Google's New Cloud Storage Plans Launch in the U.S.

[sracer]

I can't actually believe there are people who pay Google to take their data, look at it, analyze it, and then sell it to 3rd parties to make money of it, and of course, never know if it ever gets deleted. This is a scheme worse than banks which take your money and lend it, and profit from it.

What is missing from your equation is that your information is already out there being bought and sold by companies and you get NOTHING in return.

At least with using Google services one is getting something of value (assuming that people using those services see the value) in return.

 

[FFR]

What is missing from your equation is that your information is already out there being bought and sold by companies and you get NOTHING in return.

At least with using Google services one is getting something of value (assuming that people using those services see the value) in return.

That’s not the same information google extracts from its users utilizing google services.

It’s dishonest for a company to continue tracking their users after they offer and option to opt out, when said user has opted out.

 

[Weaselboy]

Would you recommend it?

My Drobo crapped out and I was thinking of moving my backups to the cloud.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/arq.2017935/

Yes, I am very happy with Arq and would recommend it to anybody looking for an online backup solution. There is a fairly long thread on Arq I linked where some of us who use it discuss. Might help you out. Or just shoot me a note if I can answer questions.

 

[FFR]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/arq.2017935/

Yes, I am very happy with Arq and would recommend it to anybody looking for an online backup solution. There is a fairly long thread on Arq I linked where some of us who use it discuss. Might help you out. Or just shoot me a note if I can answer questions.

Thank you!!

That’s exactly what I was looking for.

 

[sracer]

That’s not the same information google extracts from its users utilizing google services.

That is somewhat correct. Often times, that information that is bought and sold outside of Google is more private.

It’s dishonest for a company to continue tracking their users after they offer and option to opt out, when said user has opted out.

On this point, I am in total agreement.

 

[B60boy]

Couldn't care less about Google tbh. I wouldn't consider it even if it were free.

There is only one thing keeping me from switching from Dropbox to iCloud Drive: selective sync. I am hoping for an update from Apple at the iPhone event this fall, even though that's a long stretch.

Couldn’t agree more! Outstanding post, hope Apple listens!
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I always wondered the same thing. Back when I was a Google evangelist, Chromebooks gave me 100GB and 1TB for free, I got 96GB free lifetime because I was an early Google Storage paid user. Always wondered why they didn't just do free unlimited storage.

OneDrive went unlimited storage and found out the hard way when people started backing up universities of computers, tarabytes of ripped videos, and what not. They quickly went back to 1TB. This is my only guess as to why unlimited.

But why not 100GB free? My only guess is that MOST people I know don't even fill their 15GB free Google Drive storage. So Google charges a tiny bit for the extra storage.

I used to trust Google - they do a lot of good for the world (education, renewable energy, their giving app where you can donate to tons of charities for $0 overhead cost, etc...). But once they got rid of the "Do No Evil" and started doing things on Youtube I didn't agree with... decided it was time to rip Google out of my life. Wasn't easy... Took over a year and MANY failed attempts to leave. Now, Youtube, Google Photos, and gmail are the only google products I use if I have to.

----

I don't know what the anger is against the 5GB. It provides a "taste" of what iCloud is like, allows users to "test it" without signing up for anything permanently like most companies do when you want to "trial" test their products. The argument that Apple should be providing more storage for free is laughable imo. Would it be nice? Sure, but they're in the business of making $.

I'd be using iCloud primarily right now if it had selective sync. Because it doesn't, OneDrive is my primary cloud provider. I just wish OneDrive backed up my live photos . Microsoft's products are amazingly well made on Mac OS and OneDrive utilizes my 97/97 FIOS connection very well.

Agreed, iCloud NEEDS to have selective sync!!

 

[MacBH928]

What is missing from your equation is that your information is already out there being bought and sold by companies and you get NOTHING in return.

At least with using Google services one is getting something of value (assuming that people using those services see the value) in return.

I can't reply to you because am not sure if my dentist sells my health records, or the gov. sells my tax records, but even then its still limited compared what Google and others store about you including your movements, private conversation, calendar/appointments, business files, diary, search history, albums and videos of yourself, worst of all your emails which everything today will "email" you with all kinds of data including purchases, tickets, hospital appointments, business contracts... you name it.

 

[NHD]

I have been carefully reading this & trying to understand about cloud storage, basically iCloud vs Google, can you please share your opinion on OneDrive? How is that regarding privacy & security?

 

[BigMcGuire]

I have been carefully reading this & trying to understand about cloud storage, basically iCloud vs Google, can you please share your opinion on OneDrive? How is that regarding privacy & security?

Well, OneDrive is Microsoft. Unlike Google their whole business model doesn’t revolve around selling your personal data. Windows 10 did make Microsoft more Google like by sharing personal data with companies for Cortana to work. But OneDrive doesn’t base its business off of machine learning and selling your habits to ad companies. Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform is doing really well in the Government world winning many contracts for Government cloud storage.

I use OneDrive over Google primarily because Microsoft’s business isn’t to sell my data. I use OneDrive over iCloud because OneDrive has selective sync. OneDrive also utilizes my 95/95 mbps fios better than the other storage platforms. Cost wise hard to go wrong with the Office 365 Home subscription as it comes with Office, Excel, PowerPoint and 1TB of OneDrive for 5 people.

Word’s collaborative abilities have improved significantly and I love the auto save to OneDrive so I don’t have to constantly ctrl-s.

Only thing I dislike about OneDrive is that it won’t backup iPhone Live Photos.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Really? How much do you spend on coffee each day? Snacks?
Get serious.

What happens if I decide to go a few months without coffee? Six months without snacks? Absolutely nothing happens. I can start and stop with no consequence.

What happens if I decide to not pay for cloud storage for a few months? I lose all my files and photos. There is a big difference. Once you start, you cannot easily stop.

 

[pika2000]

What happens if I decide to go a few months without coffee? Six months without snacks? Absolutely nothing happens. I can start and stop with no consequence.

What happens if I decide to not pay for cloud storage for a few months? I lose all my files and photos. There is a big difference. Once you start, you cannot easily stop.

When you stop paying, your data won’t automatically disappear. Just like all the other cloud storage like Dropbox or OneDrive, you just won’t be able to upload anymore stuff if you exceed the free tier. I think the grace period is 30 days for you to reduce your content to match the free tier.

Then again, at 99cents a MONTH, I just cannot fathom people who can buy an iPhone but cannot spare 99cents each month. Considering the rest of the cloud storage providers don’t even offer a 99cents tier or offer less on the free tier (Dropbox only offer 2GB free), it is quite interesting the hatred people like on iCloud simply because it’s from Apple.

 

[oneMadRssn]

When you stop paying, your data won’t automatically disappear. Just like all the other cloud storage like Dropbox or OneDrive, you just won’t be able to upload anymore stuff if you exceed the free tier. I think the grace period is 30 days for you to reduce your content to match the free tier.

Then again, at 99cents a MONTH, I just cannot fathom people who can buy an iPhone but cannot spare 99cents each month. Considering the rest of the cloud storage providers don’t even offer a 99cents tier or offer less on the free tier (Dropbox only offer 2GB free), it is quite interesting the hatred people like on iCloud simply because it’s from Apple.

It's not about the money, it's about the control and ownership. I just cannot fathom people who would trust their most personal and precious files to a server they have no control over, and agree to pay for it in perpetuity. People's photos are some of their most personal and precious possessions. Today it's 99cents for 50GB, then next year you need to pay $10 for 2TB, after it could be higher. And someone only gets 30 days before all the photos of their kids are deleted? That's the perfect setup for what is pretty much extortion. Apple/Google have these people by the balls.

 

[pika2000]

It's not about the money, it's about the control and ownership. I just cannot fathom people who would trust their most personal and precious files to a server they have no control over, and agree to pay for it in perpetuity. People's photos are some of their most personal and precious possessions. Today it's 99cents for 50GB, then next year you need to pay $10 for 2TB, after it could be higher. And someone only gets 30 days before all the photos of their kids are deleted? That's the perfect setup for what is pretty much extortion. Apple/Google have these people by the balls.

Then don’t use it and stop complaining about 5GB free tier.
The point I was making was for those complaining about the free tier, which means they are using cloud storage. If you have zero trust in cloud storage, then don’t use them at all, free or paid.

 

[Shanghaichica]

When you stop paying, your data won’t automatically disappear. Just like all the other cloud storage like Dropbox or OneDrive, you just won’t be able to upload anymore stuff if you exceed the free tier. I think the grace period is 30 days for you to reduce your content to match the free tier.

Then again, at 99cents a MONTH, I just cannot fathom people who can buy an iPhone but cannot spare 99cents each month. Considering the rest of the cloud storage providers don’t even offer a 99cents tier or offer less on the free tier (Dropbox only offer 2GB free), it is quite interesting the hatred people like on iCloud simply because it’s from Apple.

I had a chromebook back in 2012 and I got 200GB of free google drive space for 2 years. After the 2 years was up I could still access all my data which had exceeded the free storage tier. I just couldn’t upload more. There wasn’t a time limit on being able to access it. It’s all still there whether I pay for drive storage or not.

 

[B60boy]

Well, OneDrive is Microsoft. Unlike Google their whole business model doesn’t revolve around selling your personal data. Windows 10 did make Microsoft more Google like by sharing personal data with companies for Cortana to work. But OneDrive doesn’t base its business off of machine learning and selling your habits to ad companies. Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform is doing really well in the Government world winning many contracts for Government cloud storage.

I use OneDrive over Google primarily because Microsoft’s business isn’t to sell my data. I use OneDrive over iCloud because OneDrive has selective sync. OneDrive also utilizes my 95/95 mbps fios better than the other storage platforms. Cost wise hard to go wrong with the Office 365 Home subscription as it comes with Office, Excel, PowerPoint and 1TB of OneDrive for 5 people.

Word’s collaborative abilities have improved significantly and I love the auto save to OneDrive so I don’t have to constantly ctrl-s.

Only thing I dislike about OneDrive is that it won’t backup iPhone Live Photos.

Be aware that OneDrive consumer edition is NOT ENCRYPTED at rest.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Then don’t use it and stop complaining about 5GB free tier.
The point I was making was for those complaining about the free tier, which means they are using cloud storage. If you have zero trust in cloud storage, then don’t use them at all, free or paid.

Yes. As I posted above, I don’t. Much better and cheaper long term to get a good NAS.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Be aware that OneDrive consumer edition is NOT ENCRYPTED at rest.

You weren't kidding! Immediately, I thought there was no way this was true. But wow... it is... How disappointing. My data is sitting unencrypted. Transmission is encrypted but at rest, it is unencrypted. I had assumed it was.

$*#& . How very disappointing.

I just love modifying word / powerpoint / excel documents on my Macbook and having them instantly update on my work Windows PC. I don't know if I can leave this. lol.

 

[BigMcGuire]

You weren't kidding! Immediately, I thought there was no way this was true. But wow... it is... How disappointing. My data is sitting unencrypted. Transmission is encrypted but at rest, it is unencrypted. I had assumed it was.

$*#& . How very disappointing.

I just love modifying word / powerpoint / excel documents on my Macbook and having them instantly update on my work Windows PC. I don't know if I can leave this. lol.

Has this changed? I notice the article and references to OneDrive not being encrypted at rest is 2016.

However this:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/TrustCenter/Security/Encryption --- Open the Office 365 section, "For example, the files and presentations uploaded by meeting participants are encrypted by using AES encryption. OneDrive (OneDrive for Business and personal OneDrive accounts) and SharePoint Online also use file-level encryption to encrypt data at rest. "

says that both Office 365 Business and Personal is encrypted at rest?

 

[minimymac]

This is great. I have Macbook, Mac Mini, iPhones, Ipads and all the device work great. Problem is Icloud that doesn't work like Dropbox or Google Drive. It is a "synch" drive and whatever stored in Icloud drive they get synch back to the device. There are times, I want it just act like a cloud storage and do not want the contents in my Macbook or easier to synch only specific folders without everything. Been years and Apple refused to change that. Thanks to Google One, you have my money. Really happy about this news.
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I have been carefully reading this & trying to understand about cloud storage, basically iCloud vs Google, can you please share your opinion on OneDrive? How is that regarding privacy & security?

ICloud isn't a cloud storage. Say you created a folder with tons of contents in ICloud, they get sync back to your Macbook. If your Macbook has tons of space then no problem but you do not always want all the stuff sync to all your devices such as MacMini, Macbook and etc. You cannot selectively synch specific folders like Google Drive or Dropbox. There is a workaround but not cool. Overall, you will find it more difficult to control your storage contents if you have many devices that using the same ICloud storage login. I use dropbox, google drive and onedrive in windows, mac and linux. I don't have the security concern. If security is extremely important for your contents, you shouldn't store them on the cloud. If your cloud isn't secure enough for you, your email isn't secure too. When your email isn't secure, nothing about your identity is safe.