How to Choose and Use an Online Storage Service

The Web has exploded with online storage sites. Subject yourself to a mild dose of advertisement and you've got yourself megabytes of Web space to dump photos, MP3s or any other file. For those users with files to move or share, these sites have nearly extinguished the need for floppy disks. And better yet, you'll pay for nothing more than Internet access - the services are free!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet Access
• Computers

1. Research the sites - there are a few dozen out there, all with certain advantages. Start by visiting a search engine like Google or Yahoo.

2. Compare storage limits. There are sites offering 3 megabytes (MB) of storage, acting as simple floppy disks for those using computers like the iMac, for example, which doesn't ship with floppy drives. Many sites offer 25 to 50 MB of online space, and some stretch upward to 300 MB.

3. Decide if you want others to access and share your files. Some storage companies allow you to create sharing preferences for guests, such as family or friends, who can then access and view your shared files.

4. Pick a site with special features. FreeDrive, for example, allows you to create photo albums that others can access and view. I-drive does the same plus more: It allows you to create playlists from your online MP3s.

5. Subscribe to a storage service that has the clip-and-save feature. With this, surf the Internet until you find a favorite page. Then, instead of bookmarking, save the entire page to your online drive as a "Web clipping."

6. Look for a service that allows you easy access to your storage site. I-drive, for example, saves an icon on your desktop to which you can drag-and-drop files. FreeDrive offers a link to your handheld device, such as a Palm Pilot, even if it's wireless. These types of features boost handheld storage space dramatically.

7. Register on the site once you've chosen a service. Then simply follow directions for accessing the various features.

Tips & Warnings

• Though some services allow perhaps 50 MB of free space, they will award more space if you refer additional users to their service. Other sites allow you to purchase a greater online storage space for a few pennies.
• Look for use-specific sites like MyPlay, which allows an amazing 3 gigabytes of online storage solely for MP3s.
• Watch out for services that add you to a marketing e-mailing list. The trade-off is generally a larger amount of free storage space. Decide if it's worth it.

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[tomj2007]

on 2/8/2007 That would depend on if you're using the service to BACKUP files or simpl using it to share/make available files in forums. If you're going to backup files and trust they will be secure, you're going to want to pay for it obviously from someone like http://www.Ibackup.com but if you are just sharing and need some space then something like http://www.Sharebigfile or http://www.FileCrocodile.com
would be fine.
--Tom

on 8/18/2006 Too many people have focused too much on the amount of free storage space. It's amazing, even the editors of PC magazine didn't get it. This probably is the biggest mistake in choosing an online storage service. Online storage service is in no way like a hard disk, where all hard disks are essentially the same. But online storage is completely different: Yahoo's briefcase is almost unusable; Gmail is not an online storage at all; Box.net and StreamLoad don't have a decent client software and hence cannot upload lots of files. On the other hand, drivehq.com, ibackup.com, filesanywhere.com, xdrive all offer nice software that maps online storage to your local drive/folder. XDrive was the best, but it's service has degraded a lot over years, and it's getting worse since AOL bought it. FilesAnywhere is a little hard to use; DriveHQ offers very nice File management software and backup software, and has the most features among all online storage service providers.

Another very important thing to consider: Is the free service model viable? If not, can the companies stop offering free service in the future and screw you up? Too many small companies are offering free storage when they don't have a profit model and don't have a deep pocket. Clearly, this industry will consolidate, and 90% of these companies will be out of business in a couple years. So why risk your data with cheap companies?