Author Topic: Google Drive launched (Read 27325 times)

Josh · « **on:** April 25, 2012, 03:26 AM »

After over two months of rumors, Google has finally lifted the lid off of Google Drive. It's the company's entry into the cloud-based file storage service business that already has several competitors, including Microsoft's SkyDrive, Dropbox, Box and others.

In a post on Google's official blog, the company details what users can expect of Google Drive. First, the important stuff. You can use up to 5 GB of storage space on the service for free. However, much like Microsoft's just revamped SkyDrive, you can also purchase more storage space. Paying just $2.49 a month brings the storage limit to 25 GB.

You can also go up to 100 GB for $4.99 a month. If you want to go all out, you can even sign up for 1 TB of storage space. However, that will set you back $49.99 a month. Any time you buy extra space on Google Drive, your Gmail space will also increase to 25 GB.

Google Docs has been integrated into Google Drive, where users can collaborate on documents inside the cloud drive. Google states, "Once you choose to share content with others, you can add and reply to comments on anything (PDF, image, video file, etc.) and receive notifications when other people comment on shared items."

Google has also released a Google Drive app for Android-based smartphones and tablets and the company says it is working on an iOS app as well (sorry, no word on a Windows Phone app). Google Drive also has extensive search features and can even search for words inside a scanned image of a document, such as an old newspaper clipping. It adds:

More at Source

Google drive

Please note, if you are on the old google storage plans, you can retain those. I paid $5/yr for 20GB of storage. Needless to say, I get to keep it as long as my card remains active

Deozaan · « **Reply #1 on:** April 25, 2012, 05:09 AM »

I don't know why they're making big announcements about Google Drive having launched but the website still says something along the lines of "Click here and we'll notify you when it's ready."

Josh · « **Reply #2 on:** April 25, 2012, 05:31 AM »

Not all users are active at the moment. I am working, and my wife JUST got enabled.

lanux128 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2012, 05:54 AM »

not active here as well. looks like Josh is among Google's favourite user..

Josh · « **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2012, 05:56 AM »

Given that my "liberated data" was 1.2TB, maybe that explains a lot ;-)

wraith808 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2012, 10:38 AM »

http://windows.micro...-us/skydrive/loyalty

Deozaan · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2012, 03:30 PM »

I just got accepted to Google Drive.

nosh · « **Reply #7 on:** April 26, 2012, 12:18 PM »

I HAZ!

The desktop app is bare bones, it didn't ask me for an install location (as usual) and I had to disable the GoogleUpdate service (I have collected three entries for their update services over time, all disabled). There's no decent upload progress indicator either. /whine

I am more than happy with the core service. The two-step security is reassuring and has enabled me to get way less paranoid about my email since I started using it a few months back. So, Google Drive looks like a keeper.

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #8 on:** April 26, 2012, 12:23 PM »

There's a story out there that the TOS allows Google to basically fold, spindle, and mutilate your data, far beyond what dropbox and MS say "only use the data for providing the service."

nosh · « **Reply #9 on:** April 26, 2012, 12:29 PM »

How reassuring!

Thankfully, they only have my dog's photo archive so far, and I don't think he'll mind. I'll hold on to the rest of the stuff for a while.

Jibz · « **Reply #10 on:** April 26, 2012, 01:42 PM »

There is no way a company can get your files, make them available to you, store them in multiple datacenters for security, convert formats, scale images, OCR text, allow you to share files with others, and so on, without making sure you give them the right to "use" the files under certain restrictions.

Jibz · « **Reply #11 on:** April 26, 2012, 01:49 PM »

Btw, am I the only one who feels drive is .. underwhelming?

I mean .. 5 GB free storage, with the same features as everybody else. It would have been awesome 5 years ago, but today it is just another one $:-\$ .

rgdot · « **Reply #12 on:** April 26, 2012, 01:54 PM »

+1 to both Jibz posts.

I don't want to be too paranoid. A TOS being 'better' is no guarantee that security and chance of abuse is actually better too, if that makes sense.

In regards to 5 GB in 2012, it is not all that different than social something (Google+) in 2011. Google is just entering something late, up to users to make choices I guess.

lanux128 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 26, 2012, 09:19 PM »

hmm.. by the time it's activated for me, it'll be a case of too little too late..

Deozaan · « **Reply #14 on:** April 26, 2012, 09:27 PM »

The desktop app is bare bones, it didn't ask me for an install location (as usual)
-nosh (April 26, 2012, 12:18 PM)

It didn't ask me where to install it, but it did ask me where to put the folder it would synchronize.

There's a story out there that the TOS allows Google to basically fold, spindle, and mutilate your data, far beyond what dropbox and MS say "only use the data for providing the service."
-TaoPhoenix (April 26, 2012, 12:23 PM)

Jibz is exactly right, and there was actually some commotion about Dropbox back in the day for having a similar TOS. A lot of people are making a big deal out of the sentence or two that talk about Google requiring you to give them a license to your stuff, but comparatively few people seem to be mentioning the part where it says you retain ownership of all your stuff.

hmm.. by the time it's activated for me, it'll be a case of too little too late..
-lanux128 (April 26, 2012, 09:19 PM)

It seems that with the release of Google Drive they've also increased Gmail storage space to 10 GB.

nosh · « **Reply #15 on:** April 26, 2012, 09:31 PM »

A good breakdown of the privacy issue:

Google Drive: The truth about data ownership | Cloud Pro
http://www.cloudpro....about-data-ownership

... there are still some causes for legitimate concern about the wording of what followed, and was less widely reported by the Twitterati: "This licence continues even if you stop using our Services". That's the license in which you are granting Google the rights to use your data for the "limited purpose of operating, promoting and improving" its services as well as to "develop new ones”.

And there lies the rub methinks, this is less about data ownership and more about data usage, privacy and security. Google does not, as it clearly states, own your data; ownership remains with the user, but it sure as heck does seem to expect an awful big slice of privilege when it comes to what it can do with that data forever more.

If I were to put any sensitive files on their servers, I'd simply encrypt them first.

rgdot · « **Reply #16 on:** April 26, 2012, 10:31 PM »

That is kind of like saying I pay for hosting (for example one that allows personal files besides site hosting) and then leave them. Do I really know what happens with their daily backups?

It all comes down to level of trust or if you like paranoia. Something written in a TOS is only words even if you trust the provider.

Dirhael · « **Reply #17 on:** April 26, 2012, 10:54 PM »

Btw, am I the only one who feels drive is .. underwhelming?

I mean .. 5 GB free storage, with the same features as everybody else. It would have been awesome 5 years ago, but today it is just another one $:-\$ .
-Jibz (April 26, 2012, 01:49 PM)

5 GB is pretty average. On the other hand, their upgrade plans such as 25 GB for $2.50/month, 100 GB at $4.99 or 1 TB for $49.99 is a steal. My main concern, privacy aside, is what happens a year or two from now. Does Google yet again just find out that they can't be bothered with the service any longer?

nosh · « **Reply #18 on:** April 26, 2012, 11:42 PM »

I don't see that happening with Google Drive. It's not one of their bizarro services that barely takes off and can be quietly taken to the back and shot in the head.

Deozaan · « **Reply #19 on:** April 26, 2012, 11:57 PM »

1 TB for $49.99 is a steal.
-Dirhael (April 26, 2012, 10:54 PM)

$50/mo is a steal for 1 TB? At that price I could buy about six 2 TB hard drives per year. At the end of a year I'd have 12 TB of storage space for the same price.

You're right it's a steal. But who is stealing from whom? $:-\$

Dirhael · « **Reply #20 on:** April 27, 2012, 12:13 AM »

1 TB for $49.99 is a steal.
-Dirhael (April 26, 2012, 10:54 PM)

$50/mo is a steal for 1 TB? At that price I could buy about six 2 TB hard drives per year. At the end of a year I'd have 12 TB of storage space for the same price.

You're right it's a steal. But who is stealing from whom? $:-\$
-Deozaan (April 26, 2012, 11:57 PM)

Compared to the competition, it's a good deal. Also, yes, it's expensive compared to purchasing a HDD yourself, but that's hardly comparable. Sure, if I upgraded my connection I could run my own server, but for that to be anywhere near useful I'd need to upgrade my connection to something that's up for the job. At that point, I'd be spending a lot more than $50/month, and that's without factoring in the cost of having yet another PC powered on 24/7. Also, I'm not about to start making my own Win/iOS/Android clients either...

wraith808 · « **Reply #21 on:** April 27, 2012, 10:05 AM »

Compared to the competition, it's a good deal.
-Dirhael (April 27, 2012, 12:13 AM)

Actually, it's not. I have about 5TB stored on S3 and I pay about $25/mo...

Josh · « **Reply #22 on:** April 27, 2012, 10:25 AM »

Compared to the competition, it's a good deal.
-Dirhael (April 27, 2012, 12:13 AM)

Actually, it's not. I have about 5TB stored on S3 and I pay about $25/mo...
-wraith808 (April 27, 2012, 10:05 AM)

$50 * 5 (1TB @ 50 bucks per year) == 250

5TB @ 25 per month == 300

300 > 250

Jibz · « **Reply #23 on:** April 27, 2012, 10:34 AM »

The $50 for 1 TB at google is per month.

The best value seems to be 100 GB, since for the rest of them, doubling the space costs 1 cent more than the previous step (how odd).

Josh · « **Reply #24 on:** April 27, 2012, 10:34 AM »

The $50 for 1 TB at google is per month.

The best value seems to be 100 GB, since for the rest of them, doubling the space costs 1 cent more than the previous step (how odd).
-Jibz (April 27, 2012, 10:34 AM)

So I failed? Damn :-/