Google Drive goes live!

[Arthur]

It's real...

 

Homepage / Download (Windows / Mac OS X / Android / SDK for Developers)

 

Just like the Loch Ness Monster, you may have heard the rumors about Google Drive. It turns out, one of the two actually does exist.

 

Today, we’re introducing Google Drive—a place where you can create, share, collaborate, and keep all of your stuff. Whether you’re working with a friend on a joint research project, planning a wedding with your fiancé or tracking a budget with roommates, you can do it in Drive. You can upload and access all of your files, including videos, photos, Google Docs, PDFs and beyond. (Source)

 

 

 

 

If 5GB of free space isn't enough for you, you can buy an additional 20GB to 16TB!

 

http://i.imgur.com/OYkNg.png

 

N.B. Google Cloud Connect and Google Drive aren't compatible. Before you can sync Microsoft Office files with Google Drive, you'll need to uninstall or sign out of Google Cloud Connect. (Source)

Edited April 24, 2012 by Arthur

[localzuk]

Oh wow, didn't realise they'd be going large scale like that! That's a damn good deal.

 

EDIT: Can't find those prices anywhere - the ones on my account are $600 a year for 1TB, for example.

Edited April 24, 2012 by localzuk

[CyberNerd]

Each user needs to install Google Drive for Mac/PC on their own machine, or an administrator needs to do this for them. At this time, we do not have an MSI file or other option for system-wide deployments.

 

ARGGHHH! and no linux client! and offline sync seems to be disabled by default.

I suppose they did give us an extra 9TB today for nothing so I can't really complain. just have to work it all out tomorrow.

[tj2419]

Hi

 

Probably being blind but where do you download the clients? I can't seem to find them :S

[Arthur]

Probably being blind but where do you download the clients?

There's a download link above.

[tj2419]

There's a download link above.

 

Ok, i know i said i may be blind but i did see the link But it just takes me to the feature page :S no links that i can see.

[Rozzer]

Its amazing how cheap these cloud storage solutions are now a days. I can finally get my photos backing up remotely in fear of losing them forever.

 

Ross

[EduTech]

I think it is still being filtered out, as I logged in and get informed that it is not yet available. (sometimes the URL was not working also).

 

 

James.

[Arthur]

Ok, i know i said i may be blind but i did see the link But it just takes me to the feature page :S no links that i can see.

Try the link again. It should work this time.

 

If you still can't download the software, click here.

[Arthur]

Can't find those prices anywhere

Damn! I should have upgraded while I had the chance.

 

http://i.imgur.com/BHcdF.png

[elsiegee40]

It's expensive compared with the new SkyDrive prices... maybe they'll review?

[CyberNerd]

msi seems to be here:

 

http://o-o.preferred.ams03g05.v2.lscache1.c.pack.google.com/edgedl/drive/1.0.2891.6813/gsync.msi

[CyberNerd]

msi seems to be here:

 

http://o-o.preferred.ams03g05.v2.lscache1.c.pack.google.com/edgedl/drive/1.0.2891.6813/gsync.msi

 

It doesn't seem to run behind an authenticating proxy, or respect a .pac file.

If I set the proxy to a non-authenticating dansguardian it runs ok, but not behind smoothwalls

[Arthur]

It's expensive compared with the new SkyDrive prices...

It is interesting how they have all chosen difference capacities to make it harder for the average consumer to compare like-with-like.

 

http://i.imgur.com/ikUel.png

 

Data Source: www.sachinagarwal.com/google-drive-charts

[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)

Edited April 24, 2012 by Arthur
Spelling

[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!)

Edited April 24, 2012 by PiqueABoo

[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.