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SkyDrive is a threat to Dropbox

pcworld.com

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Re: SkyDrive is a threat to Dropbox

#31

Post by cooldeal »

huggyface wrote: post #21
gouranga wrote: post #14

Probably against the grain here, but agree. Not so much SkyDrive but more the integration between Mesh Skydrive, windows, mac, free office web apps and windows phone 7. It's a seriously impressive, well integrated platform that costs nothing and doesn't tie you into keeping the data in the cloud. There's a copy always on your machines. no-one is doing it as well as Microsoft if you ask me. Outside the mainstream tech…

trendy Microsoft bashing I've noticed an uptick of the "poor maligned Microsoft" angle lately. It is a boorish tactic to neuter counterpoints (essentially the yang of the "fanboy!" rallying cry). I would argue that many Microsoft products get a pass they would not get from any other company. I tried Skydrive with OneNote, imagining a world of integration and usability. It was a horrible failure, not least because Sky…

>I've noticed an uptick of the "poor maligned Microsoft" angle lately. It is a boorish tactic to neuter counterpoints (essentially the yang of the "fanboy!" rallying cry).

There are a bunch of MS haters around, even on HN.

For example, Microsoft watcher and insider Paul Thurrott's site http://winsupersite.com is hellbanned on HN(banned from even appearing on the new page), most probably due to excessive flagging from haters and fanboys of other platforms, while Gruber's posts get top billing.

> I would argue that many Microsoft products get a pass they would not get from any other company.

Really?

Re: SkyDrive is a threat to Dropbox

#32

Post by [deleted] »

mih wrote: post #23

Lack of Android and Linux support is still a concern. MS has to address this or enable third party apps access to these platforms in order for it to be a real threat to Dropbox. Especially Android since it's one of the fastest growing OS out there.

[deleted]

Re: SkyDrive is a threat to Dropbox

#33

Post by recoiledsnake »

mikeryan wrote: post #2

Yes much like Windows Mobile is an Android killer.

I don't get it. Can I say the same thing about GDrive?

"Yes much like Google+ is a Facebook killer."

So GDrive too is destined to fail?

I guess it's cool to be snarky and earns you some points, but are you trying to make a point here?

Re: SkyDrive is a threat to Dropbox

#34

Post by recoiledsnake »

mih wrote: post #23

Lack of Android and Linux support is still a concern. MS has to address this or enable third party apps access to these platforms in order for it to be a real threat to Dropbox. Especially Android since it's one of the fastest growing OS out there.

From http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_live/b/windowslive/archiv...

>If you have an Android device, we also encourage you to try other apps from partners built using SkyDrive APIs. For example with Browser for SkyDrive or Cloud Explorer for SkyDrive, you can view, access and upload documents or photos on your Android phone. Portfolio for SkyDrive lets you organize and upload photos from your Android phone in batches to SkyDrive. If you want to add SkyDrive support to your app, site or device, please visit our developer center.

Looks like there's OneNote and third party apps, but official support would be nice.

Re: SkyDrive is a threat to Dropbox

#35

Post by adrr »

ctdonath wrote: post #9

Anyone coming up with a personal equivalent to Dropbox? as in same simple interface, but storage is a multi-terabyte box at your home/office (instead of a few gigabytes "out there")?

I use Transmit and Amazon's s3. Not the best but works well for storing photos. Cost me about $1 a month.

Re: SkyDrive is a threat to Dropbox

#36

Post by kposehn »

Dropbox is now at the inflection point of having become a standard. All of the various cloud-drive solutions are gauging themselves in comparison to them; as such, they have won.

Will SkyDrive manage to become a good competitor? I would expect so, especially given how Microsoft can push into the field by piggybacking it on Office, etc.

However, should Microsoft? No.

For Microsoft, SkyDrive will not sell more copies of Windows or Office. Instead, it will simply be another waste of money and resources on a feature that will not sway people to their products. If you're going to get Office, you're going to get Office - a cloud drive won't convince you over some other offering.

Re: SkyDrive is a threat to Dropbox

#37

Post by loverobots »

loverobots wrote: post #29

We need a plugin that automatically encrypts everything before it goes to the cloud and then decrypts it when we download. So when the subpoena start to rain our data is safe regardless of what Microsoft or Dropbox are forced to do by the gov

for those that took the point: I meant an extra level of encryption, just in case there's a backdoor on the default one.

Re: SkyDrive is a threat to Dropbox

#38

Post by MichaelApproved »

kposehn wrote: post #36

Dropbox is now at the inflection point of having become a standard. All of the various cloud-drive solutions are gauging themselves in comparison to them; as such, they have won. Will SkyDrive manage to become a good competitor? I would expect so, especially given how Microsoft can push into the field by piggybacking it on Office, etc. However, should Microsoft? No. For Microsoft, SkyDrive will not sell more copies o…

You have it backwards. SkyDrive won't sell more copies of office, it's office that will sell more subscriptions of SkyDrive.

Re: SkyDrive is a threat to Dropbox

#39

Post by kposehn »

MichaelApproved wrote: post #38
kposehn wrote: post #36

Dropbox is now at the inflection point of having become a standard. All of the various cloud-drive solutions are gauging themselves in comparison to them; as such, they have won. Will SkyDrive manage to become a good competitor? I would expect so, especially given how Microsoft can push into the field by piggybacking it on Office, etc. However, should Microsoft? No. For Microsoft, SkyDrive will not sell more copies o…

You have it backwards. SkyDrive won't sell more copies of office, it's office that will sell more subscriptions of SkyDrive.

Not really - my point is that SkyDrive adds nothing to Microsoft's strategy.

It won't really sell large numbers of Office, and the fact that less than 1% of people use more than 7gb (the free tier) means that it will make very little money overall.

Office will certainly sell subscriptions of SkyDrive, but they'll be free subscriptions mostly and the people won't really care about it. It doesn't make the core product offering more compelling, which seems to be their core strategy based on the yearly price.

Dropbox has done so well because they aren't just the first mover - they are the standard by which others are judged. With this in mind, Microsoft is making a mistake trying to make an offering to compete with it. They should have just made a deal with Dropbox in the first place.

Dropbox integration would be a fantastic selling point for Office; SkyDrive integration is not.

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