back to article Nest cloud storage for backup fun

It's been a big week for cloud storage. First Microsoft updated SkyDrive. Then Google, after years of speculation, parted the clouds to reveal Google Drive, even if it remained out of reach to some mere mortals using Macs. All this activity got me thinking: could the three play together nicely? It turns out they can … a bit …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good article

    I'm not a techie, so probably a naive question. If I download and install SkyDrive and Google Drive to my Mac and define my DropBox folder as the file storage location, my storage limit will still be limited to whatever 2GB or 4GB Dropbox provides me? Or is there a way to aggregate the limits offered by Dropbox, Microsoft and Google into one large drive-in-the-sky?

  2. Lone VVolf

    Otixo gives you one interface...

    I found this app while looking for something to make managing all these services easier:

    http://otixo.com/

    1. Intractable Potsherd
      Happy

      Re: Otixo gives you one interface...

      Thanks for that VVolf. I've just started using cloudy services for backups, and found the lack of desktop programs frustrating (SkyDrive's attempt doesn't work with WinXP, and I can't find one for box.com at all). When my request for a Google Drive is accepted, Otixo looks like it will become a very useful tool.

  3. Dave Gillam

    Max Size Restrictions?

    Wouldn't the limiting factor here be the service you're using to glue the others together? GoogleDrive gives you 5GB, SkyDrive gives 7GB, and Dropbox gives 3GB. I would think that your setup would cause you to max out at 3GB total across all three services, instead of combining the three to get effectively 15GB of free space. Unless I misunderstand SkyDrive and GoogleDrive, they each keep a copy of a local folder in their respective clouds. What this combining does is get that copy to replicate to all your devices connected to Dropbox. While this is good, because of the size restraint, I don't see the point. Just use Dropbox. Now if somehow you do actually end up with 15GB of free space that replicates around, then sign me up!

    1. Shaun 1

      Re: Max Size Restrictions?

      If you already have a Skydrive/Hotmail account, log in to Skydrive and you should be able to bump your storage up to 25GB, which is nice

      1. Dave Gillam

        Re: Max Size Restrictions?

        Thanks. Took me a bit to find where to do this.

        1) Click Profile in the upper right

        2) Click "Documents" toward the upper left (experience a MS Silverlight plugin crash)

        3) Click the "increase storage" link at top-center

        4) Click the "get 25GB free" link at upper center

  4. Mystic Megabyte
    Linux

    These are not the folders you are looking for

    You forgot about Ubuntu One's 5GB free space

    https://one.ubuntu.com/

    1. Dave Gillam

      Re: These are not the folders you are looking for

      The only issue with this is that it appears to not be available for OSX--only Windows, Android, iPhone, and Ubuntu. This means it's not really universal, imho.

    2. rpics
      Linux

      Re: These are not the folders you are looking for

      Yep, Ubuntu One quite happily absorbs your dropbox as well,

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    As most of the Cloud storage services publish APIs...

    An open-source client with plugins for each API seems a real possibility

  6. Elventhor

    RAID

    Hi

    Actually, creating a RAID is pretty easy: Just create hardlinks between different sync folders (works on windows, mac os, linux, bsd..) on a computer which is usually/always on and voilá: all your data in all your services :)

    Niko Tuomi-Nikula / Elventhor

  7. jaduncan

    Use NTFS symlinks, not just shortcuts. You don't want to do it at a level where the DB/GD/SD clients even know about the linking.

  8. G Watty What?
    Linux

    symlinks with mklink?

    Would symlinks on windows have worked rather than shortcuts, which are essentially just files are they not?

    mklink /? on the command line (works on Windows 7 not sure about others).

    I wonder if that would have helped with the nesting dream?

    (Penguin because 'ln' is easier to type than mklink...another victory for our feathered friend, supremacy on the desktop is assured :) ).

    1. jonathanb Silver badge

      Re: symlinks with mklink?

      For earlier versions of Windows, you need to download the junction tool from sysinternals. I don't know what the situation with Vista is.

      1. KHobbits
        Linux

        Re: symlinks with mklink?

        There is a nice windows shell extension (google: link shell extension) which allows drag and drop links to be made, when dragging a folder from one to the other by right click (option appears below 'create shortcut').

  9. Jeremy Chatfield

    Add another 5GB on Wuala

    They raised their free storage to 5G this week.

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