Google Drive goes live!

[PiqueABoo]

For a while at least "average consumer" won't be paying for storage (you saw that graph re. the rationale for 7GB being free).

They're so very similar, but Skydrive wins for me simply because the terms of service are very subtely 'nicer' and quicker to grok. Don't really find any of this especially compelling compared to the old 8GB penstick I've always got to hand though.

[CyberNerd]

ARGGHHH! and no linux client!

I just about got it working on linux using the school google domain and Active Directory login. needed wine 1.4 and winetricks to install IE8.
syncs both ways ok. Now to get sidetracked onto something else...

[localzuk]

For a while at least "average consumer" won't be paying for storage (you saw that graph re. the rationale for 7GB being free).

They're so very similar, but Skydrive wins for me simply because the terms of service are very subtely 'nicer' and quicker to grok. Don't really find any of this especially compelling compared to the old 8GB penstick I've always got to hand though.

I think there's a reason for that average though - because the amounts of space are so low, relative to the hard disks in consumer PCs, people only use the online services for 'important' documents and sharing things.

If they were much more bulky, people would be backing up a lot more into the cloud - I know I would be doing so.

[gshaw]

I'll take 25GB free with SkyDrive and no Google snooping in my files

[CyberNerd]

I'll take 25GB free with SkyDrive and no Google snooping in my files

you could always encrypt them...

[CyberNerd]

I think there's a reason for that average though - because the amounts of space are so low, relative to the hard disks in consumer PCs, people only use the online services for 'important' documents and sharing things.

the google docs are just links to url's that don't actually take up any storage space, and google music allows 20,000 tracks @ 250mb each.

[Arthur]

There's a big difference between the T&Cs of Dropbox, SkyDrive and Google Drive...

Cloud storage Terms of Service comparison: Avoid Google Drive
Chances are this will never be an issue, but the standard Google terms are particularly egregious in the context of personal cloud storage.

Dropbox
"By using our Services you provide us with information, files, and folders that you submit to Dropbox (together, "your stuff"). You retain full ownership to your stuff. We don’t claim any ownership to any of it. These Terms do not grant us any rights to your stuff or intellectual property except for the limited rights that are needed to run the Services, as explained below."

SkyDrive
"Except for material that we license to you, we don't claim ownership of the content you provide on the service. Your content remains your content. We also don't control, verify, or endorse the content that you and others make available on the service."

Google Drive
"When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content." (Source)

[elsiegee40]

Google = Ouch! They don't want customers do they? Not with that and the pricing.

[PiqueABoo]

There are differences but that article is a bit misleading. The Google sentence preceeding their bible-quotes (T&C for personal Google account + GDrive) says:

You retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold in that content. In short, what belongs to you stays yours.

There's this later in the MS terms:

You understand that Microsoft may need, and you hereby grant Microsoft the right, to use, modify, adapt, reproduce, distribute, and display content posted on the service solely to the extent necessary to provide the service.

Without studying it too closely, Microsoft's still feels better because of the "solely" part (eek.. their obvious anti-Google strategy has got me!)

[mac_shinobi]

Whats going on, can't use it, am getting an "we will email you when it is ready to use etc blah blah message appearing"

[CyberNerd]

I can't see how google or MS would be able to have online services such as 365 or google apps without having T+C's that allow them to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works etc etc. seems entirely reasonable that data would be moved into databases and 'adjusted' for those purposes.

Whats going on, can't use it, am getting an "we will email you when it is ready to use etc blah blah message appearing"

my personal account doesn't have it yet, but the school domain does. patience.

[localzuk]

the google docs are just links to url's that don't actually take up any storage space, and google music allows 20,000 tracks @ 250mb each.

I've got about 120GB of photos, and 20GB+ of source code etc... I've seen people with their personal photo collections filling external hard drives. There's lots to backup basically.

[newpersn]

I got mine backed up to drop box. But might move them to skydrive. (best way to back them up all together i feel)

Phone photos + Drop box backup then move all photos from DB to Skydrive. Best way to make use of the 25GB.

[Rozzer]

I've got about 120GB of photos, and 20GB+ of source code etc... I've seen people with their personal photo collections filling external hard drives. There's lots to backup basically.

I have the same amount of space being used for my photos and I time machine my photos but I would take more comfort in knowing it was away from home. Tempted with google drive instead of drop box.

Ross

[sted]

I've got about 120GB of photos, and 20GB+ of source code etc... I've seen people with their personal photo collections filling external hard drives. There's lots to backup basically.

and would take a long time and would in a lot of cases push people over their usage caps which make these services less usefull (at work i usually have 4 pen drives anyway and a 320gb drive in car)