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Weekend Open Forum: Do you use cloud storage? If so, for what?
Cloud storage has grown in popularity in recent years, with Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft and others providing an affordable means of backing up or sharing data online. While all of them can store your files, most have unique features. For instance, SkyDrive is geared toward project collaboration using Microsoft's Office software, while up to 250 songs bought from Amazon can be freely housed on Cloud Player.
I use Dropbox daily. In many cases, I find it to be the most convenient way to transfer files between my phone and PCs, and I often use it to share images and other files. The most appealing feature to me, though, is the way it integrates with the Galaxy S3 by uploading new photos to the cloud, which synchronizes with my PC so I don't need to add them myself. What's your favorite cloud service and how do you use it?
Cloud image from Shutterstock
User Comments: 60
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ElShotte said:
I personally use Dropbox, and have been since the I got a beta invite around 5 or so years ago. It's the best thing ever. I store all my work and important documents on it, and although I still have a non-paid membership, I'm only using 64% of my 5.25 GB, out of which 3.25 is a bonus for referring friends and trying their mobile photo upload feature (which is awesome by the way).
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Dropbox, for working with partners on shared files and projects. Skydrive for personal documents backup (mostly Office files), I was using it before Dropbox so I didn't re-sync with Dropbox.
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Bitcasa
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Been using Dropbox since beta, and recently paying customer(27GB). I use both GoogleDrive and Dropbox, I can tell you that Dropbox is miles ahead.
Most innovative cloud storage.
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I use both Dropbox and crashplan.com.
CrashPlan I use to backup all of my computers and Dropbox for the simple file sharing on my Ipad.
I have about 16TB worth of data so no way could I use dropbox for that. CrashPlan is awesome. Maxing out my upload to their servers and seeded for free too (military discount, read: free).
Before CrashPlan I was using Dropbox all the time but seeing as the max file size you can upload to Dropbox via the iPad is only 180mb it has become useless for my needs. So starting to switch over to CrashPlan for that as well.
Having unlimited space for so cheap is great and Crashplan's tech support is wonderfull to boot. And yes like Dropbox, CrashPlan supports Windows, Linux, OS X, iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod), etc.
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I don't like Dropbox, which is ok but the ui is not intuitive, or Skydrive, which is crapper than crap - they can't even get file numbers in order - we all know 3 comes after 2 right ? But Skydrive thinks 21 follows 2 - ******.
However, my job requires file sharing so I have no choice. IMO the cloud sucks.
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I use Adrive to back up pics, but that's about it for me.
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Staff
Like Lee I rely on Dropbox for moving and sharing files between PCs. I also use Skydrive to backup files and photos. I used to keep a Flickr Pro account to backup all my photos on the cloud as well, but doing so it's not as seamless as with other services. I will try revisiting the idea because it's a better service for that specific purpose once you automate it.
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1 person liked this |
Nope still pretty much using storage on earth.
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Is there a difference between Cloud Storage and any type of Internet storage?
Would storage of files anywhere on the Internet, technically be considered Cloud Storage? Even though the idea has been done many years, it has only recently become known as Cloud Storage. Was Cloud Storage finally placing a name on a concept that has been around for years?
I'm asking the question because I have notice gaming screen shots through steam, show a cloud emblem representing image upload completion. Before I saw the cloud emblem, I never really pictured myself using cloud storage.
Internet based Email applications is probably the oldest form of what I currently see as Cloud Storage.
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Darkshadoe said:
No..I trust cloud computing about as much as I trust a politician.
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1 person liked this |negroplasty said:
Dropbox, Google Drive and Sky Drive. I keep redundant copies of important documents, software serial keys, phone nandroid backups etc.
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1 person liked this |spydercanopus said:
The NSA and Homeland Security manage my cloud storage. I'm confident all my day-to-day personal information is being securely stored in a cloud.
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Using Skydrive and Live Mesh not disappointing at all!
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I use Amazon S3 storage to backup my server and client data - about 80GB of data, only costs about $15 /month
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Googlebot said:
I like to backup to NAS, not cloud, but I put some documents in Google Docs,
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I despise cloud storage, makes me think "big brother" may be able to view my personal stuff. I have the Amazon Cloud Drive, which I feel forced into with my MP3 purchases, and my Android contacts and calendar are sync'd with Google, but otherwise I don't keep any other documents up in the cloud.
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I use Google Drive, because I use google docs for a lot of my documents.
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I use it mainly as a file transfer mechanism. Tired of carrying around (and losing) USB sticks.
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2 people like this |ReederOnTheRun said:
I have dropbox, google drive, and skydrive for transfering all my important documents (mostly school work) in between computers and my phone. I mainly just use dropbox though because it is the easiest to sync (folder on my computer) and it works great with my linux computers.
I don't know why everybody is so paranoid someone is going to look at there cloud data. Out of the millions of people who store stuff in there, why would anyone care about you or me? Unless we are storing nation secrets or bank account information, nobody is even going to care about our stuff.
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1 person liked this |
Dropbox for automatic syncing of folders with friends in remote locations.
Skydrive for MS Office document backup because it's easy.
SugarSync for sharing large files or collections with one person, but it's very slow.
Cubby for selected docs (KeePass locker, .ini files, macro files, other such stuff)
Google Drive for the extra capacity but not using much yet (just signed up).
AutoHotkey automates the process in Windows, bash handles it in Linux, so nothing gets lost, encryption-first never forgotten, etc. I couldn't keep it all consistent manually 'cause it just grew into a random-looking mess with files here, files there.... but it's all mapped out in sync macros that grew with it so it works. Has saved my files more than once when a drive failed.
Security in the cloud doesn't trouble me. Anything that shouldn't be out there in the open is encrypted (by the sync macro) before copying to the cloud anyway.
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I still don't see a need to use cloud storage.
It's just as easy for me to transfer files to a USB stick and take them to work if needed. For large backups I use an external Hard Drive.
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I don't use cloud storage and I don't think I would ever trust the majority of my files on cloud storage. I think in some cases it's useful but in other cases it's being used to excuse the manufacturer and sale of a lot of devices that just don't have adequate built in storage space.
If you rely on cloud storage and find yourself without internet access, you are screwed, and if you happen to need to download or copy a large amount of stuff that you have in the cloud, it's going to take forever, if it's even doable at all.
If the company that stores your files gets hacked or they somehow lose your data and even a backup copy of your data, at the same time, you may be screwed.
I'm waiting for the storage on a lot of these portable devices to become "adequate" and I am betting that a lot of other people are too. When manufacturers realize that some people value built-in storage versus putting their personal information in "the cloud" I am betting that they will increase storage in the devices they build or make it more of a priority in the future, and they will probably see increased sales numbers as a result.
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I use Dropbox. A friend told me about it and showed me how usefull it can be.
Mostly I use it for work. I don't have a laptop and don't want one so I just work on some stuff, put them in Dropbox and when I get home I can continue working. This way I am not bound to one pc, which is a great feeling for me.
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I do not trust the all-mighty "cloud", therefore I don't use it. Although I do know numerous friends who do use it as a means for file transfer and that's their call. No Thanks.
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