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Google Drive: the road to a long-awaited cloud storage service

After literally years of rumors, Google has finally announced Drive, its cloud storage service designed for businesses and individuals alike that includes 5GB of free capacity along with a variety of paid tiers. Follow the whole story of this long-awaited storage service right here.

  • Bryan Bishop

    Apr 28, 2012

    Bryan Bishop

    Google Drive comes to Chrome OS development channel builds

    Chromebook Aura
    Chromebook Aura

    We knew that Google planned to bring the newly-released Google Drive to Chrome OS, and it hasn't wasted any time. A new build of the operating system has rolled out on the Chrome OS development channel that integrates the storage service directly into the operating system's file manager. Version 20.0.1116.0 is meant for the Acer AC700, Samsung Series 5 machines, and the original CR-48, and also adds a series of security improvements and feature tweaks. Development channel releases are some of the earliest ones to make it out to the public so there may be issues with stability or performance, but If you want to get it on the ground floor, you can find out how to access it on the Chrome OS support site.

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  • Dieter Bohn

    Apr 26, 2012

    Dieter Bohn

    Chrome OS to fully integrate Google Drive

    google chrome os aura
    google chrome os aura

    One of the requirements for any cloud storage solution is that it feel integrated with as many operating systems as possible. Google Drive is no exception, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that Google's own operating system, Chrome OS, can look forward to deep Google Drive integration. In an interview with Wired, Google's Scott Johnson said that with version 20 of Chrome OS, the company will "effectively integrate Drive into the native file system of Chrome OS. [...] All of the core OS functionality will use Drive as a place to store data — if that's what you opt into."

    Google has actually been giving Chrome OS more attention of late, having recently revealed the updated "Aura" interface. It may also be preparing the OS to run on ARM processors, a switch which could reduce the price of Chromebooks and perhaps rejuvenate what has to-date been a relatively lackluster ecosystem. If Google Drive manages to become a must-have service for users, the tight integration with Chrome OS may also help give the platform a bump.

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  • Nilay Patel

    Apr 25, 2012

    Nilay Patel

    Is Google Drive worse for privacy than iCloud, Skydrive, and Dropbox?

    Google Drive, iCloud,Dropbox, Skydrive logos
    Google Drive, iCloud,Dropbox, Skydrive logos

    The Google Drive cloud storage service launched yesterday to much fanfare, but as with any new Google product, there are important questions about how the company will actually use personal data uploaded to the system. Google sells ads against your data, after all, and the more data you give the company, the more opportunity it has to screw up. That means the Google Drive terms of service and privacy policy are critically important, and there's been a lot of selective interpretation floating around the web in the past 24 hours — and a lot of comparisons to the privacy policies of competitive services like Dropbox and Microsoft's SkyDrive.

    That's great — all web services should be subject to harsh scrutiny of their privacy policies — but a close and careful reading reveals that Google's terms are pretty much the same as anyone else's, and slightly better in some cases. Let's take a look.

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  • Dante D'Orazio

    Apr 24, 2012

    Dante D'Orazio

    Google Drive: hands-on with the new cloud storage service

    Google Drive logo Laptop (watermark)
    Google Drive logo Laptop (watermark)

    It wasn't the most secretive launch, but no matter, Google Drive has officially launched today with 5GB of free storage space for all users and paid options going up to a whopping 16TB. The cloud storage service is a replacement for Google Docs — if you've ever used the popular document-syncing service you'll be right at home with Google Drive. Just like Docs, the majority of the service is based in the web browser: you'll primarily be managing your account and viewing your files from the web app. There are, however, native apps available for PC, Mac, and Android, and an iOS app is currently in the works. We've just spent some time with the new service across all of these platforms, so read on for some of our first impressions.

    It's very important to note that this is an evolution of Google Docs. This will become very apparent when you first open up the web app. Once you agree to upgrade your account to Drive, you'll notice that not much has changed. The URL is now drive.google.com instead of docs.google.com, and in a few other places "Docs" has been replaced by "Drive," but the interface appears to be identical. What's new then? Well, of course you can upload any file to Drive, not just work documents, though only the latter will take advantage of the live editing features made famous by Docs. Unfortunately, while the interface is familiar, it also carries along the same issues we've had with Docs for years. Sharing features are still overly complicated: you can invite individual users to view and collaborate on folders and files, and through some advanced settings you can make a publicly-viewable link. We really wish that Google overhauled all of this a bit — in Dropbox, for example, it's very easy to right-click and get a public link instantly.

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  • Andrew Webster

    Apr 24, 2012

    Andrew Webster

    Google Drive iOS app is '98 percent done'

    google drive usb
    google drive usb

    Google Drive launched today with apps for PC, Mac, and Android, while an iPhone and iPad app was listed as coming soon — but thankfully it won't be long before the cloud storage service comes to iOS. While we don't have an exact date just yet, Google's Senior VP of Chrome and Apps Sundar Pichai told All Things D that development on the app is almost complete. "It works today," he explained. "iOS is 98 percent done, and it will be here soon." If you're still unsure about Drive, be sure to check out our massive round-up comparing it with competitors like Dropbox and SkyDrive to see whether it's the right cloud storage service for you.

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  • Ellis Hamburger

    Apr 24, 2012

    Ellis Hamburger

    Google Drive vs. Dropbox, SkyDrive, SugarSync, and others: a cloud sync storage face-off

    google drive SYNC APP COMPARISON MAIN
    google drive SYNC APP COMPARISON MAIN

    Google's very own "Loch Ness monster," also known as Google Drive, has finally launched. It's the new face of Google Documents, and it's also Google's oft-rumored Dropbox-killer. It enters a scene crowded with competitors besides Dropbox that let you sync multiple folders, collaborate with friends, and stream data to your mobile device — so how does Drive fare?

    We'll take a look at the top apps that let you sync files between all of your devices automatically, share files using password protection, pick which folders you want to sync, and do anything else you might want to do with a syncing app. While our evaluations of each app aren't full-on reviews, they are encapsulations of where each app excels and what makes each unique. Refer to the chart at the bottom of the page for full breakdowns of each application.

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  • Andrew Webster

    Apr 24, 2012

    Andrew Webster

    Google Docs now redirects to Google Drive

    Gallery Photo: Google Drive
    Gallery Photo: Google Drive

    Today Google finally launched its cloud-storage service Google Drive, and for those who have signed up you'll now find yourself redirected to Drive when you attempt to access Google Docs. This only happens if you're signed up for the new service, and you'll still be able to access all of your documents as before — it's just done through Drive now. The change even removes the "documents" option from Google's navigation bar, which suggests that Google might be rebranding its popular app as part of the new storage service. Of course, it also might cause some confusion for people looking for Google Docs who are unaware of the change. Google is no stranger to major rebranding, as we saw when the Android Market became Google Play. We've reached out to Google for comment about the change and what (if anything) it means for Google Docs moving forward.

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  • Chris Ziegler

    Apr 24, 2012

    Chris Ziegler

    Google raises storage prices with launch of Drive

    Google Drive
    Google Drive

    The advent of cloud services — Google included — has generally pushed storage pricing lower and lower over the years to the point where practical amounts of it for personal use have bordered on free. With the launch of Drive today, though, Google's bucking that trend across the board: apart from the free 5GB tier and the Gmail bump to 10GB, storage is now more than twice as expensive at comparable tiers. 200GB, for instance, broke down to $4.17 per month before ($50 per year); that same level will now run you $9.99 per month, or $119.88 per year.

    Notably, the price increase also changes the way Gmail storage works: before, it was completely integrated with your paid capacity. Now, paid customers get "additional but separate" Gmail buckets that appear to be capped at 90GB regardless of plan.

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  • T.C. Sottek

    Apr 24, 2012

    T.C. Sottek

    Google Drive officially launches with 5GB free storage, Google Docs integration

    Google Drive logo
    Google Drive logo

    Google has just made Google Drive official. As expected, the service will offer 5GB of storage space for documents, videos, photos, PDFs and other files, and Google Docs is built-in to the service. Users will be able to upgrade to 25GB of space for $2.49 a month, 100GB for $4.99 a month, or 1TB for $49.99 a month, and upgrading to a paid account will expand your Gmail storage to 25GB.

    Google Docs functionality within Google Drive will allow users to work with others in real-time (as you can currently do in Google Docs), and includes the ability to share content with others, add and reply to comments, and receive notifications for new comments on documents or files. Google says you can also search everything in Drive by keyword, or filter by file type, owner, and other criteria. The service can also recognize text in scanned documents.

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  • Dante D'Orazio

    Apr 24, 2012

    Dante D'Orazio

    Google Drive details revealed in Google France blog post

    Google Drive
    Google Drive

    Google Drive, the search giant's new cloud storage service, is hardly a secret anymore, but now we've got a handful of new details. The new information comes courtesy of an accidentally-published post on the Official Google France Enterprise Blog. While the post has since been deleted, Google+ user François Bacconnet saved a copy of the text, and the translated document spills all of the details on Google Drive. As expected, the service will offer users 5GB of free storage space, a quota that doesn't count against the 1GB of space included with Google Docs. According to the translation, Google Apps for Business users will also be able to get a 20GB option for $4 per month, and another with a monumental 16TB, although no price is given for that seemingly implausible amount of cloud storage. It's not clear yet if those storage amounts will be identical for consumers, or whether these quotas are just for Google Apps for Business users. The company promises the service will have a 99.9 percent uptime.

    Google Docs and Drive will work hand-in-hand, according to the blog post, with the new cloud storage service being called the "next step in the evolution of Google Docs." It's said that you'll be able to search your Google Drive and it'll pull up not only file and folder names, but also text inside of documents, words picked up in a scanned document via OCR, and image matches using what sounds like the same technology found in Google Googles. Of course, with Google being Google, all of this works in the web browser: the company says that it can handle over 30 filetypes, including those from Photoshop and Illustrator. There will also be native apps for PC, Mac, and Android, with an iOS version "available in the coming weeks." It's said that more advanced options like the ability to attach Google Drive files to Gmail messages and what sounds like an API for third-party developers are in the works, but they may not be available when the service first launches. While this all seems legitimate, we'll have to wait until Google officially announces the service — something that may happen as soon as later today — before we can take any of this information as fact.

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  • Apr 24, 2012

    Vlad Savov

    Google Drive confirmed by Google support pages

    google drive usb
    google drive usb

    Only the most skeptical of observers would consider Google Drive a rumor by this point, but if you want some truly bulletproof confirmation of its imminent arrival, Google has now provided it. The company's support page for Google Docs now includes some helpful tips on transferring ownership of Google Docs to a new user, including advice on sending those to his or her "Google Drive on the web."

    The way the support document is phrased makes it seem like the bump in Google Docs storage to 5GB we spotted this morning was indeed a prelude to the rollout of Google Drive, which has been consistently rumored to be launching with 5GB of free cloud storage. Storage of Docs will then likely be rolled into your online Drive, presumably together with other services from the company. The full details of the Google Drive should be known by the end of today, assuming Reuters' sources and all this behind-the-scenes activity are to be trusted.

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  • Tom Warren

    Apr 24, 2012

    Tom Warren

    Google Docs storage increased to 5GB ahead of Google Drive launch

    Google Docs 5GB
    Google Docs 5GB

    All the signs of an imminent Google Drive launch point towards a 5GB offering, rumored to be made available soon. Just hours after Reuters claimed Google's Drive service may launch as early as Tuesday, the company has started to increase the amount of free storage on its Google Docs service. Several readers have noticed the allocation has increased from 1GB to 5GB today, and we can confirm we're seeing the same on some of our own Google accounts. The rollout appears to be staggered, so not all accounts will see the increase just yet.

    While it's hard to say whether a Google Docs storage increase is linked to Google Drive, the persistent sightings and hints at the launch of the service have only increased in recent weeks. If Google is preparing for a 5GB free storage offering and paid plans to increase storage, then an initial rollout to Docs customers makes a lot of sense. With Google Drive on the horizon, Microsoft's SkyDrive updates, and service improvements to Dropbox — it certainly feels like the cloud storage battle is well underway.

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  • Bryan Bishop

    Apr 24, 2012

    Bryan Bishop

    Reuters: Google Drive to offer up to 100GB of storage, Tuesday launch teased

    Google Logo 640px
    Google Logo 640px

    The rumors about Google Drive have been coming fast and furious lately, and now we've got one more piece to add to the puzzle — as well as a possible launch date. Reuters is reporting that Google's cloud-storage service will indeed launch with 5GB of free storage as was reported last week, but adds that users will be able to add additional tiers of capacity for a monthly charge, all the way up to a maximum of 100GB. According to Reuters' "source familiar with the matter," a launch is imminent, with an announcement to be made as soon as Tuesday. As expected, the service is said to allow users to store documents, images, and other files, and will implement a "sophisticated image search technology" for quick access through the stored files. With alleged apps and Google Drive sharing options having been spotted in recent days, there's little doubt that the service is coming. Whether Reuters' timeline proves to be correct, however, still remains to be seen.

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  • Adi Robertson

    Apr 20, 2012

    Adi Robertson

    Share to 'Drive' spotted on Google developer's phone

    At this point, Google Drive is perpetually coming out next week, but one of our forum members has just pointed us towards what appears to be a Google employee using Drive on a company phone. Today's Android Developers Hangout showcased an app with sharing features, giving us a quick look at the options on the developer's Galaxy Nexus. The image is blurry, but you can clearly see the leaked triangular logo next to a word that looks a lot like "Drive." You can see it yourself at 36:30 on the video below.

    If this actually is a functional version of Drive, it certainly doesn't prove the service is coming to the rest of us any time soon. However, it does mean that at least Google's Android developers have a version that's more than vaporware, and makes the many rumors about an upcoming launch seem a little more credible.

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  • Nate Ralph

    Apr 17, 2012

    Nate Ralph

    Google Drive app allegedly spotted, still no word on release date

    Google logo
    Google logo

    There have been plenty of rumors about the imminent arrival of Google Drive, but TechCrunch has allegedly picked up something a bit more substantial. A download link provided by an anonymous source served up a Google Drive app for Mac OS X. At the moment, the app doesn't do much of anything: try to start it up, and after entering your credentials you're alerted that Google Drive has yet to be activated for your account.

    While the app is something of a dead end, its existence fits neatly into the predictions we've seen for an incoming launch. Just a few days ago, online diagramming service Lucidchart accidently leaked information about Google Drive integration. And earlier today, a report from The Next Web claimed that Google Drive will be launching sometime next week, and offering 5GB of free storage. Mere coincidences? Possibly – we've yet to see any definitive proof that Google Drive is launching any time soon, but all of these coincidences are starting to pile up.

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  • Nathan Ingraham

    Apr 16, 2012

    Nathan Ingraham

    Google Drive launching next week with 5GB of free storage?

    Google logo
    Google logo

    The chatter around the long-rumored Google Drive has definitely picked up in recent weeks — The Next Web is reporting that Google Drive will launch next week with 5GB of free cloud-based storage for all users. We had previously heard it was coming in early April, but a late-April launch is not too far off from the earlier rumors. There's no concrete detail on how exactly this service will integrate with Windows or Mac OS X, but The Next Web says it will work with desktop folders on both Windows and Mac — which makes it sound like you can designate folders to be uploaded and synced to Google Drive. We'll have to wait a bit longer to find out how it'll work for sure (and if this rumor is in fact true), but all the signs are pointing towards Google Drive launching sooner than later.

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  • Jamie Keene

    Apr 13, 2012

    Jamie Keene

    Google Drive integration leaked by Lucidchart

    Google's widely rumored cloud storage service might be closer than we thought, with online diagramming tool Lucidchart adding (and then swiftly removing) a link to a Google Drive integration page to its user control panel. The address that the link pointed to is still active, although the toggle inside does nothing without access to a Drive account. The integration will eventually allow users to link their Drive accounts to Lucidchart and automatically sync documents into the cloud.

    It's worth noting that Lucidchart's CEO is Karl Sun, a former senior figure at Google. Sun was in charge of Google's move into China and also founded its patent department. His relationship with the search giant continued for a time after his departure from Mountain View through Google's philanthropic arm, Google.org. So there's certainly a line of trust already established between the two companies.

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  • Adi Robertson

    Mar 27, 2012

    Adi Robertson

    Google Drive cloud storage launch planned for early April, sources tell GigaOm

    Google car
    Google car

    Google Drive, the long-rumored cloud storage service, may be launching as soon as next week. Anonymous but "well placed" sources have told GigaOm that Drive is on the cusp of launch, and that it will be released to consumers in the first week of April 2012. The service will allegedly come with 1GB of free storage with the option to purchase more, will include a local client and a web interface that looks like Google Docs, and will have a domain-specific Google Apps version. As some people guessed earlier, Google is also supposed to be developing an API for third-party apps.

    Plenty of hypothetical Drive launch dates have already come and gone, so even GigaOm isn't ready to say that this will be the final one. Still, this is more information that we've seen from a source, leaving aside cryptic messages within the Google code itself. If Drive does come out with these specifications, it will include half as much free space as competitor Dropbox (which provides 2GB) but will also be able to build on Google Apps to draw in customers.

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  • Adi Robertson

    Feb 24, 2012

    Adi Robertson

    Google Drive cloud storage may include SDK for third-party software

    Google Drive, the cloud storage service rumored to be launching soon, looks like it will include support for third-party apps and a software development kit. Google Operating System has looked at the source code for Google Docs and found several mentions of an SDK in conjunction with Google Drive, including a mention of "google-apps.drive-sdk" and an SDK "open with" command. This isn't conclusive proof, but it suggests that you'll be able to open Google Drive files with other applications.

    There's also apparently a message suggesting more integration between Drive and Gmail: "Say goodbye [to] email attachments and hello to real time collaboration. Drag anything shared with you to My Drive for easy access." We'll know more in the coming weeks; for now, here's an image of the relevant code.

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  • Dieter Bohn

    Feb 9, 2012

    Dieter Bohn

    Google Drive cloud storage service launching soon, says WSJ

    Google Drive Spyshot
    Google Drive Spyshot

    Google Drive, a long rumored cloud storage offering from the search giant, is apparently set to be launched soon, according to the Wall Street Journal. Unfortunately, that window is still a vague "weeks or months," but it is said to be a free service for basic storage with "large amount[s] of files" coming at an additional fee. The service would take on services like DropBox and Box.net directly, possibly undercutting the popular web storage and sync solution on price. In addition to syncing files between your computers and Google's servers, Google Drive service would also presumably integrate with Google Docs and other Google services. Google also offers those services to business customers, and Google Drive is also said to play a role there, perhaps as an easy way for coworkers to share files.

    Last month, TechCrunch noticed that the error messages on drive.google.com changed slightly, which hints at Google making changes to the site in preparation for a launch. It's a natural next step for Google, so natural in fact that many have found it strange that Google has taken this long to offer it. The next Google I/O developer conference isn't until late June, so hopefully the company won't wait until then to launch.

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