Google Drive To Launch Today With 5GB Free Storage?

Google is preparing to launch its long-anticipated cloud storage system as early as today, reports suggest.

Google Drive will allow users to store their documents in the cloud to be accessed from any web-connected device such a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Just Drive

The service will offer users 5GB of free storage, with larger capacities of up to a terabyte available for a monthly fee, although no details about the pricing structure have emerged. It is worth noting however that the free storage is currently less than the 7GB Google offers its Gmail users.

Documents such as images and notes can be stored, with Google apparently using image search technology to allow users to sort through different types of files, including PDF files.

Rumours about a Google cloud storage service have been around since 2007, with details first emerging in February. Reports gathered momentum last week and it was speculated that the arrival of Google Drive was imminent.

The launch of such a service would bring it into competition with Microsoft’s SkyDrive, which is available on iPhone, and Dropbox, whose free service offers just 2GB of storage. In a possible attempt to pre-empt Google’s move, Dropbox announced this week that it was to introduce a new collaboration feature that would make it easier for non-users to see files stored in the cloud.

Apple also has a cloud service, iCloud, which was launched last year  with the iPhone 4S and allows users to access their music, photos, apps, contacts, calendars and documents from their Mac, PC, iPhone or iPad

How well do you know the cloud? Take our quiz