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Google Launches Google Drive Cloud Storage Service

A day after getting upgraded to 25GB with SkyDrive, this does seem like bit of a letdown.

You'll never stop me from using Google Music for cloud music storage tho.
 
In order for me to replace iDisk I need two things, access to the files through finder, and through iOS. Seems to me that the 2 services that provide both of those things are SkyDrive and DropBox. SkyDrive is currently giving 25GB free, so they might be the winner.
 
edoates said:
I use and like Dropbox: it's robust and works well, but ...

When I share an individual file by publishing it's URL (copy link) to someone, when they open a file, like a video, on Mac, it plays the video. If they don't have QT Pro, they can't download it. I often want to share videos (my own, nothing copyrighted by others), and Dropbox makes that more difficult. I supposed I could just ZIP the video first, as iDisk does, but that's yet another step. They should deal with this issue.

Second, if I share a folder, there are two issues:
1. When someone else attached to it, we BOTH pay for the storage used - Dropbox counts the same bits twice. So, if I share a folder, then one of my sharees decides to move a bunch of c**p into into it because he's not a computer nerd like me, I go above my quota and have to tell him to get that stuff away. There's no way to restrict access (see #2)

Maybe that's OK if we both have read/write/delete access to the files ... but ...

2. Often files just disappear from my shared folders. Why? Because the most common use of these shared files if for people to drag them onto their hard drives for whatever reasons. And on Mac, that's a "move" not a "copy." So the file vanishes from Dropbox.

So I spend time warning my users not to do that, etc. What Dropbox needs is folder access types: full sharing for collaboration, partial sharing (read/write/delete, but not ADD files); and read only sharing (users can copy the files if they want, but can't make any changes)

iDisk was slower, but I could accomplish those goals easily enough.
Click to expand...

I zip them too. It only takes a few seconds and usually the zips are slightly smaller sized than the original files.
 
wow, 100GB for 60 dollars - we using DropBox but at those prices we will look at it once our year is up.
 
edoates said:
One of Apple's great strengths was as a solution provider for many consumers: MobileMe was not perfect, but for many regular, non-geek folks, it had everything in one place for one price; iCloud wants to be that as well, but two significant services were removed. Photo sharing is not web hosting, and backup is not iDisk.

Oh well, since I don't run Apple, I guess I'll search around for other alternatives.
Click to expand...
I used MobileMe until iCloud was ready, and found it served my needs quite well.

It's hard to imagine why Apple stripped away two great features MobileMe, leaving them out of iCloud. I know many of my fellow Apple enthusiasts that have begun using other clouds just because of Apples decision.

Priding itself as an innovator, Apple has missed the boat on this one. It makes one wonder just what they're up to. Whatever it is, they'll be sure to make money from it 😀
 
needfx said:
Personal experience with dropbox, have implemented on all pcs & macs in the office. Works like a charm & beats building a server for common files access.

One setback is two people having the same file open at once, but I guess that it is the same should it involve a server disk.

would like to add, that dragging a file out of dropbox on either mac or pc environment, it still moves the file, does not copy it (unless dropbox is set on a secondary disk)
Click to expand...

Google docs will solve your multiple user opening the same file problem. I have high hopes for Google drive. It could fix many clunky problems with iOS too, as opening data in HTML is a great feature.

I will use all if possible, but I think Google drive and docs has the biggest potential.
 
I can hardly bare the stupidity of some people here in the forum and I am wondering why you are on a mac anyway when you cannot understand icloud. Icloud is apples way of finally getting rid of a file system. Not today or tomorrow.It will evolve over the next couple of years and will surely never have such a outdated "feature" as syncable folders. Believing Apple made a wrong move getting rid of iDisk or not further evolving it shows how little you understand about Apple. Apple is already 2 steps ahead and skips the hype of syncable folders over the next 2 years. I don't want to deal with files in folders anymore. It is 2012.
 
I've been using dropbox for the past couple years and can't imagine not having it. It's rock solid, super easy to use, and supports pretty much any device. I'd still stick with their service even if they increased their price (though I think they'll decrease soon after seeing Google's prices). Plus, I don't want to give Google more of my personal info.
 
I've used DropBox for years now, and it's absolutely perfect for my needs.

Can't see myself switching unless something exceptional comes along!
 
kjs862 said:
I really hope Apple comes out with a file system in the cloud. iCloud is not complete without this feature.
Click to expand...

As a developer... I agree. It's essential. But for the average consumer... I think Apple's vision is to remove the file system everywhere.
 
Takeo said:
As a developer... I agree. It's essential. But for the average consumer... I think Apple's vision is to remove the file system everywhere.
Click to expand...

+1

I'm also a developer and sharing files and folders is something I do everyday. I guess for people who just browse Facebook and take pictures of their pets, it would be perfect for them. They don't care to see any files or folder, but anyone who seriously uses their computer for work definitely needs folder/file sharing/syncing.
 
Google’s profits are harmed by privacy. Apple’s profits are helped by it. I don’t question Google’s technical prowess, but I question whether they can be trusted today, next year, and in 5 years, to care about my privacy as much as I do.

Plus I hate ads.
 
Unless Apple's been keeping something under wraps, it seems like they're not even going to bother trying to compete in the cloud-based storage arena once iDisk eats it.
 
Well, a quick look shows no information about encryption of the stored files.

This is why I use SugarSync, everything is AES 256 and I don't have to worry about privacy.

Apple never figured this out with MobileMe, we'll see if Google does.
 
25GB on SkyDrive

ChazUK said:
A day after getting upgraded to 25GB with SkyDrive, this does seem like bit of a letdown.

You'll never stop me from using Google Music for cloud music storage tho.
Click to expand...

Anyone who already had a Windows Live account automatically received 7GB of storage with SkyDrive and by logging in yesterday I received an upgrade to 25GB. Not bad for free.
 
I've never used iCloud. Does it do any of this or anything similar to DropBox? In terms of syncing files across computers, and accessing them on the web, like Dropbox, does iCloud do that?
 
nagromme said:
Google’s profits are harmed by privacy. Apple’s profits are helped by it. I don’t question Google’s technical prowess, but I question whether they can be trusted today, next year, and in 5 years, to care about my privacy as much as I do.

Plus I hate ads.
Click to expand...

Apple is not tucking you in at night. They data mine just like the rest of them.
 
No thanks. I've been migrating off Google products over the last year. No interest in using any others and Dropbox does everything I need for now.
 
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