Google Drive And Google’s Little Slip-Up

Cloud storage is used by pretty much everyone these days. Being able to access your files from any device anywhere is definitely convenient. Everyone is familiar with Dropbox and how it works. Then there are other cloud storage options from companies like Apple (iCloud), Amazon (Cloud Drive) and Microsoft (Skydrive). With so many other companies offering cloud storage options, it was inevitable that Google would jump onto the bandwagon eventually, especially since the Internet giant has endeavored to provide everything in one place, even a social network.

It now seems almost a sure thing that Google will be launching its very own data storage service- Google Drive- sometime soon. It is rumored that the service will initially offer 5 GB of free storage, in contrast to Dropbox’s 2 GB. Needless to say, users will be able to buy more storage if they need to. Purportedly, the service will cover various platforms including iOS, Android, Windows and Macs. The Drive icon is a three color folded triangle design and the service will be offered at the URL drive.google.com, supposedly. (Currently, all you see is a 404 error). The service will likely be similar to other services of the sort. Carrying a tagline of ‘All your files – everywhere’ the service will probably allow users to make a change to a file in one place and find it automatically updated on all other devices.

Screenshots of the service and various rumors regarding it have popped up in the last couple of weeks. Google has, so far, not acknowledged the service. But a new video makes it pretty certain that the service does, in fact, exist. In a video of the Android Developer’s hangout on Friday, a Google employee himself pulled up a list of sharing options including, yes, Google Drive. The icon is also clearly visible. Google responded by pulling the video down but not before it was viewed by many and saved. Take a look for yourself:

Hopefully, this means that Google will officially announce the service real soon. It remains to be seen until the service is launched whether it will be a success or not. Dropbox, especially, already has a massive user base. Although Google Drive’s expected storage of 5 GB is greater than what Dropbox currently offers, there is also the fact that Dropbox storage can be expanded via social sharing incentives etc. Also, owners of either a Galaxy Tab 2 or a device from the HTC One series availing an additional 25 GB (due to collaboration between Dropbox and Samsung or HTC) will probably not want to switch to 5 GB of storage either.

[Via]

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