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More consumers than ever before are using personal cloud-based services? Many without the knowledge that popular sites like Gmail are such a service. A recent article in Computerworld hoped to better inform consumers about “the latest” in cloud based storage. Here are some helpful nuggets from that article.
Amazon Cloud Drive/Player- is for consumer music storage. Offering “5 GB of free storage” for streaming on “up to eight devices.” A tip if you get music from Amazon, is to use the free storage their currently offering through Amazon Cloud Drive- which temporarily also allows consumers to store “music from other sources.”
Apple iCloud – Touted as one of the “most advanced personal could services out there,” the Apple iCould offers (similar to the Could Dive) 5 GB of storage. For competitive reasons Apple doesn’t count “Apple purchased music, apps, books, and TV shows [or one’s] Photo Stream” into the allotted quota- so you’re free to add as many of those products without eating into your free storage. If that sounds exciting, then you’re really going to be really impressed by iCloud’s extended offerings.
While basic iCloud is “available via the Web on any platform,” it’s recommended that one use Apple’s most up to date operating systems like Lion or Snow Leopard. As “more than just storage and an online music server,” the iCloud “also includes all of Apple’s wireless services,” like email, mobile backup and location data for finding lost or stolen Apple products. And if or when one goes beyond the allotted free storage, the pay-to-play rates are much lower than the Cloud Drive. In comparison, 10 GB of space through Apple costs $20 per year, while Cloud Drive’s cost is determined by month and per GB, at $1/GB/month.
Both of the above services require the web to function while Dropbox, one of the original cloud-based storage services, “doesn’t need a Web browser interface and will run on “almost any PC.” Thought of a primarily a storage device, Dropbox remains a tough competitor and lasting veteran.
Google Music, a true Apple competitor, is current being tested in its beta stage and like iCloud offers music storage. Possible drawbacks are that this service, like the iCloud and Cloud Drive, requires access to the Web- and can only be used on “one PC or device at a time.” As far as the article states, none of the other services reviewed are device specific in this way. An additional disclaimer is that one music purchase music to store here through Google’s new Music Store and via their Google Music Manager service. Overall this particular service requires a lot of Google specific focus, rather than allowing users to pick and choose where they derive content.
Ubuntu One- offers 5MB of free storage and one can stream music with an extra fee. If one needs more than the offered free storage, it will cost $2.99/month or $29.99 for 20 GB for one year.
What most of these services have in common is the free 5MB of storage- a contemporary plus for any music lover and document creator. So, happy storing everyone!
CLICK HERE to read the original article and learn more about five of the newest cloud storage services.
