Article: Google Drive storage prices slashed; now starts at $1.99 for 100GB

[Skiz]

You can view the page at https://filesharingtalk.com/content/1...1-99-for-100GB

[Rart]

Honestly? I don't feel like this kind of cloud storage will really take off well until two things are fixed: bandwidth and data caps.

For desktop users: Outside of storing basic documents (which is why you would pay money for more storage) upload speeds and to some extent even download speeds are still paltry for a large majority of users. Also some ISPs still enforce data caps, which makes this less attractive as well.

And for mobile: Same problem as desktop users except now you are pretty much guaranteed to have absurdly low data caps as well. (I mention mobile as well because Google touts cloud storage as one of the main reasons for keeping storage so low and not allowing external storage ie sd cards on their nexus phones)

Obviously services such as Google Fiber are being invested in to push Google's vision of a more cloud and web centric world, and that's great and will really push web services further. But until broadband and mobile internet infrastructure is more well developed, I don't see this having particularly much success as a serious alternative to local storage.

[JisArcher]

well, even if they give me the storage for free - i would not take it. what kind of data should i store there which is not personal at all? google drive is one primary target for the nsa & other data sniffers. no need to feed the trolls...

[paraffinyouth]

I like how taking away your files and putting them under their control is being sold under the misnomer of "a service". Thanks arseholes, but I think I'll hold on to my personal library for a while longer.

[Skiz]

Honestly? I don't feel like this kind of cloud storage will really take off well until two things are fixed: bandwidth and data caps.

For desktop users: Outside of storing basic documents (which is why you would pay money for more storage) upload speeds and to some extent even download speeds are still paltry for a large majority of users. Also some ISPs still enforce data caps, which makes this less attractive as well.

And for mobile: Same problem as desktop users except now you are pretty much guaranteed to have absurdly low data caps as well. (I mention mobile as well because Google touts cloud storage as one of the main reasons for keeping storage so low and not allowing external storage ie sd cards on their nexus phones)

Obviously services such as Google Fiber are being invested in to push Google's vision of a more cloud and web centric world, and that's great and will really push web services further. But until broadband and mobile internet infrastructure is more well developed, I don't see this having particularly much success as a serious alternative to local storage.

I'm all about it. I wish this sort of thing was around when I was in college. The days of failing drives and losing everything can be days gone by. Besides, some internet services like Time Warner and Google Fiber (just that I know of) don't have caps.

I also would really worry about things like data caps for my own use. It isn't great for uploading a media library, but it is nice to have to hold all your docs that you can access anywhere. I use Google Drive mainly for work so I can easily access docs on the fly. I work in a 1.6 million sq. foot warehouse, so returning to my office routinely is out of the question. Being able to access all of my work docs, employee seniority rosters, training material, everything on the go is perfect for me. And I keep everything separated in folders on my PC, so it all looks the same on my Google Drive when I view it on the iPhone. It's is another drive for me and makes my days much easier.

[Rart]

I'm all about it. I wish this sort of thing was around when I was in college. The days of failing drives and losing everything can be days gone by. Besides, some internet services like Time Warner and Google Fiber (just that I know of) don't have caps.

I also wouldn't really worry about things like data caps for my own use. It isn't great for uploading a media library, but it is nice to have to hold all your docs that you can access anywhere. I use Google Drive mainly for work so I can easily access docs on the fly. I work in a 1.6 million sq. foot warehouse, so returning to my office routinely is out of the question. Being able to access all of my work docs, employee seniority rosters, training material, everything on the go is perfect for me. And I keep everything separated in folders on my PC, so it all looks the same on my Google Drive when I view it on the iPhone. It's is another drive for me and makes my days much easier.

Thats just the thing though. If you're just using Google Drive for basic document storage (and it's excellent for that, I do too) do you really need to shelve out the money for a premium plan?

I feel like the reason for getting a premium plan is for media/other storage, and thats what'll be limited largely by broadband and mobile provider shortcomings as I previously mentioned.

[smv]

I like the prices, but they are really going fast expensive.