Google Drive Now Available

For those who don't know about applications like Dropbox of Google Drive, you should read this article and consider getting one of the services. They are essentially the same at this point, giving users 5GB of free online storage (you can pay $4/month for an extra 20GB with Google Drive).

Both services allow you to have a regular folder on your computer that automatically syncs with anywhere the service is installed. So if you work on a laptop and a desktop, instead of using a USB key to transfer files and confusing different versions of a file you're working on, all you have to do is install Google Drive on both systems. Folders on both your laptop and desktop will automatically update and to have identical content. Unlike uploading to an FTP, Google Drive allows you to drag and drop files into a folder, which makes it a lot more user friendly than any upload toolbar.

It's simple and the only "catch" is that you need an internet connection so it can take a while to upload a large file. Also, if you don't have unlimited bandwidth and download a 700MB file into your Google Drive folder on your desktop, you would end up using another 700MB of download quota to sync to a laptop, so beware.

I also just installed Google Drive on my Android smartphone. I find it as great way of wirelessly getting content onto my phone. As for security issues, you might not want to put super sensitive information in your Google Drive but for most purposes, it should be fine. Another useful feature is sharing a file by sending someone a public link. I used to use a service like yousendit.com but Google Drive will definitely be the main app I will use from now on.

Download Google Drive here.