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Google will offer free and premium versions of its Google Drive

Google is expected to launch its new cloud storage service, "Google Drive," as early as today.

Google Drive will be an online storage service where users can keep photos, documents and other types of content stashed away safely in the cloud. The user can then access their content later from a variety of Internet-enabled devices like smartphones, tablets and computers.

Google will offer free and premium versions of its Google Drive. The free version allows for 5 GB of storage, while premium versions can go as high as 100 GB for a certain price per month.

The move into cloud storage is expected to link Google's other ventures into the mix, such as ties with Android-based devices, Search and Google advertising.

The cloud has become a popular new form of online storage. Last June, Apple rolled out its iCloud service, which also allowed a 5 GB free version as well as premium versions for an annual fee. Apple's pricing includes 10 GB for $20 per year, 20 GB for $40 per year and 50 GB for $100 per year.

In addition to Apple, Amazon released its Cloud Drive/Cloud Player combo last March. Best Buy followed with its Music Cloud service in June 2011, Microsoft then released its SkyDrive file hosting service in November, and just yesterday, Adobe launched its Creative Cloud service alongside Photoshop CS6/Photoshop CS6 Extended for a hefty fee of $29.99 to $49.99 per month. 

Google hasn't mentioned what its premium Drive services will cost yet, but is expected to announce the details during launch.

Updated @ 1:00pm EST
Google Drive is now officially open for business.
 

Source: Yahoo


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Cloud Drives
By jatkinsaut on 4/24/2012 10:09:36 AM , Rating: 2
Why did you not mention Microsoft SkyDrive?




RE: Cloud Drives
By kleinma on 4/24/2012 10:16:33 AM , Rating: 4
I agree. I installed the SkyDrive client last night after I heard the update was released, and I was very pleasantly surprised.

Fist off they give you 7GB versus Google's 5GB. If you happen to already be a user of skydrive, then you can get your 7GB upgraded to 25GB for free (did it last night).

It integrates right into the explorer shell in Windows 7, and so far works flawlessly for me. I also tested the iPhone app for it, and that worked well too.

SkyDrive was a piece of crap from an interface and usage perspective until yesterday, now it is a serious player that is going to be equal or better than anything google puts out, iCloud, DropBox, etc..


RE: Cloud Drives
By soghjai on 4/24/2012 12:05:57 PM , Rating: 1
If you already have a SkyDrive account before the 2.0 app was released, you can upgrade to 25GB for free. Just log into your hotmail account and click on the free upgrade in the SkyDrive section.


RE: Cloud Drives
By FITCamaro on 4/24/2012 1:22:33 PM , Rating: 4
I use SkyDrive to sync my Skyrim saves between my laptop and my desktop. It has worked great.


RE: Cloud Drives
By FITCamaro on 4/24/2012 3:14:39 PM , Rating: 2
And just got the free upgrade to 25GB :)


RE: Cloud Drives
By B3an on 4/24/2012 7:22:56 PM , Rating: 2
I do the same with game saves. And SkyDrive is integrated in to Win 8. Metro Apps can even load and save things to/from SkyDrive without any extra coding needed from the developer.

It also syncs your Win 8 user, app and interface settings on Win 8. It's the only cloud service i've really found useful.


RE: Cloud Drives
By Lifted on 4/24/2012 1:49:13 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I also tested the iPhone app for it, and that worked well too.


How's it working with Android? Last I heard MS was butthurt and was not planning on releasing an Android app.


RE: Cloud Drives
By ChronoReverse on 4/24/2012 2:27:29 PM , Rating: 2
There's an unofficial app that's... alright I guess. At least it puts in the Sharing options.


RE: Cloud Drives
By CityZen on 4/24/2012 10:31:07 AM , Rating: 2
He did mention it:
quote:
Microsoft then released its SkyDrive file hosting service in November


RE: Cloud Drives
By CityZen on 4/24/2012 10:31:47 AM , Rating: 2
Ooops, sorry, Tiffany. Make that "SHE did mention it"


RE: Cloud Drives
By kleinma on 4/24/2012 11:11:45 AM , Rating: 4
There is no mention of the actual update MS just released to skydrive yesterday though, which makes skydrive a very, very different product than it was in November.


RE: Cloud Drives
By PrezWeezy on 4/24/2012 6:05:24 PM , Rating: 2
Didn't SkyDrive launch in late 2007? That's close to 5 years ago. I'm not sure where the "November 2011" came from, other than the update they released.


RE: Cloud Drives
By Tony Swash on 4/26/2012 1:43:41 PM , Rating: 2
Expected product...since Google docs
By GotThumbs on 4/24/2012 10:00:55 AM , Rating: 2
Since Google docs has been "Cloud" based for years, this is NOT a surprise.

Most used word of the year so far.....Cloud.

Personally I prefer my own personal cloud (WHS V1), although Google's should integrate easily with all my Android devices.

Best wishes.




By kleinma on 4/24/2012 10:18:51 AM , Rating: 2
I have a V1 WHS as well, with the remote access, but come on, it isn't great, and it doesn't sync anything. You can't be away from home and access the stuff on the server except through the browser interface which is pretty poor.

I love my WHS for home use and storage, but I don't really look at it as any sort of cloud solution. Especially in terms of file sync.


I don't get it
By bug77 on 4/24/2012 11:40:51 AM , Rating: 2
The IT news sites have been flooded with speculation about this for weeks. Is this something important? Is anyone eagerly awaiting to move their data away from personal devices?




RE: I don't get it
By kleinma on 4/24/2012 4:03:05 PM , Rating: 2
I haven't installed the google docs client (and don't know that I will at this point), however the thing about these services (at least SkyDrive, which I have evaulated) is that it is not moving your data away from personal devices. It is simply syncing the data between all those personal devices, and also giving the added benefit of keeping a copy in the cloud for a total disaster situation. If your house burned down one night and you and your family got out safe, but your cell phones, tablets, PC, and backup hard drive all went up in flames, it would be nice if at least your most important gigs of data were all still safe in the cloud, right?


Clouds?
By SkierInAvon on 4/24/2012 10:06:45 AM , Rating: 2
How might the Temptations (circa 1965) describe this lastest
technology storage device by Google?

...they've got what? when?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIYAuJ5OZ1Y




Piece of sh1t compared to 25 gigs free on MS SkyDrive
By Pirks on 4/24/12, Rating: 0
By ShaolinSoccer on 4/25/2012 11:13:20 PM , Rating: 2
I got 50 gigs for free from Box.com. What's your point?


minus.com
By mrwassman on 4/25/2012 12:01:47 AM , Rating: 2
I have been using minus.com to store photos for my school club. They start you out at 10 Gb and each additional person is 1 Gb.

http://min.us/rgk3hhP




Old Accounts
By Andyy5 on 4/25/2012 3:42:57 PM , Rating: 2
Anybody who had an old storage plan through picasa automatically gets to keep it providing they never change it, or have a lapse in there payments. I had a $20 a year plan for 80gb, and it shows that much space available in my Google Drive.




I faill to see the point....
By 1ceTr0n on 4/25/2012 7:13:32 PM , Rating: 2
still of having "cloud" based storage other then for peeps who are really paranoid about having data stolen or lost on a portable HDD.

Actually, im still at a loss of how a "cloud" differs from a regular WAN/interwebs

But then again, I have no personal use for offsite storage for my personal needs either....




"Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine." -- Bill Gates











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