(TS) – Despite Google’s move into the operating system (OS) space, the idea of a primarily cloud-centric OS is nothing revolutionary; the earliest examples date back to 1999. And although numerous other attempts at developing Web-centric OSesn none up to this point have truly broken into the mainstream. But some current offerings present welcome alternatives to mainstream operating systems, packing in useful features and making it easier to access your online content.

Cloudo

Clurrently in beta, Cloudo is described as offering everyone a “free of charge computer” as it lets “every computer, in school, at work, at your friends’ or even in the library” become your own. That is, Cloudo lets you log in to your user account from any location. Cloudo is also reasonably flexible: you can skin the user interface (UI), and developers can also develop their own applications for the platform.
Cloudo is expected to officially launch next year, but you can try the beta right now for free.

Glide

Now at version 4.0, Glide, included in our list of the Top 100 products of 2009, syncs your online desktop to your mobile device, allowing for a fairly constant connection to your data. This Flash-based Web desktop supports multiple users, just like your home PC, and offers an impressive 20GB’s of cloud storage, all without any ads.

Jolicloud

A project which started in the summer of 2008, Jolicloud is currently an invitation-only affair. Jolicloud is targeted specifically at netbooks, much like Chrome OS will be. A wide range of compatible devices can be found on the Jolicloud website, and the list is growing.