Tech Discussion resource list: free online storage

[auen1]

I have just started a list, please add to it and fill in the blanks.


ONLINE STORAGE

Dropbox 2GB, up to 16GB free. Max file size=

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Dropbox

Default storage: 2 GB, with additional space for referrals and activities

Additional storage: Free; Pro packages available in tiers of 50/100 GB for $99/$199 per year

Online document editing: No

Private/public sharing: Yes

Photo features: Yes

Native clients: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, BlackBerry

Dropbox has a visual style all its own. Its online file and folder listing is the opposite of cluttered, and once you learn how a few simple icons work, you’re pretty much home free.g]

Dropbox does what it does exceptionally well, and it is relentless in its keep-it-simple focus. New additions to the feature set make it much easier to view and share photo galleries on line.

I’ve expressed concerns over Dropbox security before, but there’s no question about their commitment to ease of use. If you don’t mind the pressure to convert all your friends into Dropbox users and you’re willing to upload lots of photos, you can get up to 16 GB of additional useful online storage.

Skydrive 7GB, up to 25GB free, Max file size=

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SkyDrive (Microsoft)

Default storage: 7 GB (25 GB free as a “loyalty reward” for current users)

Additional storage: Extra storage available in 20/50/100 GB increments, at $10/$25/$50 per year, respectively

Online document editing: Yes, with Office Web Apps

Private/public sharing: Yes

Photo features: Yes

Native clients: Windows, iOS, Windows Phone, Mac; Android apps via third parties

It used to be Windows Live SkyDrive. Now it’s just SkyDrive. SkyDrive has been radically redesigned in the same way Windows 8 has been reimagined.

Your online storage maps to a single folder on your PC, Mac, or mobile device. Whatever you put in there can be accessed online via any browser and optionally synced to other PCs using a Windows utility that Microsoft finally released last week.

A unique SkyDrive feature allows you to remotely connect to a PC where you’ve installed the SkyDrive PC client and “fetch” files that aren’t360598-610-474.jpg[/img]

By Microsoft’s standards, SkyDrive has an extremely clean interface. If you’re used to the minimalist Dropbox UI, though, you might be overwhelmed, at least initially.

Office Web Apps are an especially good match for the new sync utility, and SkyDrive’s photo gallery features are exceptional as well. SkyDrive’s fatal flaw until now has been a disconnect from Windows itself. The fact that it finally syncs with Windows (and other platforms) makes it practically a brand-new service and worth a strong look.

Googledrive 5 GB, Max file size=

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Google Drive

Default storage: 5 GB

Additional storage: Extra storage available in tiers from 25 GB ($30/year) and 100 GB ($60/year) all the way up to 16 TB ($9,600 per year)

Online document editing: Yes, with Google Docs

Private/public sharing: Yes

Photo features: No (photo sharing is through Picasa and Google+)

Native clients: Windows, Mac, Android

Google Drive is brand new. So new, in fact, that Google is still restricting access to it. You have to click a request to get your Google Drive, and—for now—you have to wait a day or more before you can actually sign in.

You don’t have to look very hard to see that Google Drive is Google Docs, repackaged. Collections are replaced by folders, and there’s a new My Drive link that lets you browse the contents of files. But otherwise everything looks the same.

With the new Windows app installed, you caet.com/gallery/6360605-610-413.jpg[/img]

But that’s about it. In fact, the Drive part of Google Drive is as bare-bones as it gets. It’s ideal for backup, but it has no photo capabilities and only rudimentary sharing outside of Google Docs. And, naturally, it doesn’t allow Facebook connections, as both Dropbox and SkyDrive do.

If you’re already a devoted Google Docs fan, Google Drive is a convenient way to add backup and sync features to a service you already use. But if you’ve resisted the urge to go Google headfirst, you’ll do better elsewhere.

SpiderOak 2 GB, Max file size=

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Reasons Behind SpiderOak

Whether you need to access a document you have stored on a remote server, synchronize data between a Mac, Windows or Linux device, share important business documents with your clients, or just rest easy knowing all of your data is safely, securely, and automatically backed up - SpiderOak's free online backup, online sync and online sharing solution can handle all your needs!

SpiderOak offers a different approach to online backup by combining a suite of services into one consolidated tool - free online backup, synchronization, sharing, remote access, and storage. This difference is further measured in our zero-knowledge privacy policy - the first one ever employed in this setting. Our flexible design allows you to handle data from any operating system (Mac, Windows and Linux) or location (external drives, network volumes, USB keys, etc...) using just one centralized account.

Learn more about our unique approach - harnessing the power of the Internet to securely backup, sync, and share your data. Please don't hesitate to signup for our backup service and take full advantage of our lifetime free 2 GB offer.

More Than Online Backup
10-15 Times Faster Data Upload
Mac, Windows & Linux Compatible Online Backup and Sync
Consolidated Online Storage
Save all your Historical Versions
Complete Privacy Guaranteed
Fault-Tolerant Design

More Than Online Backup

Automatic backup of any additions or changes to your backup set
Securely synchronize folders across multiple computers and operating systems using our free online sync
Discretely share selected folders with friends, family, colleagues, and clients
Easily access all of your data from any device within your SpiderOak network or on the web
Privately store data on your SpiderOak network
Backup desktops, laptops, servers and network drives with one online service


10-15 Times Faster Data Upload

Greatly reduce backup & sync time through comprehensive compression and advanced de-duplication (saving you time)
You are only charged for the compressed de-duplicated data amount (saving you money)

Mac, Windows & Linux Compatible Online Backup and Sync

Complete cross-platform support - one consolidated online backup account
Backup data from different devices, external hard-drives, network drives, USB keys, and other forms of removable media in your SpiderOak network
You only pay for the amount of data after compression and de-duplication - Backup more data cheaper!

Consolidated Online Storage

Centralize ALL your data across all platforms and devices
Simple interface allows for access to all every file stored within your SpiderOak network
No more need to pay for and manage several online backup accounts

Save all your Historical Versions

Storage of complete version history of every file - accessible by date-stamp - just in case you accidentally save over a file or would like to go back in time
Deleted files stored in the 'Recycle' bin just in case an accidental deletion occurs
Due to de-duplication, the work of retaining historical versions is done quickly and effectively

Complete Privacy Guaranteed

SpiderOak never stores or knows a user's password or the plaintext encryption keys which means not even SpiderOak employees can access the data
Our zero-knowledge privacy approach means we can never betray the trust of our users

Fault-Tolerant Design

SpiderOak online backup always protects your data even if your network connection times out or the power goes down during a backup
All infrastructure components designed and maintained in-house - eliminating vulnerabilities caused by 3rd party involvement
Multiple redundancy strategies which include point-in-time recover to protect against human error or accidental deletions
Constant automated stress testing and verification system that continually monitors production server operation to ensure immediate detection of possible malfunctions

IDrive

IDrive is a top notch remote online backup solution. Like all its competitors, IDrive offers 2GB free storage for users to evaluate the service. With desktop clients for Mac & PC, true archiving, continuous data protection, time line restore, versioning and many more world class features IDrive is a rock solid online backup platform. Wondering how IDrive is relevant in this list? Patience, dear readers is a virtue! Now immediately after signing up, we will be redirected to a sign up onfirmation and referral page.

You can refer IDrive to your friends by submitting the email login credentials of AOL, Gmail, MSN or Yahoo. If there are more than 5 valid email addresses in your address book, IDrive bumps up your account with a free 10 GB storage space. This referral space does not expire and is on top of the 2 GB free space of the basic plan. Contacts you refer get two emails from IDrive promoting their product and if you want to bypass this, sign up with an email id you sparsely use thereby not annoying your friends & family.[/spoiler]


[size=medium]humyo

With its free account, humyo provides one of the best free 10GB online storage solutions. The free storage space is split into two parts – 5GB for media files (Photos, Videos, Music) and the rest of the 5 GB for non-media files. Since this being a free account, we will not have access to the desktop client. But fret not, humyo has a brilliant web-based file explorer that allows you to upload, share and download files in a jiffy.[/spoiler]


[size=medium][url=http://www.adrive.com/][color=#FF0000]ADrive 50 GB, Max file size=

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50GB of Online Cloud Storage, for FREE

Our Personal plan provides users with 50GB of FREE online file storage and additional features to backup, share, edit and access your data from anywhere you have Internet access. Simply store your files in your ADrive account & access from any device, at any time.
Anytime Access to Your Data, Wherever You Are

Conveniently access your ADrive files at any time, from wherever you are. Simply log in to your ADrive account through any device to store, share or edit your files online. All you need is access to the Internet!
Share Large Files Online

No more emailing large attachments! With our File Sharing feature a unique link is created for the file you wish to share. You can also have an email sent directly from your ADrive account. The unique link to your shared file will be included in the email. Share & unshare files as you wish!
Edit Your Documents Online

We utilize Zoho® technology with our cloud services to allow users to edit their word processing documents, spreadsheets and presentations online. You can open, edit, and save your documents all from within your ADrive account.
Remote File Transfer

Now you can instantly transfer files from external websites to your ADrive account remotely. Once stored in your account, the file can be downloaded or shared.
Easy Search Tool

Having trouble locating a specific file? Use our convenient search tool to find your exact file without browsing through each directory or folder.
International Character Support

ADrive supports international characters in file names making our service convenient for our international users.

Bayfiles unl

BayFiles is a website and file hosting service that was made by two of the founders of The Pirate Bay, a BitTorrent index site and tracker. BayFiles works by letting users upload files to its servers and share them online. A unique aspect of this file hosting service is that it does not provide a search function for its users or any sort of file directory that could be used to navigate its online file base. BayFiles can be used and accessed by people without requiring them to sign up for it, but it offers higher uploading limits to those who pay a monthly fee. One of the critical features of the BayFiles hosting service is that its founders have chosen to disallow the uploads of any content that violates third party copyright laws. This has come as a surprise to many people who are familiar with the founders of BayFiles previous website The Pirate Bay, which was surrounded by legal controversy concerning copyright issues. In the websites terms of service, it asserts that it will disable the accounts of those users who frequently violate its copyright terms. BayFiles co-founder Fredrik Neij has even claimed to have hired Digital Millennium Copyright Act agents who will help ensure that BayFiles is properly complying with current copyright law.

Despite BayFiles goal of complying with digital copyright law, some have speculated that it will still potentially face major lawsuits because of the legal history its founders and their BitTorrent The Pirate Bay have had with record labels and movie studios in the past. But as long as BayFiles never explicitly promotes copyright infringement, it can maintain the legal status of its operation through relying on the precedent established in a 2010 court case won by RapidShare.

Ultimately, the founders of BayFiles have expressed their desire to expand the website into a cloud computing service similar to Dropbox. Converting to a successful cloud hosting service is another challenge that the founders are likely to face in light of the recent growth of this market and the power of its major players such as Google and Apple[/spoiler]

[sporkium]

Bayfiles unlimited as anoymous, max file size = 5 gigs

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edit-
/fixed

[auen1]

Nice, a good one, thanks!

[srijantje]

another usefull thread

[Mark]

Great work auen1

[snilloc]

Thanks auen1

[AliShibaz]

Hey Auen,

This thread was a good idea and I was real happy to see it. But when I studied on it for a bit, I came to the conclusion that it just might not be too cost effective.

Dropbox offers 2GB free and 200GB for $20 per month. Maybe there is something about this service that I am not understanding. But I think that paying $20 per month for 200GB is a real bad buy. I'm sorry to say this. But I think this service is not worth the money considering that you can buy a 1TB external drive for around $70.

If you got five diff accounts, you would be paying $100 per month for 1TB. But you can outright buy a 1TB external drive for $70. And it's not just $20. It is $20 per month. It would wind up costing a fortune. If you don't have $70, then maybe there might be some value in this. But I just can't see it.

I guess one good aspect is that the storage is not on your premises and so it does offer a superior backup. But the cost is just too damn high. This service would be good if it was offering 2TB instead of 2GB. But 2GB is just a teeny weeny amount of storage now. One good movie can occupy 2GB.

If I am mistaken (which happens fairly often), then I apologize. But I don't understand how this could be a good value. Can someone correct me?

(This post was last modified: 10-28-2012, 01:37 AM by AliShibaz.)

[auen1]

@AliShibaz
Damn, I was trying to reply to your post, then you modified your post to a different question. That's OK, but I'll answer your first question. Dropbox gives 2 GB to the average user and awards 500MB for every referral, now up to 18 GB total, for free.

To answer your new question,...

This thread was a good idea and I was real happy to see it. But when I studied on it for a bit, I came to the conclusion that it just might not be too cost effective.

The point of the thread was "Free on-line storage"

But your right, HD storage can be cheaper than paid online storage.
I like free on-line storage for my resume, business plan, etc.
Items that need to be downloaded frequently.
Or back-ups.

[AliShibaz]

I see. That makes sense.

Sorry I modified my post. But I thought the initial version missed the point. You are right, if you only use the free storage, these services are good to have.

I would use them for a slightly different purpose than you. I would use them to store things I wanted to backup and want to avoid the problem of some kind of event that would damage my premises - like a fire or flood or hurricane or something like that. It may be a long shot. But it's so much better to be safe than sorry. So free storage is valuable for both reasons.

Thanks again for the valuable thread.

@AliShibaz
Damn, I was trying to reply to your post, then you modified your post to a different question. That's OK, but I'll answer your first question. Dropbox gives 2 GB to the average user and awards 500MB for every referral, now up to 18 GB total, for free.

To answer your new question,...

This thread was a good idea and I was real happy to see it. But when I studied on it for a bit, I came to the conclusion that it just might not be too cost effective.

The point of the thread was "Free on-line storage"

But your right, HD storage can be cheaper than paid online storage.
I like free on-line storage for my resume, business plan, etc.
Items that need to be downloaded frequently.
Or back-ups.

(This post was last modified: 10-28-2012, 04:28 AM by AliShibaz.)

[. . . .]

You get what you pay for people, don't forget that.