The Indelible Bonobo Experience

other than Google Drive, what else is there? (via cloudsider)

charts showing each service’s free tier sizes, file size limits, and pricing, as well as some of the perks and drawbacks of each service (via Cloud storage: a pricing and feature guide for consumers)

Dropbox

Pro: Can increase your free storage by 500MB for each friend you invite, one of two services that offers a Linux app, robust mobile apps.

Con: Default storage is dinky compared to other services, paid storage is expensive.

Google Drive

Pro: Integrates with your Google account, has one of the highest max file sizes.

Con: Has one of the looser terms of service/privacy policies, only mobile app is on Android (though iOS app is said to be on the way).

iCloud

Pro: Has an automatic backup feature for whole devices, though only for iOS devices and certain types of files.

Con: Serious file type and size restrictions, is primarily meant to work with iOS/Mac OS X.

Microsoft SkyDrive

Pro: Largest free tier that may be upgradeable to 25GB depending on if you’re using an old Windows Live/MSN account, only platform that works on Windows Phone so far, second-lowest price per GB per month.

Con: No Mac client if you don’t have OS X Lion installed, mobile clients let you upload only one file or picture at a time.

Box

Pro: Cheapest paid tiers of all the services (though Box charges by the year).

Con: No desktop sync without upgrading to a business license, file size limit tied with iCloud for smallest.

SugarSync

Pro: One of the few services preparing to offer a Windows Phone app (not out yet), no file size limit.

Con: Only more expensive service is Dropbox. Some may say the company is wasting its time supporting Windows Mobile.

SpiderOak

Pro: Takes privacy and security the most seriously of all the services, bar none; no file size limit.

Con: Requires install of desktop app to use, default storage size is small, mobile apps have not been well-received.

Very interesting, but Google Drive not yet available launched later in Canada..

In a comparison piece, The Verge noted that the terms of service from four major cloud storage services—Dropbox, iCloud, Microsoft SkyDrive, and Google Drive—all claim no ownership of the files you give them. Several publishing outfits raised the alarm about a clause in Google’s terms of service that states Google reserves the right to “use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute” content uploaded to their services. (via Google Drive files can end up in ads, even though you still own them)

When Ars spoke to the Electronic Frontier Foundation about Google Drive’s terms of service, the EFF found little about them that was more suspicious than in any other similar cloud service. But Rebecca Jeschke, EFF’s media relations director and digital rights analyst, paused over one phrase: “The rights you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our Services, and to develop new ones.” Promoting?

Files stored in the cloud can still be easily lost or subpoenaed without the users’ knowledge, Jeschke noted, an issue that’s often overlooked.