I admit, I am a major offender of not deleting my emails and thus racking up a huge amount of server space usage. Cleaning out my email (and cleaning in general) is a dreaded task for me. That’s one reason I’m a huge fan of cloud based software. It’s amazing that you develop dynamic presentations using applications like Prezi and SlideRocket, including video and audio clips and countless images and share them with a simple link. Cloud-based CRM systems now integrate social media profiles and Outlook and you can access them from anywhere.
As a marketing professional, I find the most successful campaigns are part of a collaborative effort of marketing specialists – from graphic designers to copy writers to video editors. Often, the end product has passed through many hands, so easy sharing of information is key.
There are plenty of cloud based drives (with free space) that make sharing quicker and easier, but I’m always up to try something new and hopefully find a worthwhile new tool. After a few months of waiting for it to be ready, I’ve finally tried out the new Google Drive and I definitely recommend others to take it for a spin! I tested Google Drive to sync files I want to share, from both my server and hard drive, to access them remotely across synced devices and to share with others. Here’s what I’ve found:
Here’s what Google Drive has to offer:
- Simple install: You just need a Google account; once you log in, navigate to Google Docs.
- Generous amount of space: 5G of space per user.
- Save time on revisions and saving: Shared or owned documents are also synced to your Google Drive folder on your device. You can edit and save right in that folder, without copying to your server or hard drive and then copying back.
- Mobile access: You can sync items across all your devices (smart phone, tablet, laptop, etc.).
- Security: Just like Google Docs, you can choose to share documents with specific people, or make public and control settings to make the documents editable or just viewable.
Compared to Dropbox:
- Size: Google offers about twice the space for free over Dropbox. In both cases, you can purchase additional space, but Google Drive is less expensive. Google Drive wins.
- Search: Google Drive has a powerful search function; you can find files by file type, who’s viewing, or by how it’s shared. See below. Dropbox does not seem to have a similar function through its web interface. Google Drive wins again.
- Sharing: It doesn’t seem that you can share right from the Google Drive folder on your desktop, rather, you have to login through your Web browser. With Dropbox, you can right click and share. This is a feature that is really important to me, and I think Dropbox has the edge on that one.
- Sync speed: I’ve heard different opinions, but in my own tests, both seemed to be pretty quick. Tie!
Final verdict: Google Drive is definitely worth trying. There are some definite strengths, but things I like about Dropbox as well. Overall, I think there might be some kinks to work out. I will make use of Google Drive, but there are still instances I’d use Dropbox and other sharing tools as well.
Have you tried Google Drive yet? I’d love to hear other reactions and comparisons with some more experienced users!