Google Drive unlimited storage

[patent10021]

I've only recently discovered that Google Drive is unlimited storage with a student email address. I'm uploading 2TB of backups to it now from USB drives for redundancy and mobility. Amazing solution. Really awesome and free. Apple is definitely behind in the storage space.

There are a couple of gotchas.

File Stream Issue:
If your Google Drive holds 500GB, a 500GB disk will be mounted on your MacBook therefore using up 500GB on your machine. If you delete files from that mounted disk those same files get deleted from the online version of Google Drive. A big bummer. Any way around this? I'm also using Backup and Sync but see below.

Google Drive Folder/File Management Issues:
I'd like to place everything into one folder but unfortunately Google Drive keeps My Drive items and Computers items separate. Online you can "Add" folders from The Computers location to the My Drive location but only sub folders. This is insanely retarded. Try doing that with 500GB of sub folders. Plus then afterwards you'd have to delete the dupes you don't want.

I'd like to use File Stream again and add another 1TB of data to it but I cannot since my machine does not have an extra 1TB. I am using Backup and Sync for this since it does not require virtual storage, but that means you need to keep your USB drive connected while it's uploading. That's why I would prefer File Stream because once you dump the files into that mounted Google Drive disk you do not need to keep your USB drive connected.

Any tricks?

 

[smallcoffee]

Google Drive might have unlimited storage right now with an .edu address - but that doesn't mean later they won't change this. And keep in mind that they're using your files and folders for targeted advertising. To say that Apple is behind in the storage space is conflating two distinct business models.

It also looks like you're not really getting the solution you want - since it requires you to have a mounted drive that's as large or larger than your file system. Apple doesn't do this with iCloud Drive.

I'm not really here to defend Apple so much as I don't like people being under the mistaken impression that things like Google Drive or Google Photos are free as in beer. You are paying for those services, it's just that you don't realize the cost upfront like you might with a $1.99 200GB drive from Apple (or somebody else). It's fine if you're ok making that trade off, but it is in no way, shape, or form free.

 

[patent10021]

Google Drive might have unlimited storage right now with an .edu address - but that doesn't mean later they won't change this. And keep in mind that they're using your files and folders for targeted advertising. To say that Apple is behind in the storage space is conflating two distinct business models.

It's fine if you're ok making that trade off, but it is in no way, shape, or form free.

It’s free. And they can use my files for advertising even though they wont’t get anywhere because they are all zipped with unrelated unusable names. I’m just throwing the files up for redundancy.

And I’m getting what I want. Half goes in the Computers directory and the other in the My Drive directory. I would just prefer everything in a single directory. I need about 5TB of storage. Apples price for that is..........

These days Apple’s storage offerings are a joke. I was using 200GB ten years ago.

This is coming from someone who has been using only Apple products for a VERY long time.

I’m good with everything Apple except storage options and misc build quality issues.

Google Drive will be unlimited and free for .edu users for ever. As you said they operate via advertising. That sent it will be free forever. Their advertising doesn’t affect me. All my google email addresses and edu addresses are throw away pseudonyms and inboxes with zero personal data.

I could also use Microsoft OneDrive. Unlimited and free.

 

[smallcoffee]

It’s free.

False. Completely and utterly false.