Computer Basics
Web Apps and the Cloud
How do web apps work?
When you use a web app, you are working from your computer or mobile device, but much of the actual processing is done by a network of servers. These servers can pool all of their processing power in order to handle requests from all over the world. They also use specialized servers to store the data you're working with, as well as the data from all other users. All of this happens very seamlessly, so it looks almost like the application is running on your computer.
For example, if you open a document with Google Docs, your web browser will communicate with the network of servers to display your document. As you edit the document, your browser will work closely with the servers to make sure everything is kept up-to-date.
Google Docs
