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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

#111

Post by EvanAnderson »

tiziano88 wrote: post #89
robomartin wrote: post #21

OK, so now when they suspend your Google account you also get to experience loosing whatever you had in Google Drive. Just for this I am converting my Dropbox account into one of their paid packages to do my part in ensuring they stick around. One would hope that at one point Google might start to realize that the way they are handling accounts could work against their own interests. I --and I am sure others-- have e…

Google has a brilliant customer service, it's just that many people do not understand the meaning of the term "customer". If you use their free services, you are not a customer; if you do pay for it, then you get proper support and everything. It seems pretty fair to me.

My experience with several of my clients who are paying Google "Customers" proves to me, at least, that Google doesn't consider those who pay for their services "Customers" either. The Customers are Google's advertisers. Granted, my experience only goes up to around 300 seats of "paid for" service, but locating a support resource that didn't shunt me to a FAQ or send me back an automated email telling me that my ticket was closed was difficult.

Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week

#112

Post by ok_craig »

ajross wrote: post #54
MatthewPhillips wrote: post #33

What specific problem does this fix for the Google ecosystem? This feels very Microsoftian. Very "we must compete in every market" without good reason.

Google got its start by walking into an existing (and frankly much more mature) market for search and competing with the existing players "without reason". Likewise advertising was pretty well served before they showed up. And I'm pretty sure email predates their dominant platform there, too. I'm not sure what's "Microsoftian" about this in particular, but it's certainly "Googly". Honestly, this (and a lot of the oth…

> Honestly, this (and a lot of the other posts here) sounds more like sports cheering to me than analysis. Dropbox is part of the "YC team", so their competitors are the bad guys?

Holy crap. I finally understand why Hacker News users hate Google.

Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week

#113

Post by MatthewPhillips »

ajross wrote: post #54
MatthewPhillips wrote: post #33

What specific problem does this fix for the Google ecosystem? This feels very Microsoftian. Very "we must compete in every market" without good reason.

Google got its start by walking into an existing (and frankly much more mature) market for search and competing with the existing players "without reason". Likewise advertising was pretty well served before they showed up. And I'm pretty sure email predates their dominant platform there, too. I'm not sure what's "Microsoftian" about this in particular, but it's certainly "Googly". Honestly, this (and a lot of the oth…

I neither own Dropbox stock nor know anyone employed by them, so the poisoning the well wasn't necessary.

I'm talking strictly about Google. It's not 2004, Google is sitting at enough poker tables right now, they don't need to join another unless there is a very good reason to do so (a hole in their ecosystem, for one).

Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week

#114

Post by MatthewPhillips »

jcampbell1 wrote: post #81
MatthewPhillips wrote: post #33

What specific problem does this fix for the Google ecosystem? This feels very Microsoftian. Very "we must compete in every market" without good reason.

This is a missing feature of Google Apps. The microsoft model is shared network drives that support any file type plus office. Google Apps can't currently compete with the shared network drive because it is limited to only documents.

This is exactly what I'm complaining about. How vague is that? What is the specific problem here that people are having with Google Apps and how will yet-another virtual drive fix it for the customers. Specifics please.

Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week

#115

Post by est »

magicalist wrote: post #37
robomartin wrote: post #21

OK, so now when they suspend your Google account you also get to experience loosing whatever you had in Google Drive. Just for this I am converting my Dropbox account into one of their paid packages to do my part in ensuring they stick around. One would hope that at one point Google might start to realize that the way they are handling accounts could work against their own interests. I --and I am sure others-- have e…

That's the reality of the cloud though, you're really just objecting to having all your eggs in one basket. There were legitimate users of megaupload that didn't break any ToS or host child porn, but they can't get any of their files back. If it's like dropbox, though, it's probably the most likely google product that people will have backed up locally. I use selective sync with dropbox, but everything is on at least…

> you're really just objecting to having all your eggs in one basket.

Not really, there are existing projects[1] which allows you to to split your files like RAID0 or RAID5 across different cloud storage providers, losing a single slice will not lose data.

The best part is, since each cloud storage provider has an incomplete partial of data, it totally protects your privacy.

[1]: https://tahoe-lafs.org/trac/tahoe-lafs

Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week

#116

Post by est »

I for one does not think it has any chance competing agaist Dropbox. Every Google client software hasn't been updated for decades. What's the last time you saw an update to that native Google Talk windows client? Google Desktop for Windows? Desktop Search?

Google makes desktop clients in a half assed way. It will never be half decent as Dropbox.

Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week

#117

Post by xenophanes »

jacquesm wrote: post #9

We'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…

Dropbox doesn't want to sell. Apple already tried.

Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week

#118

Post by skystorm »

est wrote: post #116

I for one does not think it has any chance competing agaist Dropbox. Every Google client software hasn't been updated for decades. What's the last time you saw an update to that native Google Talk windows client? Google Desktop for Windows? Desktop Search? Google makes desktop clients in a half assed way. It will never be half decent as Dropbox.

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but at least in the case of Google Talk you could argue that the client software has been superseded by web-based interfaces and/or browser extensions.

And other programs like Google Earth and Picasa have received continued updates.

Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week

#119

Post by rstocker99 »

MatthewPhillips wrote: post #114
jcampbell1 wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a missing feature of Google Apps. The microsoft model is shared network drives that support any file type plus office. Google Apps can't currently compete with the shared network drive because it is limited to only documents.

This is exactly what I'm complaining about. How vague is that? What is the specific problem here that people are having with Google Apps and how will yet-another virtual drive fix it for the customers. Specifics please.

Actually this is why I'll likely use GDrive and it's one of the few things that leads to frustation for me with Dropbox.

I use Dropbox for two reasons: backup and sharing. Almost everything I have in Dropbox is documents. I mostly use Google Apps for my document editing needs but I sometimes use Office b/c I prefer Excel for complicated spreadsheets. I also use Word when the folks I'm sharing with aren't hip to Google Apps and/or I need to do a level of formatting that Google Apps doesn't support. I prefer Google Apps to Office because the collab is so good.

Because I use both Office (files) and Google Apps it means that my docs live in two places. Dropbox (my local hard drive) and Google Apps. That drives me crazy. Where does that doc live again? Why doesn't it show up in Spotlight searches? I want them in one place. I could manually import/export but I'm lazy and can't be bothered.

Also GDrive could make for a great leaver to get "normal people" that use Office to start using Google Apps.

Re: Google Drive detailed: 5 GB of free space, launching next week

#120

Post by ajross »

MatthewPhillips wrote: post #113
ajross wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google got its start by walking into an existing (and frankly much more mature) market for search and competing with the existing players "without reason". Likewise advertising was pretty well served before they showed up. And I'm pretty sure email predates their dominant platform there, too. I'm not sure what's "Microsoftian" about this in particular, but it's certainly "Googly". Honestly, this (and a lot of the oth…

I neither own Dropbox stock nor know anyone employed by them, so the poisoning the well wasn't necessary. I'm talking strictly about Google. It's not 2004, Google is sitting at enough poker tables right now, they don't need to join another unless there is a very good reason to do so (a hole in their ecosystem, for one).

I have no financial stake in the New England Patriots, nor do I know anyone employed by them. I still hate Peyton Manning (OK, poor analogy this season, but still).

The final sentence seems ridiculous on its face. Read simply, it sounds like you think Google shouldn't be doing product development at all. There's a word for tech companies that stop "joining new tables": "stagnant".

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