Mac, iOS-compatible Google Drive said to debut next week

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014


Google's rumored cloud storage and syncing service, Google Drive, will reportedly launch sometime next week, and new information points to Mac and iOS compatibility.



Citing a leaked draft release from an unnamed source, The Next Web reports that the internet search giant's new file synchronization service will finally be released next week with cross-platform compatibility in tow.



The source, reportedly a partner collaborating with Google Drive, claims that the service will come with 5GB of free storage, which equals existing solutions from Box.net and SugarSync and more than doubles Dropbox's 2GB entry point. Users will have the ability to purchase more space if needed, though it remains to be seen whether Google will allow storage incentives akin to those offered by Dropbox.



According to the draft, the system will operate in a fashion similar to most available products in that it will work "in desktop folders," hinting to seamless automatic file syncing. Exactly how Google Drive is intended to operate is unknown, though it is expected to launch with both Windows and Mac compatibility. Dropbox, for example, only syncs files placed into a specially created folder.



One "very solid" piece of information is that the solution is set to debut in the middle of next week, though most everything else remains up in the air.





Leaked screenshot outlining Google's Google Drive cloud service. | Source: The Next Web







As more consumers move to the cloud, companies continue to create software packages that safely and reliably sync and backup data between devices or into the cloud itself.



Apple's own iCloud is limited in that only certain documents are available to sync between certain devices, for example files created in Apple's Pages or Numbers are automatically copied across iOS devices but transitioning them to Mac must be done manually. Users have also reported issues like lost documents. The Mac maker's upcoming OS X Mountain Lion is said to remedy some of these problems and offer consumers a more comprehensive file syncing experience.



As many Mac owners have turned to Dropbox and other compatible services to store and sync files in the cloud, it remains to be seen what new features Google can offer to penetrate a market dominated by already functional systems. Rumored features include Google Docs tie-ins, live document editing and tight integration with the Google software ecosystem.



[ View article on AppleInsider ]

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    I've been looking forward to the fabled 'G Drive' since 2010.



    However, with all the privacy-related issues that have occurred with Google since then, I have distinctly lost my enthusiasm for such a service.



    I'll be going over this with a fine-tooth comb before I allow Google access to my MBA.



    (iBooks updated! In before AppleInsider!)
  • Reply 2 of 11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Google's rumored cloud storage and syncing service, Google Drive, will reportedly launch sometime next week, and new information points to Mac and iOS compatibility. ...



    it's a bit of a stretch to call this "iOS compatible," or to imply as the article seems to that it will possibly replace iCloud.



    It will likely be accessible by an iOS app, but it isn't going to sync docs from Pages, keynote, etc. through the app (at least from what I've seen and read so far). This is a dropbox replacement with an iOS app for access, not an iCloud replacement.
  • Reply 3 of 11
    nitronitro Posts: 91member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GTR View Post


    I've been looking forward to the fabled 'G Drive' since 2010.



    However, with all the privacy-related issues that have occurred with Google since then, I have distinctly lost my enthusiasm for such a service.



    I'll be going over this with a fine-tooth comb before I allow Google access to my MBA.



    (iBooks updated! In before AppleInsider!)



    I agree with you. I like parts of my life private!
  • Reply 4 of 11
    It's going to take a lot more than 5GB of free space to get me to switch from Dropbox. I will be curious to see how this turns out though.



    Another half-assed attempt by Google?
  • Reply 5 of 11
    mactoidmactoid Posts: 112member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    It will likely be accessible by an iOS app, but it isn't going to sync docs from Pages, keynote, etc. through the app (at least from what I've seen and read so far). This is a dropbox replacement with an iOS app for access, not an iCloud replacement.



    Though if it allows storage of any file in the cloud, with the ability to retrieve it later, it will be a (partial) replacement for iDisk, which Apple is abandoning this summer.
  • Reply 6 of 11
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Seth Clifford via Twitter


    Google Drive is finally launching.



    Right around the time I decide Google is the last place in which I'd voluntarily store all my files.



    LOL ...true
  • Reply 7 of 11
    Whether it is G-Drive vs. DropBox etc, SUPPORT is what comes to my mind? That word, SUPPORT, IS the easiest way for me to end a debate with anyone regarding Apple-Mac-iOS vs. Google-Android-YouTube etc?



    Who are you gonna call at Google or any of it's Subdivisions like Android & YouTube? Maybe people sometimes get email replies from Planet Google eventually!!! Same is true with Yahoo, Facebook and Other Catch Me If You Can Monstrosities who live by the Creed: Don't Hold You Breath, Don't Call Us, We Won't Call You?



    Apple has:



    Retail Stores, which are being expanded WORLDWIDE into other stores as well http://j.mp/I0AWAh !!!



    Phone Support - FREE!!!



    Word PRIVACY will keep on snowballing into a bigger joke than it already is!!!



    Happy Hard Drives and Backups to all of us!!! May it become even easier to Remotely access our Data via Internet, as iCloud becomes even better!



    The Competition is good, though? So, maybe iCloud etc will get cheaper? But, I still would like there to be iWeb, just better working, plus more storage for all of us in the Cloud for FREE, or lower cost!
  • Reply 8 of 11
    webfrassewebfrasse Posts: 147member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GTR View Post


    I've been looking forward to the fabled 'G Drive' since 2010.



    However, with all the privacy-related issues that have occurred with Google since then, I have distinctly lost my enthusiasm for such a service.



    I'll be going over this with a fine-tooth comb before I allow Google access to my MBA.



    (iBooks updated! In before AppleInsider!)



    I have all my sensitive data encrypted and synced via dropbox....works fine. I use a Sparse Bundle disk with the hardest encryption available. Might take a look a Truecrypt for cross platform support.
  • Reply 9 of 11
    iansilviansilv Posts: 283member
    I wouldn't mind a desktop-mountable drive that does not require a local copy to be synced at each machine, instead just existing as a network drive.
  • Reply 10 of 11
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member


    Google inadvertantly (?) leaked the details on their soon to be officially announced Google Drive, and it's pretty darn impressive IMHO. Some of the features it offers can't be found on any competing service. I've pasted some of the highlights below:


     


    "Keep your documents securely and access anywhere and any device connected to the Internet."


     


    "...you can install on your Mac, PC or download the application Drive on your phone or Android tablet. IOS version of the application will be available in the coming weeks. Drive is also accessible to visually impaired people using a screen reader tool.


     


    Search All. Search by keyword and filter by document type, owner, activity, etc.. Drive can even recognize the text content of a document scanned by technology OCR. For example, if you download the scanned image of an old newspaper clipping, you can search using one of the words quoted in the article.


     


    We have even begun to tap the image recognition: if you upload a picture of the Eiffel Tower in Drive, the next time you search the term [Eiffel Tower], the image will appear in the results


    Open more than 30 types of documents directly from a Web browser – including high-definition video, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop – even without the proper software installed on your computer


     


    Centralized management: new tools are available in the Apps control interface for administrators to add or remove storage space for individual or groups of users


     


    Security: encryption of data transfer between your browser and our servers, and check option 2 in time to prevent non-authorized access to an account by requiring users to log on returning secure code generated from their mobile phone


     


    Each user has access to Google Apps 5GB storage included in the suite Google Apps administrators can centrally manage and purchase additional storage space. When a user reaches the limit, administrators can purchase the necessary space of 20GB for $ 4 per month to 16TB (Google Docs are not counted in the quota of storage space)."


     




     

  • Reply 11 of 11
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member


    Google Drive is now official, with a video linked here by 9to5:


    http://9to5google.com/2012/04/24/google-drive-goes-live-video/

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