Google Drive – One Revolutionary Gift from Google!

Google Drive was something which was in discussion from last few months. Finally Google, world’s number one search engine, announced the existence of Google Drive Yesterday. It gives me immense pleasure to write an introductory blog for the same.

Frankly speaking, there is nothing new as far as the Google Drive’s concept is concerned. It is a place where you can store your data. It doesn’t only store your data; rather you can access the same anytime and from anywhere. Is not it exciting?

Yes it is really exciting. As the guys like me, who use to prefer Gmail over any other email provider, who use to use Google for any search, will always be happy to store my data with them. As I can surely access my data anywhere and anytime, and also I can easily share them with my friends, and also I can collaborate with different people to modify my files. I can even store pictures, videos, documents, PDF files, etc. over there and can use them anytime.

Here are some of the things which you can do with the help of Google Drive:

Create Files: I think many of my readers are aware about Google Docs, although I am not that much confident about using the same, but still Google Docs is one of the finest tools to create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc. The benefits which Google Docs provides is that you can work with different people on the same documents at the same time and that too in real time. Google Docs is actually an in built facility available with the Google Drive, thus we can easily create and collaborate any files in Google Drive.

Store Whatever You Want: It is like your Pen Drive, which you can carry with yourself anytime; only stuff which you need to access the same is that you need to be online. Frankly speaking Google Drive is like an online Pen Drive or an online external hard disk for you. You can store anything which you want and also access the same anywhere. Only concern with this feature is of the safety of your data. Though safety is really a big concern for all of us, and it is in discussion from last some time too, but I guess Google is a company on which we can easily rely upon. As per them you can store everything safely over there.

Share Files: With the help of the different products of Google like Google+, Gmail, etc. you can easily share your data with all your friends.

Here are some of the benefits which you can get with the help of Google Drive:

Access Files Anywhere: One of the finest benefits which Google Drive provides us is of accessing the file from anywhere, be it from your personal computer, laptop, your Mac, or Android Phone or even form tablets also. Yes, it is true that at the moment you won’t be able to access the files on your iOS devices, but Google is already in resolving the same, and I am sure that very soon they will be able to provide the same too. One of the finest things which I liked about Google Drive is that it can be accessed by blinds also. Blind people can also access the Drive with the help of a special screen reader.

Search: I am a big fan of the Search facility which I get while using the Google products. Now with the help of some latest technologies, Google has claimed that you can be able to search everything which you want inside your Google Drive. Fantastic stuff is that with the help of Optical Character Recognition i.e. OCR technology you can now even search in your scanned documents too. Interesting news is that you can also search in the photos which you store over there with the help of some image recognition technology which Google is implementing. Although all these techniques are in its initial stage only, so implementation will take some time.

Work Together: One of the finest benefits which Google Drive provides us is of working together on the same files. We can run a project with some of our colleagues and share the same data to all of them, and every one of them can work on a single file and made changes in real time. Others can also see the changes and leave their comments on them. It will surely be helpful to all of us.

Free: This is one kind of unique but general benefits of Google Drive. Google is providing 5 GB of storage space with Google Drive for free. I think that 5 GB space is not that much, but still sufficient for many of us. After all we use to store many of our data in our mobile phone too with a 8 GB of external data card, but many times major portion of that remains empty only, unless we store more videos. So in my opinion 5 GB space is good enough. If you are thinking that it is not enough then you can opt for a space of around 25 GB for a mere cost of $2.49 per month. They also have the option of having 100 GB space for $4.99 per month, which you can have even 1 TB space by just paying $49.99 per month. Another benefit which you will get while opting for paid account is that your Gmail account storage will also be increased to 25 GB.

I am sure that you all will like these benefits and opt for the same too. I am sure you all are thinking about other options which we have other than Google Drive, and how they are as compared to Google Drive options.

Microsoft SkyDrive: Microsoft is always considered as the top competitors of Google, and they already have the similar kind of services by the name of SkyDrive. They actually provide 7 GB of space for free, while extended to 25GB for their existing users who opted in for the same. As far as the additional storage is concerned, they are merely charging $10 per year for a space of 20 GB, while $25 per year for a space of 50 GB and $50 per year for a space of 100 GB. While the maximum file size permissible in Google Drive is of 10 GB, while Microsoft SkyDrive provides only of 2 GB. The only concern is that this facility is not available in Android Phones.

Dropbox: Another competitor of Google Drive is Dropbox. They provide around 2 GB of space for free, but it can be gained with the help of one referral bonus which they offer. Additionally you can get around 50 GB of space for $9.99 per month basis or $99 per year. They have another option of around 100 GB space for $19.99 per month basis or $199 per year basis. They also provide 1 TB and more space option, but I don’t have much knowledge about the same. Maximum file size with the help of Dropbox is of 300 MB if you are accessing the site from browser, and unlimited if you are uploading directly from your desktop. The most usual benefits of Dropbox are that it can be accesses from Windows, Mac, and Linux Desktop as well as from Android, iOS and BlackBerry Phones too.

Apple iCloud: One more competitor of Google Drive is oof Apple iCloud. They also provide 5 GB of storage space for free, while 10 GB can be purchased for $20 per year, 20 GB for $40 per year and 50 GB space for $100 per year. The maximum file size allowed from Apple iCloud is of 25 MB for free, while 250 MB for paid users. The drawbacks of them are that they are not available on Android, and Windows Phone.

Well, whatever we can say about Google Drive, the prime thing is that it is built in a manner that it can fit proper with other Google products and will definitely increase your overall Google experience. As per Google this is the beginning of Google Drive and as per me it is the beginning of a new era. Although there are some concerns related with the safety of data and about the rights of the files which we will store over there, but I am sure that Google will overcome and remove all the doubts related with the product.