The long-awaited could platform Google Drive has been finally launched. Now, Google users can store up to 5 GB of data online totally free of charge and can get even five times more by paying a modest price (or receive even more space for more money). The new storage space allows users to upload data in various formats (PDF, images, Google Docs, video files and many more), get instant access to their ‘treasure box’ whenever they need it and also share the data with friends and open documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc. to colleagues when collaborating on a project. People who view the files can edit or leave a comment on the shared item, and the user can reply to them as well.
To get a file stored in the Google Drive, one just has to just drag and drop it from the program he or she is using. The only problem here is that users might be storing too many files and it may be difficult to find the right one when needed. But Google irons this problem out even before it arises. “Search by keyword and filter by file type, owner and more. Drive can even recognize text in scanned documents using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. We also use image recognition. This technology is still in its early stages, and we expect it to get better over time,” writes Sundar Pichai, SVP, Chrome & Apps in the Official Google Blog.
In tune with its ‘connect all the products’ philosophy, Google allows users to attach images from their Drive to their posts on Google+ and move files from Drive directly to emails in Gmail. The Google Drive can be installed on Mac or PC as well as on an Android phone or tablet (at the moment, Google is working on the development of a Drive app for iOS devices)—the company also says that the new platform is available for blind users, who can access Drive with a screen reader. So far, Google Drive is not available for some users (it says «Your Google Drive is not ready yet» in the right upper corner), but Google promises to email them at their Gmail address once it is ready. As it was noted above, Google Drive offers 5GB of free virtual storage space, but users can upgrade to 25GB for $2.49/month, 100GB for $4.99/month or even 1TB for $49.99/month. In addition to this, when a user upgrades to a paid account, Google gives a bonus—his or her Gmail account storage will also grow to 25GB.
The new product is to be improved over time and will continue enhancing users’ experience. According to the blog, “Drive is also an open platform, so we’re working with many third-party developers so you can do things like send faxes, edit videos and create website mockups directly from Drive. To install these apps, visit the Chrome Web Store—and look out for even more useful apps in the future.”