them.
17 - How does G.ho.st® help me manage all my other Web services?
G.ho.st® My Logins keeps track of your username and password for some popular web services (the list is still limited but is growing). G.ho.st® My Items can keep smart shortcuts to web pages, Flickr® images, YouTube® videos, Amazon products and more - you can create them using the My Items New Menu or drag-and-drop them from the Flickr, YouTube, Amazon search services which you can find in the G.ho.st® Menu
18 - How do I use my @G.ho.st® email and what about my other email addresses?
Your 10GB yourGhostID@G.ho.st mail box is created automatically the first time you sign in to G.ho.st®. To receive e-mails from all your other e-mail services, ask your service provider for the "POP3" address, username and password and add this in G.ho.st® Mail under Options/Pop Accounts/Add.
19 - Why use the G.ho.st® VC Browser?
The G.ho.st® Browser is currently in alpha (and has bugs) but already has most of the features of other browsers. The advantage of the G.ho.st® Browser is that your bookmarks and browser settings will be available wherever you use, and web sites will recognize you since your cookies will be available everywhere too.
20 - What are Items and how are they different to Files?
Files are traditional Windows-like files (.jpg, .mp3, .doc, .xls,…) stored in G.ho.st® Storage. My Items contains sophisticated shortcuts to files and other resources which are stored on the Web or to real world things like people.
About Ghost Inc.
21 - Your web address G.ho.st® is confusing! Where is the www and .com?
Our official company name is Ghost Inc. but since URLs (web addresses) have to have dots we chose G.ho.st® as the closest available URL and use that also as the trading name for the company and for the Virtual Computer service. Anyway, who said that web addresses must start www. or end .com?!
22 - If your service is free, how do you make money?
G.ho.st® may take a fee from service providers whom you access through the G.ho.st® desktop at no cost to you. For example we get a percentage if you search Google on the G.ho.st® Browser and click on a sponsored link. G.ho.st® may in the future take a fee from users for certain value-added services but we have a long term commitment to providing you with a high quality fully functioning Virtual Computer for free and will only charge users for services over and above a fully functional Virtual Computer, for example for extra storage.
23 - What is the no walls TM tagline?
Traditional operating systems wall you in to one computer. Many web services wall you in too with a username and password, file system, and look-and-feel which is unique to them. Ghosts go through walls and it is G.ho.st®'s job to transcend those barriers and bring you a computing environment which is available from any computer and works seamlessly with all Web services. In a more literal sense as well, the G.ho.st® team transcends the 425 mile wall that Israel has built in the West Bank between itself and the Palestinians and which physically divides the G.ho.st® team into two. We believe the Internet and collaboration between human beings transcends all physical boundaries.
24 - How do I know G.ho.st® is a stable company?
Ghost Inc was founded by an extremely experienced team with a proven track record and is backed by one of the biggest and best known international venture capital funds. Approximately 12 different patent claims are pending. All data operations are currently at Amazon.com in state-of-the-art data centers physically distributed around the US.
Gheeks
25 - What is a Gheek?
Gheeks are people who have technical or language skills and are enthusiastic about the G.ho.st® vision and choose to contribute to realizing it. The Gheeks are our extended team - G.ho.st® collaborates with the Gheeks in realizing our joint vision. The Gheek community is still being planned at this time.
26 - Why should I contribute to G.ho.st®?
G.ho.st® is an exciting cutting edge Web-centric concept and a great way to deliver your code to many Web users. G.ho.st® already has a file system, desktop and single sign-on mechanisms to save you development time.
27 - How can I contribute to G.ho.st®?
G.ho.st® is interested in translating it's user interface into new languages, in integrating with new sources of data, in integrating with new OpenSAM-compliant productivity apps (e.g. file editors) and in incorporating widgets and small applications written in OpenLaszlo.
28 - What standards do you support?
G.ho.st® supports the OpenSAM standard for single-sign-in and file system sharing with other Web applications. We support the ftp standard and are planning to support the WebDav standards for accessing files. G.ho.st® is currently evaluating other standards. G.ho.st® can accept code using the open source OpenLaszlo technology.
29 - What open APIs do you have?
Our first API for accessing G.ho.st® Storage files is the tried-and-tested ftp protocol. Simply ftp to ftp:ftp.G.ho.st® and provide the G.ho.st® ID and password using standard ftp protocols. Both passive and active are supported.
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