Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over? • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#151

Post by chc » Tue, Sep 27, 2011, 6:25 PM UTC

Seth_Kriticos wrote: post #149

mattmaroon wrote: post #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…

Considering that DropBox is building on Amazon cloud storage (S3) and Google have their native storage arrays, I'd be very worried, as Google can offer storage much cheaper. If you check Google services (docs, mail), you get for just $5 -> 20GB of storage for a YEAR (or for $20 -> 80GB). DropBox takes $9.99 a MONTH for 50GB, or around $120 a YEAR! User lock-in is powerful, but if a competitor can offer a product for…

Eh, going by the App Engine pricing nonsense, I wouldn't necessarily count on Google's current prices reflecting anything beyond "This sounds like a nice number." It's entirely possible that if people started using up more of their allocation (as they would with a Google Drive), the prices would skyrocket.

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#152

Post by protomyth » Tue, Sep 27, 2011, 6:26 PM UTC

If Apple or Microsoft introduce a competitor to your application, you are going to have a real difficult time staying in business. Are we to the same point with Google and cloud apps?

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#153

Post by gravitronic » Tue, Sep 27, 2011, 6:29 PM UTC

After the scare stories I've heard regarding gmail lockouts (and not just on news sites, yesterday someone I follow on twitter was temporarily locked out of their gmail for receiving a number of files quickly) I'm more inclined to continue using services that would not all get shut off with my gmail access being locked for a single ToS breach.

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#154

Post by mtogo » Tue, Sep 27, 2011, 6:34 PM UTC

crag wrote: post #98

I (we) use Google Apps. I'm assuming this would be another service. If we ever see it. Right now, it's vaporware. It took me months to "train" everyone in the office on how to use Dropbox. -Ok stop laughing. I'm dealing with doctors here. :) I know doctors who can perform open heart surgery but can't use iTunes. Anyway I'd rather not go through that training nightmare again. Google is gonna have to do something reall…

Erm, it's not vaporware. GApps has had this feature for years now, they're just rebranding it as google drive to compete with dropbox.

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#155

Post by arihant » Tue, Sep 27, 2011, 6:43 PM UTC

jpdoctor wrote: post #118

richardw wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Netscape initially charged for the browser. "Netscape Navigator was not free to the general public until January 1998" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netscape

Good example. MS successfully killed off Netscape (the company) within a few years by bundling an inferior browser. It also prevented them from entering desktop OS, which was perceived as a threat back in the day. Edit: FYI, Mosaic was the one I had in mind, which was free.

In it's day, IE was not an inferior browser. Quiet the opposite, actually.

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#156

Post by mmahemoff » Tue, Sep 27, 2011, 6:50 PM UTC

jpdoctor wrote: post #150

Seth_Kriticos wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering that DropBox is building on Amazon cloud storage (S3) and Google have their native storage arrays, I'd be very worried, as Google can offer storage much cheaper. If you check Google services (docs, mail), you get for just $5 -> 20GB of storage for a YEAR (or for $20 -> 80GB). DropBox takes $9.99 a MONTH for 50GB, or around $120 a YEAR! User lock-in is powerful, but if a competitor can offer a product for…

> Considering that DropBox is building on Amazon cloud storage (S3) ...which tells you the only logical acquirer. Any other will have a middleman of S3 to pay, which will make the financials not very sensible. If GDrive releases and is viable, Dropbox should put on their best push-up bra and fishnets, and head over to seattle as soon as the mascara is dry.

Convenient as the other only logical acquirer is also in Seattle.

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#157

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Sep 27, 2011, 6:52 PM UTC

Murkin wrote: post #100

Google X: Is the Y party Over? I think I seen this on HN about 4 times in the last year. Is there any front where google managed to beat a good established product (except Android) ? Only good thing to come out of this, is a hopeful price reduction on Dropbox..

[deleted]

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#158

Post by keltex » Tue, Sep 27, 2011, 6:53 PM UTC

petenixey wrote: post #16

Dropbox is a brilliant piece of software however it's hard to justify more than $10/month for backup as a consumer. Since 50Gb only now covers my photos and docs, doesn't cover my music and even my photo collection's needs trimming to fit I would move to GDrive very quickly rather than double that spend to get to the next tier. I've long hoped that Dropbox would segment their pricing plans more. It's unsettling havin…

I agree. I love DropBox (and happily pay the $100/yr fee), but at 50GB isn't not enough for my photos & music. They are going to need to be at least in the ballpark of Google's pricing.

If Google was $50/yr for 50GB I wouldn't switch. But if they are $20/yr for 50GB then I would seriously consider it.

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#159

Post by jpdoctor » Tue, Sep 27, 2011, 6:58 PM UTC

mmahemoff wrote: post #156

jpdoctor wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Considering that DropBox is building on Amazon cloud storage (S3) ...which tells you the only logical acquirer. Any other will have a middleman of S3 to pay, which will make the financials not very sensible. If GDrive releases and is viable, Dropbox should put on their best push-up bra and fishnets, and head over to seattle as soon as the mascara is dry.

Convenient as the other only logical acquirer is also in Seattle.

Do you see MS putting Amazon in their critical path? I easily picture Ballmer saying NFW, but would love to hear why MS would hand such power over to Amazon.

Re: Google Drive: Is the Dropbox Party Over?

#160

Post by jwhitlark » Tue, Sep 27, 2011, 7:08 PM UTC

pestaa wrote: post #114

crocowhile wrote: post #43

I keep having problems with Dropbox lately, with files that aren't synced and lots of conflicted copies. Not sure why but made me realize that Dropbox has been offering pretty much the same service for years now. Granted, the service was great from the beginning but: are they improving enough to remain competitive?

Completely agreed. Right now the most requested feature is "watch any folder". It received the most upvotes by a great margin (30%). And it was suggested 2 years ago. Yet there is no indication of development at all on that front (or any other for that matter.) I really like Dropbox, but seriously will look into GDrive too.

I also agree. Last i checked, their headless option was still an unofficial link in their forum, their prices have not come down, and there seem to have been several security problems. I've been a customer for over three years at this point, and while i'm not unhappy, i am open to competing value propositions.