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January 30, 2009

First Official Description of GDrive

Brian Ussery noticed an interesting reference to GDrive in a file used by Google Pack. The file includes "localized information which is sent to translators".

The product category for GDrive is "online file backup and storage" and there are two lines that describe the application:

"GDrive provides reliable storage for all of your files, including photos, music and documents. GDrive allows you to access your files from anywhere, anytime, and from any device - be it from your desktop, web browser or cellular phone."


If the description is accurate, we can conclude that GDrive will provide a software that could be included in Google Pack, you'll be able to store any kind of files and you'll be able to access them from your mobile phone.

{ Thanks, Brian. }
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68 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 12:44 AM

    When ??? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 12:49 AM

    It will be never better as Dropbox!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aleksandr MotsjonovJanuary 30, 2009 at 12:57 AM

    I hope Google than acquire Dropbox, that guys dont be upset. Anyway I hope GDrive will be as good as Dropbox is and with bigger Space =)

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 1:43 AM

    If you can't wait till it launches.....use Live Mesh....www.mesh.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 1:53 AM

    Dropbox's dead folks. They just don't know it yet. GDrive will kill them all.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Aleksandr MotsjonovJanuary 30, 2009 at 1:53 AM

    I First Time hear about Live Mesh and went to see what is that.
    5GB is advantage (over 2GB of DropBox)
    But No Linux support is disadvantage for me!
    Maybe there more +'s, but for now I'm very happy with DropBox.
    (In reality I just don't like MS products =))

    ReplyDelete
  7. SteïnJanuary 30, 2009 at 2:05 AM

    I think that GDrive will resolve the problem of the attachments in Offline Gmail and it will couple it's space with your Gmail and Picasa. I also doubt they will have a Linux client.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cookie LeeJanuary 30, 2009 at 2:19 AM

    And this has been translated into many different languages already:
    http://pack.google.com/intl/ko/cistrings.js
    http://pack.google.com/intl/zh-TW/cistrings.js
    http://pack.google.com/intl/de/cistrings.js
    http://pack.google.com/intl/fr/cistrings.js
    http://pack.google.com/intl/el/cistrings.js
    ...

    ReplyDelete
  9. fw190a8January 30, 2009 at 2:51 AM

    “Brain Ussery noticed an interesting reference...”

    Do you mean “Brian”?

    ReplyDelete
  10. bloggerJanuary 30, 2009 at 3:14 AM

    I wonder if there will be a proper backup client which monitors your selected files and upload them to gdrive automatically if they change.

    ReplyDelete
  11. vanderwijkJanuary 30, 2009 at 3:31 AM

    Maybe it is just me, but I feel a bit uncomfortable about storing my data on Google's servers, they do not have a great reputation when it comes to privacy.

    Microsoft's Live Mesh is a bit of a rubbish product, the p2p synchronization is nice but the user interface is horrible.

    I prefer Syncplicity for my data synchronization and I don't think I will ever switch to GDrive.

    ReplyDelete
  12. funtomJanuary 30, 2009 at 3:50 AM

    I guess the GDrive will be made available only with Google Pack. What would be great is sharing the GDrive content via bittorrent. Remember AllPeers?

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 3:56 AM

    Live Mesh with its 5 piddly gigabytes is a stinking joke. Hope Google comes into play soon because their offerings are very much in tune with what is actually useful.

    ReplyDelete
  14. ShanxJanuary 30, 2009 at 4:06 AM

    @Johan. Syncplicity, or Mozy, or Backblaze and others are nice, until you see

    (1) The pricing of most when you go beyond 100 GB -- and show me one person who has data smaller than that today. With my music and other multimedia content I'm close to 250 GB already. And growing.

    (2) The fact that they only support Windows. There are a couple of trial tools for Mac, which leave a whole lot to be desired.

    (3) Most importantly, the speed of syncing is horrid. Mozy for instance throttles at 1mbps, even for "Mozy Pro" users! So those of us who live in countries with proper broadband networks still have to wait forever. Try syncing 100GB at 1mbps. Get used to messages like "469 days remaining...".

    We're far from a decent offering. I hope GDrive brings some sanity to this space. Backing up data online is absolutely vital in this day and age.

    (And what do people mean by "Google's record with privacy is not good"? Proof please.)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jim McNelisJanuary 30, 2009 at 4:52 AM

    this is exciting news indeed. i hope this service gets integrated with google apps as well.

    ReplyDelete
  16. UnknownJanuary 30, 2009 at 5:01 AM

    Very exciting. I heard somewhere that GDrive users will have access to a more advanced version of Google Docs. Has anyone heard about this? I use Docs a lot, and follow their blog/updates, there hasn't been any updates since Dec. 18th, and blog posts have not been software related. So it kind of (and I'm hoping) seems like the team may be working on something major.

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 6:58 AM

    Why do you get so excited about things that are designed to strip you of your privacy?
    Are you posting as agents of the company to boost public sentiment for this service?

    ReplyDelete
  18. UnknownJanuary 30, 2009 at 7:23 AM

    I'm not an agent of the company, I'm an educator working at a university in eastern Canada. Google is a great company, they release excellent products that are often free or low cost and provide great educational discounts.

    ReplyDelete
  19. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 8:20 AM

    GDrive is almost 100% similar to Dropbox. Also, GDrive already HAS an installer for Linux, unlike what someone else suggested. They will likely release the Windows version first, for testing, and roll out the Mac and Linux versions later... but it already exists and has existed for years.

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 8:47 AM

    dropbox (http://www.getdropbox.com) vs. gdrive will be interesting to see....

    ReplyDelete
  21. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 9:15 AM

    Would you like your irreplacebale photos, videos, and docs in a beta product from Google? Hmm... gmail went out oodles of times over the past few years. And they have started killing off products. They started with unlimited email storage and then backed away (Yahoo now claims unlimited storage).

    No thanks.
    Google GDrive doesnt get an FAIL for fail, but a G for GIGANTIC FAIL.

    (oh don't let the little thing called Live Mesh or AWS get in the way of reality.)

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 9:40 AM

    More proof here:
    http://blogoscoped.com/forum/149544.html#id149589

    ReplyDelete
  23. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 10:31 AM

    It's one API hack away from a remote bittorrent client.

    ReplyDelete
  24. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 10:45 AM

    I need a firefox extension that keeps me from seeing any comment containing "fail" in all caps.

    ReplyDelete
  25. David FauthouxJanuary 30, 2009 at 12:00 PM

    With Olipo, I store ALL my files on my GMail, transparently, and it's about 7 GB, as fast as Google can do. I also use Olipo to agregate all my files on the cloud to me (Picasa and Flickr, RSS podcasts, Google Docs...) Just perfect for me. http://olipo.net (click go and choose the GDrive plugin)

    ReplyDelete
  26. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 12:29 PM

    This reminds me of xDrive from AOL which is now Closed :) , if this would be done about 5years ago it would be super sweet!

    ReplyDelete
  27. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 12:43 PM

    Alex I already translated this file in Italian, Bosnian, Slovenian and Russian :)

    If you need me you know how to contact me.

    http://www.twitter.com/livecrunch - Twitter
    http://www.livecrunch.com -Contact Form

    ReplyDelete
  28. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 1:18 PM

    Well see... Before ANYONE uses it I would first recommend you read the Terms of Service and Privacy agreement.

    http://www.groovypost.com/howto/security/how-to-lose-face-with-google-picasa-literally/

    ReplyDelete
  29. ZacharyJanuary 30, 2009 at 1:29 PM

    So Google might integrate Google Docs and Picasa Web Albums.

    ReplyDelete
  30. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 4:22 PM

    You know what? Before any of you post further, I would suggest some intensive English grammar and capitalization courses. Seriously, this thread is appalling to read.

    ReplyDelete
  31. ChrisJanuary 30, 2009 at 6:31 PM

    I found this quite interesting:

    http://whois.domaintools.com/googledrive.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. PatJanuary 30, 2009 at 6:42 PM

    @Steïn - If it's anything like Picasa or Chrome, they'll have a Linux client... eventually, and promise a Mac client for years and years

    ReplyDelete
  33. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 9:25 PM

    When will this officially be launched? Seems like google is going to give a good fight for Live, Mesh services.

    ReplyDelete
  34. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2009 at 12:31 AM

    Mozy throttling your speeds?

    We do not place any restrictions on the speed or bandwidth. Check:
    - Your Internet Service Provider
    - Whether a firewall is restricting your speeds on your home gateway router/modem

    If you are unable to resolve your problems, please contact your Mozy Support.

    ReplyDelete
  35. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2009 at 4:48 AM

    check out evernote

    ReplyDelete
  36. JamieJanuary 31, 2009 at 5:14 AM

    i use idrive its awesome 2 gs then send enmial invites and get 10 more for free

    ReplyDelete
  37. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2009 at 5:51 AM

    WOW. That is amazing. However the downside is when your out and about without an internet connection (So no wifi) then what? You have a unit that essentially will be like a laptop just without a drive on it. But your real hard drive is on the G drive. Your kinda screwed don't you think? Overall great concept but unless wifi is more commercially available than now, then the products is good for at home use only :(

    ReplyDelete
  38. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2009 at 7:13 AM

    Can you use GDrive if you already have a G drive?

    ReplyDelete
  39. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2009 at 7:15 AM

    Its likely this will be free / no charge, fantastic

    ReplyDelete
  40. "Always Thinking..." xGeoph™ RayJanuary 31, 2009 at 8:38 AM

    I can't say enough good things about Dropbox (getdropbox.com).
    It will be difficult in my opinion for Google to compete with Dropbox.
    Google should just purchase Dropbox and use their interface.
    My 2 cents.

    ReplyDelete
  41. AnonymousFebruary 1, 2009 at 5:32 AM

    hmmm.... i'd like to keep on it back-ups of all my music - 2,2 Tb of flac files... wonder if would be possible (extra payment, of course) Amazon S3 is pretty expensive (2 Tb costs somewhere around 150 bucks/month..)

    ReplyDelete
  42. AnonymousFebruary 1, 2009 at 6:02 AM

    adrive.com offering 50G free space.

    ReplyDelete
  43. amatesiFebruary 1, 2009 at 2:58 PM

    for me, dropbox is the way to go, but let's see what will happen if...

    ReplyDelete
  44. AnonymousFebruary 1, 2009 at 8:04 PM

    I just got a Zumo Drive account...pretty cool...it resides a the "Z" drive on each of the computers I use..only 1G is 'free' though...

    ReplyDelete
  45. AnonymousFebruary 1, 2009 at 10:07 PM

    text is gone... so probably just a mistake. Doubtable that Google will release such a service months after Microsoft offers 25 GB for free incl. public sharing access.

    Probably just some press stuff or some employee who did do a mistake...

    ReplyDelete
  46. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2009 at 2:01 AM

    Everybody waiting for it but i think Google was too late for this service. I hope it will be the best one.

    ReplyDelete
  47. ftackFebruary 2, 2009 at 3:36 AM

    Hi all. Just to let you know, I work for www.nomadesk.com. We offer easy and secure file sharing, wherever you are. Being online is not required. I read this post on Google's GDrive with great interest and just wanted to add NomaDesk to the mix in this discussion.
    NomaDesk has already been on the market for some time, and we offer similar features geared specifically towards the need of the "digital nomad". We are convinced that the more data gets synchronized, the more likely it gets compromised. Therefore, NomaDesk includes an encrypted virtual drive that keeps your files securely available off-line and remote file shredding and IP-tracking with TheftGuard. Of course, we impose no limits on storage and bandwidth. A Mac version is on its way.

    So,

    I would appreciate your review.
    F.

    ReplyDelete
  48. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2009 at 9:48 AM

    Hi there,
    I have GDrive on my machine but in fact, all saved files on GDrive are redirected to my Gmail mail and if I use a pop client, the files go to out from the cloud... Is it normal?

    Tks,

    Edu Godinho

    ReplyDelete
  49. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2009 at 12:30 PM

    Greetings,
    GDrive sounds very interesting. In the meantime, I would like to mention another useful way to back up your most important files. SpiderOak provides an easy, secure and consolidated online backup, storage, access, sharing & sync tool for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux (Ubuntu & Debian). If any of you get a chance, definitely worth trying out. 2GBs are free to start.

    ReplyDelete
  50. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2009 at 2:57 PM

    What's the difference of the Live Mesh and SkyDrive?

    ReplyDelete
  51. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2009 at 5:11 AM

    GDrive on my MacOS crushes ... I couldn't find out any help anywhere. It crushes immediatelly during login...
    Is there any experience in regards it?
    I tried with GSpace on Firefox for Mac, but either for a few hours I can't login...

    ReplyDelete
  52. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2009 at 1:22 PM

    All your data are belong to us

    ReplyDelete
  53. AnonymousFebruary 27, 2009 at 7:42 AM

    Please take a look at http://www.FilesAnywhere.com

    This cloud storage service exists TODAY. It is the perfect way to store, use and share files from anywhere. FilesAnywhere has features for all types of users, from individuals to small workgroups and larger corporate teams.

    You can get a no-charge account immediately and try the "next big thing" right now!

    Tim

    ReplyDelete
  54. AnonymousMarch 4, 2009 at 7:09 AM

    If you are in Sweden and a Mac fan :)

    http://www.99.se/mantaray-mac/244339-detta-aer-mac-2008-registreringen-oeppen.html

    Or... http://www.storgate.se

    ReplyDelete
  55. UnknownMay 15, 2009 at 6:27 AM

    should be launched before i die...... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  56. AnonymousJune 11, 2009 at 4:26 AM

    ZOMG stoooorage lol

    ReplyDelete
  57. AnonymousJune 27, 2009 at 1:29 PM

    When is this going to arrive!

    ReplyDelete
  58. RodaanJune 28, 2009 at 2:38 AM

    I need it now, I like Dropbox but I would much rather have an abundance of space rather than a lack of it. Of course I need it for free as well.

    ReplyDelete
  59. AnonymousJuly 11, 2009 at 12:55 PM

    how about unlimited online storage from www.binfire.com

    ReplyDelete
  60. DanJuly 11, 2009 at 12:58 PM

    http://www.binfire.com also has collaboration tools like group permissions, file history and file lock tools.

    ReplyDelete
  61. AnonymousAugust 19, 2009 at 8:57 AM

    www.willemijns.com/backup.htm list all gdrive competitors

    ReplyDelete
  62. AnonymousSeptember 23, 2009 at 1:12 PM

    I would like something really similar to ZumoDrive, which is awesome! ZumoDrive is like a pendrive and this makes all the difference. You don't need to upload a file. It would be better still if it worked like a mirror: save the file in your PC C:drive and in the Z:drive simultaneously.This would be perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  63. AnonymousOctober 12, 2009 at 12:49 PM

    Welcome to the Borg.

    ReplyDelete
  64. AnonymousOctober 12, 2009 at 12:49 PM

    G=Gnosticism

    ReplyDelete
  65. AnonymousDecember 9, 2009 at 6:47 AM

    People have been spouting "GDrive is coming SOOOOOON!!!!" since 2006. Don't hold your breath, folks.

    ReplyDelete
  66. UnknownJanuary 7, 2010 at 1:45 PM

    The curiosity is killing me. I need a direct link into the google-brain. In fact, I want to be on the gdrive engineering team so I can expedite this.

    ReplyDelete
  67. AnonymousMarch 27, 2010 at 6:59 PM

    Small developers are already creating sites that surpass google's overly ambitious projects. They are making things way too complex, most people just need to store a minimal amount of files online so that they can access them from school and work computers...

    Check out SaveYourWork (http://saveyourwork.com/) it does exactly that, created by two students at my school with zero budget. Way better than any other app out there today.

    ReplyDelete
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