The mythical Google product has finally materialized into actual existence. Google Drive is a cloud service that provides an online storage space to store all of your files. From photos, videos, documents, PDF, or anything for that matter, they can be placed on Google Drive. Rumors about Google Drive had been circulating for years and finally Google saw fit to release it now.
This is Google’s entry to the crowded cloud competition in the consumer space which currently is being led by Dropbox, followed by Microsoft’s SkyDrive. Not to mention Apple’s iCloud. Interestingly, Microsoft has just recently updated the pricing plan and offering for SkyDrive.
Google Drive itself is integrated with Google Docs in that all the Docs files are now automatically stored in Drive. The allocated free space is 5GB with an option to increase it to 16TB with a monthly pricing plan. If you were to upgrade to 100GB for example, the cost is more expensive than if you were to do the same in SkyDrive but still more affordable than Dropbox.
What is Google Drive’s advantage over its competitors? First of all, this is a Google product that’s already been integrated with existing Google accounts. MOst of us who have a Google account will be able to use Drive. Secondly, being Google product, searching through documents using various keywords and methods would be very easy. Lastly, Android users are being prioritized to integrate Google Drive into their devices. iOS users will be able to use Drive eventually, while Windows and Mac users already have apps available to download today.
Of course, whichever product you choose will depend on your preferences. If you have been using Dropbox for a while, it might be difficult to switch away but if your preference is towards SkyDrive, Google Drive might be tempting.
Here’s Google Drive’s promotional video:
