Google Drive (and competitors)

Apreche

I think I'm down with this. I'm just going to wait until they have an API, so I can back it up to S3.

MATATAT

Google Dropbox?

Matt

As far as competitors are concerned, Dropbox is a huge time saver for me. The wife and I have a shared folder where we keep a boatload of documents we both need to collaborate on, such as to-do lists, budgets, etc. Using a mobile app like Office2 on the iPhone, we can edit all of this stuff on the go.

There's not a huge need to back it up elsewhere b/c it syncs changes to every computer we own. If Dropbox were to ever go up in a puff of smoke, there'd be local copies all over the place.

I haven't read up on Google Drive so I'm not sure if there is some compelling feature that would cause me to switch.

Neito

If this were say, late 2007 or early 2008 I probably would've cared. As it stands, I have more cloud storage than I could use.

Dragonmaster Lou

I don't really use any other cloud storage (other than Mozy for cloud backup), and I already used GDocs for stashing stuff between computers anyway. GDrive just makes it easier for me to do so.

Apreche

I think I'm going to consolidate all of my MyDocuments folders and USB sticks into Google Drive. Then I'm going to sync it with all my computers. Then I'm going to sync it to a USB stick. Then I'm going to sync it with a Linode. Then the Linode will sync with S3. Also, encryption of important things, like my accounting files.

trogdor9

Is there an individual file size limit for Google Drive?

Apreche

Is there an individual file size limit for Google Drive?

I don't believe so.

2bfree

Funny that yesterday Microsoft updated their Skydrive service and released a PC/Mac client. Also, since they are adding paid tiers, you'll have to claim your existing free 25GB to get that grandfathered in (New accounts going to 7GB free.)

I'm assuming Google Apps users are going to have to wait longer for Google Drive?

Apreche

Funny that yesterday Microsoft updated their Skydrive service and released a PC/Mac client. Also, since they are adding paid tiers, you'll have to claim your existing free 25GB to get that grandfathered in (New accounts going to 7GB free.)

I'm assuming Google Apps users are going to have to wait longer for Google Drive?

Google Drive just came out. I have it installed.

2bfree

They told me they'd "notify me" when it's ready. Did you get the same notice?

Apreche

They told me they'd "notify me" when it's ready. Did you get the same notice?

I read the Internet.

Rym

It's way too little space for my GeekNights backups or my personal video stuff, but I think I'll use it for "active" files. Things I'm using/sharing/editing between machines on a regular basis.

Real backups will still go to my NAS, and then to Amazon.

Dragonmaster Lou

It's way too little space for my GeekNights backups or my personal video stuff, but I think I'll use it for "active" files. Things I'm using/sharing/editing between machines on a regular basis.

Yeah, same here... Not very useful for backup at all, so I'm sticking to Mozy for that (hey, I got a great discount because I used to work for its parent company).

Apreche

It isn't useful for actual backups, but I never expected it to be. It's mostly a convenient way to have the same files accessible on all of your devices. As things currently stand, I occasionally do things that will not be necessary once I use Google Drive.

For example, I will take a photo on my iPhone and then e-mail it to myself to get it onto a computer. I can only sync it to a computer over the wire if I'm at home with my one computer that uses iTunes.

Another example is I will use a USB stick to transfer files between two computers that are not on the same network with sharing. Like if I am at work and I want to move something from my laptop to my work laptop.

Or if I work on something on my desktop, I will put it on a USB stick and then work on it on my laptop outside the house. In the house, files can be shared directly over the network, or through the NAS.

Another advantage is I can sync the Google Drive to the NAS, getting a nice local backup of my Google Docs and such.

Victor Frost

I'm installing it (because I'm google's bitch) but, right now, my dropbox is more useful because I've got more space (about 8.7GB). I might use it to organize my google docs better, though.

Rym

It isn't useful for actual backups, but I never expected it to be. It's mostly a convenient way to have the same files accessible on all of your devices.

Exactly.

This is my shared drive, something Amazon isn't actually that good for.

Another advantage is I can sync the Google Drive to the NAS, getting a nice local backup of my Google Docs and such.

I plan to do just this thing as well.

I might try to set up something clever where I make a share on my NAS of size X, and sync that in both directions with Google Drive.

2bfree

Looking at the Google Drive API, looks like the file metadata includes a md5Checksum property. I'm wondering how long before this results in a subpoena trying to catch pirates. A query based on checksum + filetype + filesize is a damn good starting point for such a thing.

no fun girl

I think I'm going to consolidate all of my MyDocuments folders and USB sticks into Google Drive. Then I'm going to sync it with all my computers. Then I'm going to sync it to a USB stick. Then I'm going to sync it with a Linode. Then the Linode will sync with S3. Also, encryption of important things, like my accounting files.

yo dawg...

Victor Frost

I just realized that I haven't really used my "My Documents" folder since I got dropbox. What the hell is in there...*goes to perform digital archaeology*

no fun girl

I just realized that I haven't really used my "My Documents" folder since I got dropbox. What the hell is in there...*goes to perform digital archaeology*

I always interpreted "My Documents" as the catch-all for things I could not easily categorize -- too vague to be truly useful, essentially "My Stuff I Will Probably Never Look At Again".

Dragonmaster Lou

I actually do keep all my "real" files (as opposed to random downloads and temp files) neatly organized in "My Documents" (or equivalent, depending on OS) and its subfolders. This actually dates from long before "My Documents" existed as I pretty much always used either separate "work" floppies (before I had a computer with a hard drive) or "work" directories for all my files as it made it not only easier to locate (as opposed to having them scattered across my disk/floppies/etc.), but easier to backup as I only had to concern with backing up one directory tree.

HMTKSteve

Can I sync this to a web server running centos?

GauntletWizard

I think I'm down with this. I'm just going to wait until they have an API, so I can back it up to S3.

The API is already up, no need to wait.

ninjarabbi

Man, I wish I had bought extra google storage a while ago when it was like $5 for 20gigs.

Victor Frost

Let's see...
5GB through google drive
8.7GB through Dropbox.
25GB through Windows Live Skydrive.

I'd say I've got online storage on lock.

Churba

They told me they'd "notify me" when it's ready. Did you get the same notice?

If you look at the notice, it actually says "We'll notify you when YOUR google drive is ready", not just in general.

Victor Frost

They told me they'd "notify me" when it's ready. Did you get the same notice?

YOU ARE NOT AMONG THE CHOSEN.

Schnevets

Aria

Can I direct link a Google Drive file? Even to a non-Google drive user? And when will it be integrated with Gnome or Nautilus?

Luke Burrage

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