Elastic Desktop Service Personal Edition
Elastic Desktop Service (EDS) Personal Edition is a cloud computer for individual users. Its compute resources run in the cloud, and users connect to them through a client.
Overview
EDS Personal Edition is a cloud computer from Alibaba Cloud for individual users. It allows you to switch between various specifications on demand, includes a built-in AI assistant, and covers a wide range of scenarios, including learning, office work, design, development, entertainment, and esports. You can seamlessly connect by using Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android clients, as well as web clients, hardware terminals, and WeChat/Alipay mini programs.
Use cases
Remote work: Access your cloud computer anytime, anywhere, and from any device to handle documents, emails, and other office tasks, free from the constraints of a physical machine.
Online learning: Use a stable cloud-based learning environment for students and self-learners. You can run learning software and access course resources without needing a high-end local device.
Design and creative work: Switch to higher-performance specifications (such as a 16-core CPU and 32 GiB of memory) when you need more power for graphic design, video editing, and other creative tasks.
Software development: Use an isolated development environment with flexible specifications. Developers can easily switch between different configurations for coding, compiling, and testing.
Cloud gaming and esports: Play games instantly without downloading or installing them. You can switch to the GPU-powered Esports Mode to enjoy a low-latency cloud gaming experience.
Home entertainment: Use a single cloud computer as multiple devices with different configurations, meeting diverse entertainment needs for your family, such as watching movies, casual gaming, and web browsing.
Product comparison
Comparison with EDS Enterprise Edition
EDS is available in a Personal Edition and an Enterprise Edition. The two versions differ in features and limitations as follows:
EDS Personal Edition and Enterprise Edition are two separate cloud products. You cannot provision or create an Enterprise Edition cloud computer from the Personal Edition client. To use the Enterprise Edition, see What is EDS Enterprise Edition?.
Item | Personal Edition | Enterprise Edition |
Target users | Individual users | Large and medium-sized enterprises, government agencies, and educational institutions |
Product features | One-stop purchase, management, and use. Simple and easy to use. | Comprehensive features, including security protection, batch deployment, and custom enterprise services. |
Specifications |
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For details, see EDS Enterprise Edition pricing. |
Supported operating systems |
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Note Cloud computers with the Kylin V10 operating system are not available in regions outside the Chinese mainland. |
Supported regions | Only regions in the Chinese mainland are supported. | Regions in the Chinese mainland, China (Hong Kong), Singapore, and many other overseas regions. |
Purchase limit | You can purchase a maximum of 5 cloud computers. | The total number of cloud computers cannot exceed 1,000 in a single region. |
Usage model | Users connect directly to the cloud computer from the client. |
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User limit | For personal use only. | No limit on the number of end users. |
Supported terminals |
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Comparison with ECS
Although EDS Personal Edition and ECS both provide cloud-based compute resources, they are fundamentally different in their product positioning, use cases, and management models.
Item | EDS Personal Edition | ECS |
Product concept | Desktop as a Service (DaaS). Provides a complete, ready-to-use cloud computer for end users. | Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Provides a general-purpose compute server that an administrator can fully control. |
Core purpose | Personal use cases such as remote work, online learning, home entertainment, and cloud gaming. | Server-side applications such as hosting websites, running databases, big data analytics, and AI training. |
Management model | Designed for individual users. Users manage and use their cloud computers through a client. | Designed for system administrators and developers. Administrators perform deep configuration and management at the server level using SSH, RDP, or APIs. |
Network access | Optimized for remote desktop connections. Inbound access is strictly limited to ensure the security of the cloud computer. | Provides fully customizable security group rules. Administrators can open ports and services as needed to provide services to external users. |
Website hosting | Not supported. It cannot be used as a web server to host public websites. | Supported. This is one of its core use cases. |
Clients
You can connect to your cloud computer by using various clients, including software clients, web clients, mini programs, and hardware terminals.
Software clients
You can install and use the free clients on your existing devices. The following platforms are supported:
Web client
Windows
macOS
iOS
Android
Alipay Mini Program
WeChat Mini Program
Go to the Client Download page to download or use a client.
Hardware terminals
You can also purchase proprietary hardware terminals and use them with external peripherals such as a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Go to the Hardware Terminal Purchase Page to buy the following hardware terminals:
Alibaba Cloud Workspace Ark: Thin, portable, and has a long battery life.
Alibaba Cloud Workspace Ark Pro: Features a high-definition display and a rich set of expansion ports.
Alibaba Cloud Workspace All-in-One PC 23.8: A 23.8-inch screen with ultra-narrow bezels.
Alibaba Cloud Workspace Cube: Compact and equipped with an anti-theft lock slot.
Alibaba Cloud Workspace Cube Pro: Security-hardened with a complete set of peripheral ports.
Billing
EDS Personal Edition is billed through a combination of subscription packages and Lingdous. To start your cloud computer, you must have an active subscription package and a positive Lingdous balance.
Subscription package: You must first purchase a subscription package to use EDS Personal Edition. The package determines the data disk configuration of your cloud computer and the monthly quota of Lingdous. You can start your cloud computer only within the package's validity period. If the subscription package expires, you cannot start the cloud computer.
Lingdous: Lingdous are the unified billing unit for the runtime of cloud computers and cloud gaming, representing a standardized measure of resource consumption over time. When your cloud computer is in the Running state, it consumes Lingdous hourly. Different specifications, modes, and game types have their own consumption rates. If you run out of Lingdous, you cannot start the cloud computer, even if your subscription package is still active.
For more information, see Billing.
FAQ
Billing during hibernation
No. A cloud computer in hibernation is not billed and does not consume Lingdous.
How to unsubscribe
Open the Windows client or macOS client and log in to the Personal Edition.
In the common functions area in the lower-left corner, choose Help & Feedback > Customer Service.
In the chat window, send the keyword
Unsubscribe. In the automated reply, click Unsubscribe Now next to EDS Personal Edition.On the EDS Self-service Unsubscription page, find the resource that you want to unsubscribe from and click Unsubscribe in the Actions column.
NoteYou cannot unsubscribe from subscription package upgrade orders.
Game installation errors
Some games require a dedicated graphics card for installation. You need to run your cloud computer in Esports Mode or start the game directly through the cloud gaming feature. For more information, see Play cloud games.
DirectX 12 support issue
DirectX 12 requires a GPU. The default specifications for EDS Personal Edition (4-core CPU/8 GiB memory, 8-core CPU/16 GiB memory, and 16-core CPU/32 GiB memory) do not include a GPU, so they cannot run games that require DirectX 12. When starting your cloud computer, select Esports Mode (12-core CPU/46 GiB memory/11 GiB GPU memory). This mode is equipped with a GPU and supports DirectX 12. The Lingdous consumption rate for Esports Mode is higher than for default modes. For more information, see Play cloud games.
Unlimited usage
No. To start your cloud computer, you need both an active subscription package and a sufficient balance of Lingdous. The subscription package includes a certain amount of Lingdous. If your Lingdous balance is insufficient, you cannot start the cloud computer. You can purchase Lingdou packs to replenish your balance.
Data retention after expiration
No. When a cloud computer's subscription package expires and the instance is released, all data on the system disk and data disks is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. When you purchase a new package, the system creates a new cloud computer instance that does not inherit any data from the old one.
To retain data from your old cloud computer, back up and migrate it by using one of the following methods before the old package expires:
Use Images to create a custom image to back up your data. You can then use this image to restore the data on your new cloud computer. When you migrate data using an image, the data disk capacity of the new cloud computer cannot be smaller than that of the old one.
Manually download files to your local device or upload them to cloud storage, and then re-download them on the new cloud computer.
Region and preferred city
The "preferred city" setting for the Personal Edition is a preference, not a strict rule. The system creates the cloud computer in a nearby available region based on your location. Therefore, the actual region may not be the same as the preferred city you selected. The Personal Edition currently supports only regions in the Chinese mainland and does not support regions outside the Chinese mainland, such as China (Hong Kong). To use a cloud computer in an overseas region, use EDS Enterprise Edition.
For more frequently asked questions about EDS Personal Edition, see FAQ.
Next steps
See Purchase, create, and use a cloud computer to create your own cloud computer.
Learn more about the subscription package rules.