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Google GDrive - unlimited space for photo backup

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dylanbarnhart

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Well, google hasn't confirmed it yet. But considering what they've done with GMail, I don't think GDrive is too far off.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=1113

Any comments on how feasible this is? And how Google can profit from this service?

I don't think this is an anternative to services such as pbase, but it's a cheap way to back up my RAW photos off-site. Of course, I'll still have another copy on my DVD's though, just in case.
 
Google makes their money from advertising at this point, so I would expect you would find their text ads on your screen while you are moving/referencing files in your GDrive.

Long-term, it is rumored that Google wants to take over your PC's desktop to the point where web-based features (like GDrive) and PC-based features (like word processing) or even both (like Google Desktop that searches your PC and the Internet) are integrated seamlessly. GDrive would fit very well into that scenario.

In Google's model, storage is cheap so they don't lose anything by letting users have gigs and gigs of it without exchanging any cash for it. You do have to look at their ads, though. And their ads are effective because they are targeted based on the content of your searches and email messages.

If they can target them based on your GDrive files as well, so much the better for the advertisers. Think how valuable EXIF data would be to photography advertisers.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckeach
 
Good point. I would definitely encrypt my important documents before I upload. If they want to look at my crappy RAW files, though, go ahead.
 
Infinite storage... requiring infinite searches. Google me up, Scotty.

I think hard drive interfaces will remain faster than internet connections. I think 50 gig DVD discs will amply contain my photo files.

I think Google is an advertising company. Maybe they should stick with the biz and try to justify the high stock price. Google could toss a million shares into the market, raise a third of a billion dollars, blow it on goofy projects.

Maybe they could have a Goofle division?

George Sears
 
There is an important distinction to be made, though. Google does not collect any personal information about its users. They direct ads based on keywords and phrases in email messages, but do not collect any information on who is sending or receiving those messages. At least that is my understanding of their system.

If the 9/11 hijackers were using Gmail to communicate, they would have seen ads for discounted airfares, but Google wouldn't have known who they were or tipped off the FBI about what they were up to.
wilfredmrand said:
...Google will know more about us than the KGB ever did about their
own people. Google = Brave New World.
--
Wilfred M Rand
http://www.pbase.com/wilfredmrand/
Click to expand...
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckeach
 
Just Call Me Stupid said:
George Sears said:
Google could
toss a million shares into the market, raise a third of a billion
dollars, blow it on goofy projects.

Maybe they could have a Goofle division?
Click to expand...
That's a Goke right?
Click to expand...
For any computer nerds familiar with IBM operating systems, there used to be a user-group badge that read: "JES2 may be Mickey Mouse, but JES3 is Goofy!"

I'm wondering whether Google will one day make Microsoft look like Mickey Mouse....
 
George Sears said:
Infinite storage... requiring infinite searches. Google me up, Scotty.

I think hard drive interfaces will remain faster than internet
connections. I think 50 gig DVD discs will amply contain my photo
files.
Click to expand...
A couple of points you're missing here:

First off, Internet backbone is actually faster than your computer's data bus. Of course, your computer doesn't attach to an ATM line directly.

Another thing: File searches can be much faster online than on your own computer. On your desktop, you have to wait for the hard drive to walk through all the files one-by-one. With an online storage, all your computer has to do is send a request and get the results back.

Why would the search itself be faster? Because Google can:
1. Use a more powerful computer, highly optimized for searching.

2. Split your search in pieces and exectue them simultaneously on many different machines.
3. Create index files that will speed up the searches even more.

This means that a search through your entire hard drive that can last for hours, will take seconds with Google.
George Sears said:
I think Google is an advertising company.
Click to expand...
I think they also have at least some relation to a search engine by the same name.
George Sears said:
Maybe they should stick
with the biz and try to justify the high stock price.
Click to expand...
They are a software development company. That's their "biz".
George Sears said:
Google could
toss a million shares into the market, raise a third of a billion
dollars, blow it on goofy projects.
Click to expand...
So far, they've done pretty well with their goofy software.

Boris
 
I have a 'personal' computer so I can keep my own files on my own 'personal' hard drive. I don't want to have to worry that some huge corporation will become the target of every hacker in the world and, possibly, damage my files in the meantime.

Besides, what does 'unlimited' storage REALLY mean? I doubt if it really meansd 'unlimited'. If it does, then I think I will backup the entire World-Wide Web. ;-)

Let's keep the 'personal' in PC!
 
Meryl Arbing said:
I have a 'personal' computer so I can keep my own files on my own
'personal' hard drive. I don't want to have to worry that some huge
corporation will become the target of every hacker in the world
and, possibly, damage my files in the meantime.
Click to expand...
A corporation is much better equipped than you are to keep your files safe. Do you have a good backup plan for your 'persional' computer? Do you back up your files every day? Do you store the backup copies off-site? Is your firewall, OS, and antivirus software up-to date? Is it set up correctly?

There are a few files on my machine that are critical (like my credit card numbers, stuff like that). I wouldn't put those files online. But the heavyweight stuff - like pictures, for example - why not? I doubt a hacker will be able to steal them from Google servers any easier than from my own hard drive.
Meryl Arbing said:
Besides, what does 'unlimited' storage REALLY mean? I doubt if it
really meansd 'unlimited'. If it does, then I think I will backup
the entire World-Wide Web. ;-)
Click to expand...
There's only so much you can upload, given your connection speed (which is usually a lot slower for uploads than it is for downloads). How long will it take you to upload the 2GB needed to fill out the GMail allotment?

Boris
 
doesnt gmail ask for your cell # when you register? sounds personal to me.
 
rjbc said:
doesnt gmail ask for your cell # when you register? sounds personal
to me.
Click to expand...
Here's mine, feel free to spread it around: 555-1212
 
Actually, I think it is better to be a small target. The big guys are always tempting to bring down no matter how tough they think their security is. Cracking them is the fun!

As far as my personal backups...as a computer professional for the past 30 years... I follow all the industry best practices...and storing ANY of my files on somebody elses machine..isn't one of them.
BorisK1 said:
A corporation is much better equipped than you are to keep your
files safe. Do you have a good backup plan for your 'persional'
computer? Do you back up your files every day? Do you store the
backup copies off-site? Is your firewall, OS, and antivirus
software up-to date? Is it set up correctly?
Click to expand...
 
Meryl Arbing said:
Actually, I think it is better to be a small target. The big guys
are always tempting to bring down no matter how tough they think
their security is. Cracking them is the fun!
Click to expand...
Can't argue with that. That's why - if I were to use this online unlimited storage - I would treat it as "less secure" but "more dependable". A cracker could make a copy of your data and bring a website down for a few hours. But their backup system should be low-risk enough for my needs - probably better than I could do for myself.
Meryl Arbing said:
As far as my personal backups...as a computer professional for the
past 30 years... I follow all the industry best practices...and
storing ANY of my files on somebody elses machine..isn't one of
them.
Click to expand...
Actually, storing your backups off-site (that is, getting somebody else to care for them - be it a safe deposit box or your relative's computer) is one of the long-honored best practices. Otherwise, a well-placed lightning strike could wipe out all your data.

I'm not saying a dedicated person couldn't do better than Google in security, but for backups and quick searches a distributed network should be pretty good.

Boris
 
BorisK1 said:
There's only so much you can upload, given your connection speed
(which is usually a lot slower for uploads than it is for
downloads). How long will it take you to upload the 2GB needed to
fill out the GMail allotment?
Click to expand...
This is the biggest problem with online storage for those of us in the US. Japanese and European broadband speeds put cable modems and DSL to shame.

Unless we get some serious bandwidth in the US, any decent amount of online storage space is effectively unlimited.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckeach
 
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