Google Colaboratory: Benefits and Limitations

If you have ever wished to run a Python program, even if you do not have Python installed on your computer system, you could, anytime, run it on some website like repl.it. There are many more websites that offer this service, but if you already have a Google Account, you can use it to run your Python program(s), using GOOGLE COLABORATORY. You do not have to setup/install Python in your computer system for this method to work.

 

You can use it to share source code for your program or build a machine learning model (this is the most popular used case) or run your Python program online. Colab hosts your programs in the form of Jupyter Notebooks and allows you to directly share a link to your notebook(aka program(s)), just as you would do for sharing a file using Google Drive. The code is saved inside a folder named "Colab Notebooks" in your Google Drive. 

Colab allows users to use and share Jupyter Notebooks with others without having to setup/install anything. 

Notebooks are saved in your Google Drive.

The best part is that the code automatically gets saved, every few seconds, so in case you forget to save the program or other bad things happen, your code will remain safe in your Google Drive.

Advantages

1. You do not have to set up anything on your computer system.
2. The code is automatically backed up.
3. Code/Notebooks is/are easy to share. You just need to share a link.
4. You can download the Notebook either in .ipynb format or a .py file onto your computer.
5. If your computer lacks a "solid" GPU, you can use Colab to train your AI model because it comes with a built-in GPU(provided by Google). You can turn on/off the GPU acceleration, as and when required, which is turned OFF, by default.

The limitation though is since the code is regularly syncing to your Google Drive, you do require an active internet connection. 

Limitations

1. You require an active internet connection because the code is getting updated to your Google Drive.
2. Not Open-Source. Not a big deal, many awesome projects are not Open Source. For regular use cases, it is free. As free as other Google Products and services are. 😂

Google can't exist where privacy does and vice-versa, just as "God and Fear can't exist at the same place".

**If you haven't figured it out, Colab is the nick-name for Google Colaboratory.**