"Google Drive" cloud storage more free space than Dropbox, integrates w. Docs

Darren Dirt · April 25, 2012, 01:24:16 PM

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9226565/Google_Drive_review_Adding_cloud_storage_to_the_mix

https://drive.google.com/start (demo video)

is name recognition enough to get people to use it that weren't already using Dropbox or similar? and is it gonna attract the tech-n00bs who barely even use Gmail?

Lazybones · April 25, 2012, 01:28:59 PM

My dropbox as 6.5 Gb of FREE space, after referrals and activating features like the image up-loader..

Out of the box:
- Google drive does not yet have an iOS client
- No linux support (you can actually run a nice script even on a nas to use dropbox)
- Many apps already use the dropbox API directly.

I will say wait and see... I will probably activate it but not use it yet.

Mr. Analog · April 25, 2012, 01:32:22 PM

Not quite ready for prime time and late to the party.

One feature I was expecting was being able to set any folder and/or selectively which files in said folder. This is something that people have wanted in DropBox for a while and Google didn't heed.

Also, I'd encrypt the @%&# outta anything I push into Google's cloud

Lazybones · April 25, 2012, 02:22:54 PM

Quote from: Mr. Analog on April 25, 2012, 01:32:22 PM
This is something that people have wanted in DropBox for a while and Google didn't heed.

You can have been able to do selective (subfolder) sync per end point client for sometime in drop box.

Mr. Analog · April 25, 2012, 02:24:53 PM

Quote from: Lazybones on April 25, 2012, 02:22:54 PM
Quote from: Mr. Analog on April 25, 2012, 01:32:22 PM
This is something that people have wanted in DropBox for a while and Google didn't heed.

You can have been able to do selective (subfolder) sync per end point client for sometime in drop box.

Sorry, Google does neither, but DropBox doesn't let you choose the folder (last I checked anyway).

Mr. Analog · April 25, 2012, 02:31:33 PM

SORRY I mean rename the folder

yeesh, brain no function beer well without

Lazybones · April 25, 2012, 02:59:37 PM

Quote from: Mr. Analog on April 25, 2012, 02:31:33 PM
SORRY I mean rename the folder

yeesh, brain no function beer well without

You can move it and call it what ever you want under Preferences --> Advanced in windows.

Thorin · May 20, 2012, 06:45:58 PM

Quote from: Darren Dirt on April 25, 2012, 01:24:16 PM
is name recognition enough to get people to use it that weren't already using Dropbox or similar? and is it gonna attract the tech-n00bs who barely even use Gmail?

Looks like the tech-n00bs, as you call them, will be forced to use Google Drive at some point in the future if they're using Google Docs at present. Just got an announcement today that Google Docs will be moving to Google Drive, with a link to learn more about it.

Darren Dirt · May 20, 2012, 06:57:24 PM

Yeah but it will be effectively invisible to the tech-n00bs anyway

"it used to be stored on our servers in a proprietary way, now it's gonna be stored on different servers and allow you to access it a bit more freely" or similar will be the hand-waving explanation to those who don't really care what's happening under the hood.

Tom · May 20, 2012, 08:50:53 PM

Well, technically Google Drive is just Google Docs 2.0. Drive supposedly evolved from their Docs service.

Mr. Analog · May 21, 2012, 01:13:47 PM

From what I've heard Google Drive was their storage mechanism for Docs and when it turned out that Dropbox was "a thing" they hammered their gunk into a roughly Dropbox-like tool and marketed it as such.

Honestly the only time I've found Google Docs handy was when I had to edit an IR Plan (excel document) on a computer that didn't have Office installed. I have a Dropbox account but I don't use it much...

Tom · May 21, 2012, 01:52:07 PM

Quote from: Mr. Analog on May 21, 2012, 01:13:47 PM
From what I've heard Google Drive was their storage mechanism for Docs and when it turned out that Dropbox was "a thing" they hammered their gunk into a roughly Dropbox-like tool and marketed it as such.

Honestly the only time I've found Google Docs handy was when I had to edit an IR Plan (excel document) on a computer that didn't have Office installed. I have a Dropbox account but I don't use it much...

I heard something similar. They tried to develop a separate service. That didn't pan out. Then they started up G+, and merged things like docs, picassa and whatnot into G+, and now Docs is pretty much the backend for all your files.

I've found docs handy for accessing docs on my tablet or phone when I'm out. I think I put my character sheet up on Docs, and downloaded it on my tablet last session.

Thorin · May 21, 2012, 02:55:59 PM

I have several spreadsheets in Google Docs that I can then access and alter from any computer with a browser (including smartphones and tablets). No more wishing I could install Excel 2010 on that iPhone over there.

Lazybones · May 21, 2012, 06:07:02 PM

Google docs and drive have uses but until more apps integrate it, I am sticking with drop box.

Dropbox still has more platform support and many of my iPhone apps will write directly to it.

Dropboxs desktop app is also more mature.

Still interesting, also don't discount sky drive but the iPhone app is read only do it isn't that
Useful to me yet even though it has more storage.

Tom · May 21, 2012, 06:59:29 PM

Google Drive and Docs are very well integrated into my mobile devices.