Google: Get, Set, & GDrive

Om Malik, Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 9:19 AM PT Comments (14)

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is about to announce an online storage space. Some call it GDrive, and I see it as a vital component of Google Computing Cloud. Regardless, instead of obsessing over the minutiae, I want to know what you folks specifically think about it. Take this poll and let us know.

[poll]

Rating: 55% Thumbs Up Thumbs Down
Print

2 trackbacks so far

February 23rd, 2008
6:00 AM PT

[...] keep files on.  The online storage space was thought to be a more contested market.  Google has been rumored to be offering a Gdrive (the user-created name for their online storage [...]

February 29th, 2008
5:02 AM PT

[...] on.  The online storage space was thought to be a more contested market.  Google has been rumored to be offering a Gdrive (the user-created name for their online storage [...]

12 comments so far

November 27th, 2007
10:12 AM PT
Aswath Rao said:

GDrive is not that exciting for me because they already offer me storage space of 5GB. So it is only an enhancement of UI. But what will be nice is something like a micro instance of Amazon’s EC2. Suppose the instance is 100th of a standard EC2, meaning it costs only $1 a month. Oh the things I can do! (like distributed social networks).

November 27th, 2007
11:08 AM PT
Cavenger said:

I think this translates well with the “average joe.” A place where he can store large items online, free of charge, will definitely reasonate

November 27th, 2007
11:12 AM PT
Rick said:

They’re already indexing my e-mail. You can’t any more sensitive informatio than that. Google has anything on me they want already. I’ve consciously decided to trust them with it. Or in other words, I am trusting that Google is safeguarding my information. GDrive is just more of the same.

November 27th, 2007
11:40 AM PT

Paranoid often, Rick? =P

To me this is another example of Google pushing the envelope in making helpful, usable, free applications for people.

November 27th, 2007
12:41 PM PT
techmine said:

If Google gives a nice integration with PC/Mac (like just another offline/online drive) then I don’t mind paying for the service.

November 27th, 2007
2:39 PM PT
Ray said:

The sharing with friends is the most interesting part of the proposed service, especially if it could be used as a free FTP service, like yousendit.com. Yousendit has an free ad based model, which I don’t mind using.

November 27th, 2007
4:45 PM PT

How do you know that Google wouldn’t offer free storage without ads? They have plenty of free, ad-free services, like Google Reader, Google Docs, and others.

November 27th, 2007
4:45 PM PT
Itztuesday said:

I was banned from using Adsense last year with no clear explanation. When I asked for proof, google said they don’t disclose user info, my info, btw. So I’d stay with Amazon S3. Goog might pull the same trick on me again, leaving my files on their servers with no one to contact except the canned email response.

November 27th, 2007
8:19 PM PT

Snippets from the article:

“The service could let users access their files via the Internet from different computers and mobile devices…”

“Planned pricing isn’t known.

The idea of moving to a new model of computing and storage is interesting. However, the product isn’t available yet and there is much uncertainty on what exactly will be offered (i.e. amount of space available, service level, terms of service, OS compatibility, the “user experience,” etc.), so isn’t it premature to poll people on whether they would switch to GDrive?

November 28th, 2007
12:23 PM PT
kangaroozach said:

To succeed on based on merit (not just convenience of being a Google product), they will need to eliminate file size limits, and offer more storage than people are expecting….

When gmail came out and offered 2gb people flocked to the service because it was revolutionary. I want to see GDrive do the same thing. Push the limits of what people assume is cost effective.

GIMME 100 GB!!!

November 28th, 2007
2:04 PM PT
Paul said:

I think is too late for entering the storage market. The best by far are
(link) which recently relaunched
(link)
(link)

November 28th, 2007
6:22 PM PT
nyit said:

Many people have blindly believed Google will dominate the Internet industry. which is not really the case. In fact, out of the search market, Google has not been successful. This doesn’t hurt for Google to get a lot of media exposure. Taking for example, GDrive was rumored for years… but the real online storage king is always a small innovator, not a big behemoth like Google. I recommend everybody to try DriveHQ Online Storage and Online Backup service (www.drivehq.com). I feel the usability, the group and sub-group file sharing, the advanced folder synchronization features are really killer apps. Even if Google launches its online storage service, it will be too late to catch up.

Leave a Comment

Get the comments RSS feed, instant notification of new comments

Most Comments

In India, Either Buy iPhones or Get a Family Car
Om Malik, August 21, 35 comments
No VoIP In New Nokia N-Series Phones? Is Nokia Turning Its Back on MobileVoIP?
Om Malik, August 23, 35 comments
What Obama’s Text Message Campaign Reveals
Brian McConnell, August 24, 26 comments
Buffalo LinkStation Mini: Almost Perfect
Om Malik, August 25, 26 comments
Do You Samsung Instinct?
Om Malik, August 26, 22 comments

Highest Rated

Data Shows That 3G Still Has Room to Grow
Stacey Higginbotham, August 22, 71%
Under the Sea, Google Expands Even More
Om Malik, August 26, 62%
Nvidia Pushes the 3-D Internet
Stacey Higginbotham, August 25, 67%
Privacy: Your Cable Box Knows You So Well
Stacey Higginbotham, August 25, 63%
What Obama’s Text Message Campaign Reveals
Brian McConnell, August 24, 57%
Close
E-mail It