Grid computing 101: what´s all the fuss about?

Is grid computing the Next Big Thing? IT\´s most insightful pundits can\´t decide. Some have called grid computing "a killer application", "the Internet\´s next phase", changing the future of the workplace", and "too big to be ignored". Others proclaim that it is "an insanely overhyped technology", "an experiment in socialized computing", "years away", and "hopelessly gridlocked". Scientists and engineers have used computing grids for years, and millions of desktop PCs run a grid application behind a popular screen saver. Your PC could be one of them. If you\´ve seen the SETI@home screen saver in action, then you\´ve seen one example of grid computing.