I think "free" should be in quotes.
Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week
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Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week
#12My ideal storage solution would be one where I'm not restricted to syncing my own local data. I want to be able to upload it to the cloud then delete it from my HD. This is the mentality I'm used to from Gmail. Everything is archived online and I don't need a local copy. This would surely tie in with the thinking behind the Chromebook?
> Everything is archived online and I don't need a local copy.
Even with Gmail, I hope you have a second copy of your data somewhere. You never know when your account might just disappear.
Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week
#13Should I worry about my privacy if I use this "free" service? I don't really want them to serve me targeted ads based on the contents of my Google Drive. I don't know whether they plan to do anything like this, but still. Giving Google access to my files (in addition to my email, social network, voice mail, contact list, calendar, and reading preferences . .) makes me uneasy.
Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week
#14My ideal storage solution would be one where I'm not restricted to syncing my own local data. I want to be able to upload it to the cloud then delete it from my HD. This is the mentality I'm used to from Gmail. Everything is archived online and I don't need a local copy. This would surely tie in with the thinking behind the Chromebook?
Although it's obviously limited to media files, iTunes Match has probably the most elegant solution to the problem. CrashPlan is also doing a great job for backups via constant syncing with the cloud.
Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week
#15This doesn't seem to have any new details on the service other than that its 5GB and launching on Mac/Windows/iOS/Android, which is all in line with expectations. Given all the recent leaks, it really doesn't seem like Google's doing much more than cloning Dropbox. Was I the only one expecting Google to knock this one out of the park, a la Gmail's introduction?
Cloning dropbox at this point would not compel me to switch. I think Google is smarter than that. I'm looking forward to their announcement.
However, folks like me that are not already using Dropbox, but do already use a whole host of Google services... well, I'm probably going to have 5GB free next week.
Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week
#16We've seen this before. It was called google video. Google ended up buying youtube because even they could no longer deny they'd lost the battle and they couldn't risk it going to a competitor. Dropbox is in for a rough ride, as long as they can maintain focus and quality (beat them at customer support, that should be a walk in the park) they'll be the biggest YC exit ever once Google has run its course with the Goog…
There are huge network effects at play with youtube. People discover new content (related videos) as they browse the site.
With Dropbox, it seems, to me, like there are much fewer network effects at play. I don't know what percentage of activity on Dropbox involves sharing between Dropbox customers, but I'd guess its low?
I also think its a big deal that I already sign into my Google account on every computer I use; if my files are just going to be there, with my docs, mail and calendar, I'm probably not going to use another service.
Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week
#17I think "free" should be in quotes.
It would be humorous if sometimes when you opened your file in your Gdrive it was a media appropriate file containing an advertisement. Open it in a text editor get a text file ad, open it in an mp3 player get an audio ad, open it in a video viewer get a video ad. Not all the time of course, just now and then.
Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week
#18Should I worry about my privacy if I use this "free" service? I don't really want them to serve me targeted ads based on the contents of my Google Drive. I don't know whether they plan to do anything like this, but still. Giving Google access to my files (in addition to my email, social network, voice mail, contact list, calendar, and reading preferences . .) makes me uneasy.
> Should I worry about my privacy if I use this "free" service
You should always worry about your privacy. Paid service or not.
Google makes its money building a profile about what it knows about you. In the light of placing files there, make of that what you will.
Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week
#19We've seen this before. It was called google video. Google ended up buying youtube because even they could no longer deny they'd lost the battle and they couldn't risk it going to a competitor. Dropbox is in for a rough ride, as long as they can maintain focus and quality (beat them at customer support, that should be a walk in the park) they'll be the biggest YC exit ever once Google has run its course with the Goog…
Although Google launching Google Drive shows that they see value in a dropbox type system, what is that value? I can understand Youtube because video is a huge part of the internet and advertising, but what value is there in hosting peoples files? I can't work out where Dropbox would fit with Google.
Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week
#20We've seen this before. It was called google video. Google ended up buying youtube because even they could no longer deny they'd lost the battle and they couldn't risk it going to a competitor. Dropbox is in for a rough ride, as long as they can maintain focus and quality (beat them at customer support, that should be a walk in the park) they'll be the biggest YC exit ever once Google has run its course with the Goog…
There are huge network effects at play with youtube. People discover new content (related videos) as they browse the site. With Dropbox, it seems, to me, like there are much fewer network effects at play. I don't know what percentage of activity on Dropbox involves sharing between Dropbox customers, but I'd guess its low? I also think its a big deal that I already sign into my Google account on every computer I use;…
I don't know, that's one of the biggest benefits of Dropbox, I tell someone I'll add a shared drive and 9 times out of ten they already have a Dropbox account (in my tech world bubble at least)