[Macworld]

Post your comments for Hands on with Google Drive here

[DougAdams]

"You give Google 'a worldwide license 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 such content.'"

That's all I needed to know.

[nmpike]

We currently use DropBox (and I am now experimenting with SkyDrive) for a lot of our patent work. I trust Microsoft more than Google (but not much), and DropBox seems to be very secure.

As long as google owns the right, and can create "derivative works" based on my documents I will NEVER use them to collaborate a single document... ever. It's bad enough we use Google Apps for mail services (which has been very reliable), but I don't even send patent information through that email account.

I could be paranoid, but before Google+ came out, we had put together a plan for something similar to "Circles" for social networks, and I can think maybe they saw something with our stuff, and that was the end of me trusting google for anything except basic non-sensitive email.

Automated or not, giving Google rights to everything is BS.

[QCassidy352]

Seems like a fine service (putting aside privacy issues), but I can't say that I see any reason for a satisfied dropbox user to switch.

[pawhite524]

Serenity,
Thanks for this well written article with the pros and cons of Google Drive. I, like others have already noted, disagree with Google's Terms of Service and appreciate your making that issue very clear to potential users.

[Photonerd]

I agree those license terms are way too vague. Everyone should complain about this until they change it.

[ToddBebb]

Can you lock docs from removal? Why does Dropbox not have this? I share architectural plan sets with cLients, subs, etc., but oftentimes find out that certain docs have been removed from the shared folder. Any insight?

[FrankCDN]

Well my attempt at "driving" came to a dead stop
Signing up using my Gmail account I am now on a "waiting list"; Google will email me when my Drive has been set up.
Can this be due to me outside the US (Canada)?

[JScott]

Photonerd, on 24 April 2012 - 02:22 PM, said:

I agree those license terms are way too vague. Everyone should complain about this until they change it.

Why even go through the trouble? Just don't use it.

[bunnyhero]

The Google Drive client app uses 2-4% CPU on my first-generation MacBook Air, even when it's not syncing (and even when "paused"). I don't want that constant drain on my battery. I hope they fix that.

(For comparison, Dropbox uses about 0-0.2% when not syncing.)

[HertzDoesMatter]

ToddBebb, on 24 April 2012 - 02:25 PM, said:

Can you lock docs from removal? Why does Dropbox not have this? I share architectural plan sets with cLients, subs, etc., but oftentimes find out that certain docs have been removed from the shared folder. Any insight?

How are the documents shared? Do you think perhaps users are dragging and dropping files from drop box into folders on their own drive? I believe that results in it being "moved" instead of copied as one might expect of an internet file.

[Felix001]

If Dropbox doesn't get their extra storage prices in line with what Google is charging, I'll be switching if this proves to be fast and demonstrates reliable uptime. Anything I store in an offsite cloud goes into an encrypted folder anyway so I'm not worried about Google data mining my files.

Now if the 1Password folks start supporting Google Drive, life will be good.

BTW, has anyone activated it yet? When I went through the process (https://drive.google.com/start), I got a pop-up informing me that I'd get an e-mail when Google Drive had been activated on the account. So then I tried signing up a new Google account and was offered the opportunity to activate Google Drive immediately (on that account).

[BradPDX]

I'm in agreement with some others here - Google's terms are simply onerous with respect to privacy. I find myself trusting that company less with each passing day. Dropbox it is.

[MichaelSchultz]

Christopher Breen suggests here using Automator to encrypt everything that you put onto Google Drive - http://www.macworld....ogle_drive.html - might come in handy. But those agreement terms are worrying.