Jul 30

‘Google File Stream’ and ‘Google Backup and Sync’ are quite different even though they are both released by Google.

Google describes the differences as one being for ‘Personal’ use and one for ‘Business’. That’s not a bad summary. They do different things and it’s important to understand the difference before you start using them. Google file stream is like an extra Hard Disk that lives in the cloud.  Google backup and sync is more like Dropbox – a synced folder. Here’s why you may like to install both side-by-side to benefit from what each one has to offer.

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Jul 30

Google Backup and Sync is very similar to Dropbox but there are some small differences. Google backup and sync has some extra options.

Desktop Folder Syncing

  • Google Backup and Sync also has the option to make a backup of your ‘Desktop Folder’ and sync it.
  • Dropbox cannot sync your desktop folder.

Sharing files on the web

  • Dropbox makes it very easy to share files publicly from the finder of OS X. It’s is fully integrated into OS X.
  • Google Backup and Sync makes it a bit more complicated to share files because it is still web-based. You need to go to your Google drive on the web and share it from there. (Once it’s set up it works well though!)

Accessing files offline

  • Google Backup and Sync and Dropbox can both access file offline.

How to install Google Drive on OS X

What is the difference between ‘Google file stream’ and ‘Google backup and sync’?

What are the differences between ‘Google Drive’ (Google File Stream) and ‘Dropbox’?

 

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Jul 29

You can mount a ‘Google Drive’ onto you Mac, it’s a neat cloud based storage solution from Google. The Google Drive sits on your desktop. It looks like a regular hard drive and the contents of the folder are automatically available to anyone else who has access to the same Google Drive.

Google Drive is similar but different to dropbox. When you move a file into dropbox the file is moved into dropbox, like you would expect if you were moving a file into a different folder. (The file is not copied, it is moved.) But when you drag a file into your Google Drive it doesn’t move the file, it creates a copy of the file. It’s more like copying the file to a thumb drive.

Because of this difference in the way they behave, Dropbox feels like it’s a folder on your computer like any other folder, it just happens to be shared with others. But Google Drive has a different feel. It feels like a foreign hard drive that is out there in the cloud and you happen to have access to it from your computer. Each have their advantage, and I use both.

Another big point of difference is that Google Drive requires an active internet connection. Last week our internet was down, and I went to access a file in my Google Drive, and I could see it, but not access it without a web connection. Dropbox syncs the 2 folders completely, so they are available offline as well.

We use Google Drive to share documents across our organisation. I use dropbox to share files that I am working on across my own personal computers. I find it really useful to have this distinction in my head. Files that I want to share with other people – Google Drive. Files that I want to share with myself – Dropbox.  Of course, you could use these tools any way you want but that’s the way I have found myself using them.

Here’s how to get Google Drive going.

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Jul 27

This may well be my most exciting OS X discovery of the year. Let me know if you find it helpful.  You can use ‘Google Backup and Sync’ to sync your OS X desktop folder to the cloud, and then, with a little trick, access that desktop folder from your ‘Google Drive’ other computers, so that you can put files onto the desktop of you computer remotely.  Continue reading ⟩

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Jan 16

Summary: Here’s an app that will let you read an Apple Pages document on an Android phone.

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Jun 02

I just wanted to make a quick note that it’s 3 years since I wrote this article and this is still the best sync utility for OSX and Google contacts.  It’s available from the Appel store. It synchronises your Apple Contacts (from iCloud) with your Google contacts.  This means that any contacts or groups you create in Gmail or on an Android device are available on your iPhone and OSX and iCloud, and vice versa. It syncs photos as well. It can sync one way (e.g. replace your iCloud contacts with your Google ones) or both way.

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Aug 31

dropbox

Running out of space on dropbox? Try some of these simple options!

https://www.dropbox.com/getspace

Don’t have dropbox yet?  Get it here.

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Jan 08

alcatel

 

I just purchased this Alcatel phone. It’s a bit of a dud, I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you do end up with one, here’s how  to copy  contacts across from the OSX address book. I assume this will work on any mobile phone. Continue reading ⟩

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