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Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

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Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#51
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can it be scripted though? I want to set up a cron task to gzip a directory and send it to GDrive every night.

if its a desktop program like dropbox with a synced folder, you can write a script to place the gzip in the synced folder, and then it will sync automatically

That could work, hopefully it's a 1 way sync though. I don't want all of the contents of my cloud storage to be pulled down to my server.

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not "simply backup". They provide a user friendly synchronization service for files between all your devices. Sure, for simply stashing files there are much cheaper options such as Amazon S3 or simply a friend's linux box in his basement... but it is not entirely a fair comparison.

"They provide a user friendly synchronization service for files between all your devices." .... And users! For a small company who has a geographically dispersed user population, Dropbox is a great tool. The key is the dead simple setup and operation. 1) Install software 2) Use tool Sharing folders is about three clicks from logging in to the website, and you can get there directly through shell (Explorer, Finder) in…

I take it you already have the "install software" and "use tool" steps out of the way, would you be interested in a web-based file-system, with tagging organization, as opposed to folder organization?

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#54
When I was in YC (same batch as Dropbox) this was a constant question. "What happens to Dropbox if Gdrive launches?" I don't actually remember what Drew and Arash thought, but a lot of people speculated on it.

It was probably a real threat to them 4.5 years ago. I can't imagine it is now. Dropbox has a large, happy fanbase that's going to keep using it and keep spreading. They're going to keep growing. They've got a small bit of lock-in if you use them a lot too, the annoyance of having to upload a large amount of files to another service. They've got a product that's a joy to use, which is not something Google is known for building outside of their core competency of search.

If I were Dropbox I'd simply view this as market validation (not that they need it at this point) more than anything else.

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#55
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"They provide a user friendly synchronization service for files between all your devices." .... And users! For a small company who has a geographically dispersed user population, Dropbox is a great tool. The key is the dead simple setup and operation. 1) Install software 2) Use tool Sharing folders is about three clicks from logging in to the website, and you can get there directly through shell (Explorer, Finder) in…

I take it you already have the "install software" and "use tool" steps out of the way, would you be interested in a web-based file-system, with tagging organization, as opposed to folder organization?

No. I just want a folder that syncs.

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#56
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"They provide a user friendly synchronization service for files between all your devices." .... And users! For a small company who has a geographically dispersed user population, Dropbox is a great tool. The key is the dead simple setup and operation. 1) Install software 2) Use tool Sharing folders is about three clicks from logging in to the website, and you can get there directly through shell (Explorer, Finder) in…

I take it you already have the "install software" and "use tool" steps out of the way, would you be interested in a web-based file-system, with tagging organization, as opposed to folder organization?

Not particularly. My users don't understand it. Google Apps has been fighting this for some time in both Gmail and Google Docs. Users are used to folders, but Google uses tags and collections. They used to call collections (Google Docs) folders, but the fact that a document could exist in two 'folders' confused the hell out of my users.

As it turns out, the benefits of a tagging based approach don't pay out nearly as much as the user training and maintenance costs.

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#58
As a rule of thumb, I try to rely on Google as little as possible for important services. I don't dislike Google, but their lack of customer service makes it risky to rely too heavily on their services. I use Dropbox for syncing and backup, and since I backup files that are important to me, that rules out Google Drive.

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#59
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

sometimes when you mention Google to non-technical people they get an overwhelming deer-in-the-headlights look. That's interesting, I've never seen that. I always thought Google was the most beginner-friendly corner of the internet.

Bing tv adverts suggested that Google wasn't providing user friendly search results. So maybe there is some huddle of people who just can't cope with Google?

Yes, Bing is a direct competitor of Google.
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