Item: Google Drive
Rating: 9
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use Google Drive between my laptop, desktop, and phone. Whether, I am working in the office, remotely, or on the go, I have access to my files and I keep work moving forward. I use Google Drive for the desktop to keep my files synced. I can start a project on one device, and pick it up and edit the project as needed when working at a different location. I work with graphic design project files and video files, which take up a lot of space and I cant save all my files on my desktop, so it's great to be able to save everything to Google Drive.

Pros and Cons

The new Drive for desktop application, which recently replaced Google Backup and Sync, works better than Google Backup and sync.
I can easily search for files in Google Drive.
I can preview certain types of files right within Google drive without having to open a different application or download the file.
The drag and drop user interface makes file organization very easy.
You can upload multiple files and folders to google drive all at once and see the upload progress/status for each individual upload in the que.

While I do like the new Drive for desktop sync app over the previous Google backup and sync program, it still is very limited in the choices you have for syncing your files. You either have to stream all files or mirror or files and neither of these options is the best fit for me. I liked that with Google Backup and sync. you could select which folders to sync, so I would like it if some of that flexibility was brought back into Drive for Desktop.
Google Drive keeps changing the app and method for locally syncing files. In the pasy four years, I hae had to learn three syncing apps for this at work.
Previously when browsing google drive, I could select to open a file or a folder location in a new tab. In recent years that functionality has been removed and I miss it. It is still available in other Google apps like Gmail, but for some reason, it's no longer available in Google Drive.

Most Important Features

File syncing.
File storage.
File organization.
File search.

Return on Investment

Helps me to quickly access files, update documents, complete projects, and share them.

Alternatives Considered

Dropbox

Google Drive is very useful especially when you are using the entire Google workspace. If you are using Google Docs, Slides, and Gmail, then Google Drive integrates well with those apps. For those working primarily in a Microsoft environment using Microsoft Office and Outlook, using One Drive for file storage may make more sense.

Key Insights

Do you think Google Drive delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Google Drive's feature set?

Yes

Did Google Drive live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Google Drive go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Google Drive again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Microsoft Powerpoint, Mailchimp, SendPulse

Likelihood to Recommend

I like being able to preview files within Google drive, without having to download a separate application. However, you can't edit files within google drive. You can edit only files that are created with other Google applications, like google docs. If you need to share files on google drive with another user that does not have a Gmail address that could be a problem. Sometimes, people are required to have a Gmail account in order to view or edit shared files.

Google Drive Review

Overall Satisfaction with Google Drive