[VeniVidiVici]

And user data is synced and backed up on Google's cloud (which may be an unsettling thought to some).

So I'm to trust Google with my search history and my data.

LOL!!

[Knitebane]

So I'm to trust Google with my search history and my data.

As opposed to trusting Microsoft with your data?

At least with Google Gears I can keep a copy of my data locally on my Linux desktop and keep it sync'd with the cloud so I can access it with my Palm Pre or a web browser on a PC in a library.

Unless you are running your own mail server your email already exists in a remote location. The only thing "the cloud" does is keep your data on multiple, sync'd systems to eliminate downtime.

So you're already using the cloud, or at least an early version of it.