After years of anticipation, Google could finally be set to launch their Dropbox competitor as early as this week
Google Drive is one of those mythical monsters of geekdom, something that's been speculated about and anticipated for years -- a full, Dropbox-style online storage solution from Google. And Reuters says it might just be announced as soon as today.
Consumers will get 5 Gigabytes of storage for free with Google Drive, while various versions with incrementally more storage capacity, topping out at about 100 Gibabytes, will be available for monthly fees, the source said.
No word on pricing yet, but Google Drive sounds like it will be typically Google -- massive and search-centric.
Google Drive will also be entering an increasingly competitive field, squaring off not only against the aforementioned Dropbox, but against established players like Box and Evernote, and major platform rivals like Microsoft's SkyDrive as well. While Apple's iCloud no longer offers iDisk functionality, it does offer a baseline level of service and convenience that's enough that mainstream users don't go looking for true online storage solutions.
Google has one huge advantage, however -- it's massive, services-centric user base. Demand for a Google-powered online repository has been so high all sorts of McGyver-like solutions have been shoehorned into Gmail and Google Docs just to make it sort-of-work.
If every Gmail and Google accounts users simply "gets" Google Drive, that's one heck of a jumpstart for Google, and something casual users might just turn to.
For power users, displacing Dropbox or Box might be out of the question unless it does the same things so much better it creates a compelling reason to switch. Given how much 3rd party support Dropbox already enjoys, especially in iOS, that could be tough.
Getting used in addition to Dropbox or Box, the way iCloud has, however, would probably be enough for Google Drive at this point.
We should find out shortly.
Source: Reuters via Android Central
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
FAQ: TikTok & WeChat ban — why it’s happening and what it means for you
Are TikTok and WeChat really being banned? When does all of this take effect? Will I still be able to use these apps? All this and more answered in our FAQ regarding the latest U.S. orders.
Plan your day with Hour Blocks and its amazing iOS 14 Home screen widgets
Planning your day is no fun but sometimes you find an app that goes some way to making it less boring. Hour Blocks does a decent job and it looks lovely, too.
Scribble Together gets the coolest iOS 14 App Clip we've seen so far
Scribble Together has released its new App Clip for Scribble Together, which will allow users to collaborate on a Scribble Together whiteboard even if they don't have the app.
Pick the best Eufy RoboVac for you with our handy guide
Eufy makes some pretty compelling robotic vacuums and there are a lot to choose from. With a vast difference between the lower end, more affordable models and the smarter, connected, high end options, there are many factors to consider when deciding which model would be best for your household. We have compared the best of Eufy's RoboVac range here so you can find the right one for you.