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Topic: Hardware

Google Drive details leak: 5GB for free

Summary: Google Drive will reportedly be unveiled next week with 5GB of free cloud space for each user.

Rachel King

By for Between the Lines |

Google Drive could be available to Internet users as soon as next week, based on details that have leaked on Monday.

Although rumors have been circling for awhile, it was widely reported in March that Google would launch its own online storage and collaboration service, dubbed Google Drive, at some point in April.

That appears to be very true now, along with some additional details to sweeten the deal. For example, instead of the earlier expected 1GB of free cloud space, each user will be getting up to 5GB of free space on Google Drive.

That actually makes much more sense overall. Not only does Google undoubtedly have the resources to be able to cover that for its customers, it puts it on par and even ahead of the competition.

Dropbox only offers 2GB of free storage space, while iCloud and Box each offer 5GB of free space. (Box even offers up to 50GB of free cloud space if you managed to qualify for one of their promo deals tied to tablets such as the iPad and HP TouchPad.)

Predictably, Google users will be able to buy more space if 5GB doesn't suffice.

But what's really going to be key for Google Drive is that it will potentially offer users more flexibility and access options than any other cloud provider -- at least on the consumer level. Aside from all of the Gmail and Google Apps integration possibilities, Google is covering all of the bases with support for the G-Drive on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android devices.

An exact launch (or announcement) date hasn't been revealed yet, but expect it to happen by the middle of next week.

Related:

Topics: Hardware, Apps, Browser, Google, Laptops, Mobility, Security, Tablets

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Talkback

29 comments
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  • How are they ahead?

    Microsoft SkyDrive has been giving 25GB for free for years.
    jmiller1978
    Reply Vote

    • Agreed !!

      It would be nice is author would update the post to add Skydrive which offers 25GB free.
      1773
      Reply Vote

    • No sane person could trust M$

      with google you are safe!
      The Linux Geek
      Reply Vote

      • Right, because I trust Google so much more...

        NOT. Google's customers are Advertisers, not people using their software or services.
        grayknight-22253692004129760887070084760051
        Reply Vote

      • Good one LG!

        So I'm supposed to trust an advertising company?

        You have seen Mad Men right?

        Rachel, leaving out SkyDrive is a serious omission. I can't believe you aren't familiar with it and its storage far exceeds Google and its integration, especially with Windows Phone, is brilliant.
        tonymcs@...
        Reply Vote

      • Obviously

        This is sarcasm. I love Google products, but I trust Microsoft with my information many times more.
        gersont
        Reply Vote

    • Shoddy Reporting

      No mention of SkyDrive or SugarSync? Could you make it anymore obvious that you're trying to make Google Drive seem like a bigger and better deal than it really is?
      SubtleArray
      Reply Vote

    • Strangely, I have trouble mounting SkyDrive from Linux

      Heck, i can even mount my Google MAILBOX as a filesystem from Linux ... or Amazon S3, or many others ... but SkyDrive seems to do something funky with WebDAV, making it obscure how to mount and use it from Linux.

      Kind of a reflection of the company perspectives - MS will let you use it, but only their way, how they say you can.
      daboochmeister
      Reply Vote

    • Good point but it's not exactly integrated into anything.

      Good point but it's not exactly integrated into anything. You have to use Windows Live Essentials or a Web browser.

      They are bringing Drop Box style functionality to Windows 7 (Explorer add-on) and Windows 8 (natively) but that currently isn't available and I bet it'll be restricted like Live Mesh Synced Storage was (5Gb too).

      That said, as it integrates with the other Windows Live Services I do use it and use the third party SDExplorer (Free or Paid option). This gives me a drive in Explorer with the full 25Gb access but it's A: Slow and B: Currently limited to 100Mb per file (it was 50Mb).

      The latter is a Microsoft restriction across SkyDrive in general, that is getting increased to 2Gb some time this year.

      When the Explorer add-on for Windows 7/Windows 8 launches SkyDrive will be a serious DropBox contender (so far SkyDrive has an iPhone and Windows Phone app, no Android app). Despite it's restrictions SkyDrive ultimately gives me 25Gb (I am currently using 22Gb).

      5Gb isn't enough for me to bother thanks Google, pity as I use a lot of your other services. I hope an Explorer add-on is coming, having to use a browser isn't good enough!

      p.s - As others have said iCloud isn't general purpose storage, it's there to sync stuff Apple specifically lets you sync.
      bradavon
      Reply Vote

  • Yep skydrive is offering 25 GB

    And.. Who in their right mind would want to store data on Google owned servers ? Better use skydrive, icloud or dropbox.
    sjaak327
    Reply Vote

    • I love it!

      Storing my stuff on Google! I love the fact thay they can crawl my personal files and sell that information, and I don't see a dime!
      The one and only, Cylon Centurion
      Reply Vote

      • ever heard of archivation?

        and using strong passwords
        polarcat
        Reply Vote

      • No

        @polarcat
        Because you just made that word up: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/archivation?s=t
        x I'm tc
        Reply Vote

      • duh

        You don't see a dime but you save many others (unless you're a developer and cloning google products is your hobby)
        belli_bettens@...
        Reply Vote

  • Google Drive details leak: 5GB for free

    Read the TOS very carefully, they might try to pull another Chrome and claim whatever you upload is theirs for the taking.
    Loverock Davidson-
    Reply Vote

  • another nail in M$ coffin!

    Now, M$ should cut the loses an throw in the towel!
    The Linux Geek
    Reply Vote

    • Is LG software?

      A number of us are beginning to suspect that LG is really a simple bot. Not bothering to even do crude parsing of blogs or posts, it just spits out the same M$ slurs every time.

      Can I suggest it use a little more random number generation to vary the responses?
      tonymcs@...
      Reply Vote

      • Nah

        He/She/It just has no life.
        People like "him"/"her"/"it" will never make it in the real IT world with the biasness shown.
        Gisabun
        Reply Vote

  • another spying and ad tool

    No Thank you, google can never be trusted.
    owllnet
    Reply Vote

  • Wrong headline

    Dropbox is considered a competitor but Microsoft isn't? Headline should be, "Google Drive storage to be 20% of what Microsoft SkyDrive has offered for years".
    RonCri
    Reply Vote
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