Google Drive App: Google Drive App is going away
Google Drive App is going away, and it might be a good thing
Google Drive App: For upon |Google Drive has defined how we store and share files over the past few years. Launched in April 2012, this file storage and synchronization app allow users to share their files across all devices. However, a blog post by Google in September 2017 announced that Drive will be shutting down entirely on March 12.
While it sounds like a big change, and one quite confusing to many, a closer look suggests that it is not that bad. To start with, the Google cloud service called Drive will not face any changes and will replace the Google Drive app for PC and Mac that will be shut down. Since Google Drive itself is not going away, users will not have to migrate from the app to be able to continue availing themselves of the service. So, if a user logs in to their Google account through a web browser, it would be unlikely that they would notice any changes.
Why discontinue the Google Drive app?
Speculation is growing that the purpose of the change is merely to shift users to the other two cloud storage apps Google has launched: Backup and Sync, and Drive File Stream. Backup and Sync is a Google Drive App with the additional feature of Photo Uploader thrown in. This allows users to upload unlimited photos to the drive with a slightly compressed size. If users wish to upload them in their original quality, then extra storage space would need to be purchased. For an individual user, Backup and Sync would make it easier to access, sync, and backup files as well as photos from external SD cards and cameras, unlike Google Drive which requires the use of a separate app to upload photos.
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While Backup and Sync have been around for some time, it is the Drive File Stream app that Google is hoping to promote. In a novel approach, the Drive File Stream will allow organizations to create a virtual hard drive on their shared servers. It will be possible to access and edit all files uploaded to the cloud from anywhere. It is hoped that this will drive efficiency by eliminating the entire process of downloading the file, editing it, and then uploading it back onto the drive. Instead, the user can directly open and work with files on File Stream and save them at the same time.
A trade-off
It is also important to note that these changes are being made only for PC and Mac, while the web and mobile versions will face no change. Users of Google Drive will be redirected to download Backup and Sync. The Drive File Stream is designed for use by organizations and teams, and thus offers greater bandwidth and improved storage.
So, although Google Drive is being deprecated, Google has compensated its consumers with two very attractive alternatives. However, you can only choose one and will be directed to uninstall the first if you try to install the second. In this case, despite the benefits, one cannot get the best of both worlds.
The article was originally published here.
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