Face-Off: Cloud Storage Alternatives

1. Face-Off: Cloud Storage Alternatives Dig 4104c- By: Gina Levy

2. What we know: • As a students we heard of the main storage sync apps are: • Drop Box • Google Docs • Sky Drive • (School Email)

3. Top Apps: • We'll take a look at the top apps that let you: • sync files between all of your devices automatically • share files using password protection • pick which folders you want to sync • and do anything else you might want to do with a syncing app.

4. Google Drive-What it does: • option to turn on OCR text scanning • offers the same drag-and-drop syncing • tie right in to Google+, Gmail, Android, and other Google services • a built-in document editor on par with Microsoft's online Office suite • Can open up to 30 kinds of files inside your browser • Photoshop files (even if you don’t have the program) • creates a QuickLook-esque experience inside your web browser

5. Sky Drive-What it does: • Microsoft's syncing solution API it's built on • syncing documents created using OneNote and other Microsoft Office products like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint • share public links, view-only private links, and view/edit private links • experience akin to iCloud, but for Microsoft products — except you can also edit documents in groups like you can with Box or Dropbox • And like with Drive (and Google Docs), you can edit (and create) documents for free within your browser

6. Drop Box-What it does: • syncing files across multiple devices • API it's built on • offers just 2GB of storage for free • plugged in to all your favorite apps

7. Sugarsync-What it does: • Alternative to Dropbox • Pre-loaded on all new Lenovo computers and some smartphones (like devices from SoftBank) • Just about every platform, gets updated frequently, and lets you micro-manage what you want to sync • add password protection to files and folders when sharing them publicly • stream a whole album of songs in a row from the cloud

8. InSync-What it does: • works really well as a Dropbox substitute, syncing without a hitch to your Google Drive account • can't sync any other folders on your computer unless they are inside an Insync folder • will automatically convert your files into formats (like .doc) that you can read on your computer • solely as a file manager for your Google Docs files since it lets you drag-and-drop things around between folders (labels in Google Docs)

9. LogMeIn Cubby-What it does: • remote desktop pros LogMeIn, is a hybrid of SugarSync and Dropbox • pick folders around your computer to sync like with SugarSync • offer more for users trying to sync files between two desktop computers that are always on • offers "unlimited peer-to-peer syncing" between computers, assuming both computers stay turned on

10. Apple iCloud-What it does: • Various apps such as Pages and iWriter have iCloud sync capabilities, saving your work after every keystroke and instantly sending changes to Apple's servers • working with the most recent version of your document • if you need to stream music or videos you've purchased from the cloud, you can do that, too

11. Mozy Stash-What it does: • modeled after Dropbox, which is a good thing, but this also means it doesn't offer any features that make it worth using over the industry leader • Pricing: 50GB for $5.99/month (one computer) • 125GB for $9.99/month (three computers)

12. SpiderOak-What it does: • puts backing up your computer at top priority • Once you pick folders to back up, you can choose one to sync to multiple computers tell the app that "Folder A" on your laptop (which you've already backed up using SpiderOak) should sync with "Folder B" on your desktop (which you've already backed up using SpiderOak).

13. AVG LiveKive-What it does: • AVG licensed an entire suite of syncing and backup software from SpiderOak and has rebranded it as its own. • AVG's upgrade structure is less expensive than SpiderOak's by a long shot. AVG gives you unlimited storage for $79.99/year, while SpiderOak gives you 100GB for the same price.

14. Wuala-What does it do: • uses a Java web-app alongside desktop and mobile apps so all encryption takes place on your device • share files publicly or privately with just a couple clicks • syncing or backing up files • switch off "continuous" sync and switch to backup intervals if you'd like to

15. Box-What it does: • API is so popular with productivity apps like QuickOffice • integrate Box storage into your workflow — and with sync (offered free, but only to business customers at this point) • detailed version-tracking, a feed of every sync and change you've made to a document, elaborate sharing features, and frequently updated and polished apps for just about every platform

16. Syncplicity- What it does: • primarily meant for business users • Google Docs integration and a news feed of activity (like in Box) • sync folders from anywhere on your computer • edit documents stored in your Drive and browse versions in the Syncplicity mobile app

19. The winner?: • Ability to sync and also backup multiple folders around your computer, SugarSync • Each one is different. • You decide. • Google Docs, it's essentially a full-featured cloud document editing and storage suit • Best way to collaborate with others using online documents, SkyDrive is the way to go • Dropbox is still the champ at syncing since it's so reliable and on so many platforms

20. Questions: • As students, which 3 main storage sync apps have we heard of? • Drop Box , Google Docs, Sky Drive. • Which storage system is considered Drop Box alternative? • Sugar Sync. • What are the 2 storage apps that are mainly for Business people at the moment? • Syncplicity & Box. • As students, which 3 main storage sync apps have we heard of and/or use? • Drop Box , Google Docs, Sky Drive.