Online Storage and Uses (Cloud, Google Docs, etc.)

[Mike Lowe]

I just reformatted my computer and would like to find a way to host as much "stuff" as possible online someplace. I'm assuming I can't just have software installed and running online (stuff like FOF, FM, etc.) However, I'm pretty sure there are better options to host the following, plus more I'm forgetting, online somehow/someway:

I have IMAP setup via Outlook 2010. It's great for EMAIL, but I would LOVE something similar for my contacts and calendar. Without having to connect my phone physically to the computer all of the time, is there a way to sync these sorts of things between my home computer, work computer, and my Android phone (HTC EVO)?

Second, simply storing some useful documents like my Excel budget, some other random stuff like that...what would be best?

Again, I'm sure there are others. I'd ideally like to find some sort of online system that would synchronize everything between 3 devices (mentioned above), and basically replace the old flash drive.

Thanks for any info you can share/pass along!

[lighthousekeeper]

i use Amazon cloud to store my mp3s. it works ok with my android phone, although i need to sync the files to my phone before playing due to lag. still worth it for me. i don't want to ever have to be in possession of my music again.

[johnnyshaka]

ADrive | 50GB Free Online Storage, Online Backup, Cloud Storage will give you 50 gb worth of storage space for free. So, that's a decent place to store stuff "in the cloud" that you can access from any computer. No sure what kind of access you would have from a mobile phone, though.

Gmail is and Google Apps sounds like it would be right up your alley in terms of storing contacts and email. You can use Gmail to access multiple email accts via IMAP and POP3 and as long as you can login into Gmail you will have access to your contacts, calendar, and docs.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

i use Amazon cloud to store my mp3s. it works ok with my android phone, although i need to sync the files to my phone before playing due to lag. still worth it for me. i don't want to ever have to be in possession of my music again.

I just started using Google Music and once I finish uploading I think I'll probably end up deleting any music off my laptop. It seems like it would work great for my phone too, but the app requires the 2.2 OS and my phone only runs 2.1.

[Draft Dodger]

I use dropbox. I think it's only a couple of gigs for the free option, but it's worked great for my purposes

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Google's apps have been a godsend for me. Put all my mail, contacts, calendar, docs, etc. there and love it.

[Mike Lowe]

I'm intrigued by the Google products. I've requested an invitation for Google Music, but was wondering:

What's the difference(s) between Google Apps and Google Docs? Is Docs just a subcategory of Apps? Can you have Docs but not Apps?

I have a gmail email account FWIW...

I just want to store as little as possible on my computer aside from software installs obviously, but I'd also want QUICK access to stuff like music (without having to click/navigate 50 times to get to stuff).

Thanks for the ideas!

[lungs]

I just got my invite to Google Music and everything went without a hitch and my music library is now accessible on my Droid X.

Wicked.

[hoopsguy]

I use the SkyDrive account that comes with my Hotmail for storage - believe the limit is 25GB and it is free.

Edit - can also open Word and Excel documents stored there with Office Online versions of Word and Excel. And I can publish OneNote documents directly from my PC to SkyDrive. I'm sure there are a bunch of other things I can do with it that I haven't found yet, but those are some of the functions that I've encountered so far.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by lungs

I just got my invite to Google Music and everything went without a hitch and my music library is now accessible on my Droid X.

Wicked.

I need to do this. How do I get Google Music? Do you need to get an invite from someone, or what's the deal?

[MacroGuru]

I'm making the shift to MSN for a lot of my stuff and SkyDrive.

However, I still have my gmail account as my primary account and my google calendars are critical for me.

The thing is, everything I use now ties into my WM7 phone and is seamless for me and I am liking the cloud (I thought I would hate it)

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

I need to do this. How do I get Google Music? Do you need to get an invite from someone, or what's the deal?

Music Beta by Google

Sign up and wait a few weeks for an invitation.

[tyketime]

Anyone use SugarSync? Looks like it will do online backups from all computers, and sync files to all devices (including an app for my android phone). 5GB free, plans start at $4.99/month.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Mike Lowe

I'm intrigued by the Google products. I've requested an invitation for Google Music, but was wondering:

What's the difference(s) between Google Apps and Google Docs? Is Docs just a subcategory of Apps? Can you have Docs but not Apps?

I think you can cherry pick pretty much any/everything they have.

For example, I have to use Docs for some of the stuff connected with volunteering at my son's school but it's done through non-Gmail accounts/identities and I use virtually nothing else from Google beyond regular search (and Analytics).

I'm pretty sure nearly all their "apps" (regardless of whether they call it a Google App or something else) are compartmentalized, since I have to go through what amounts to a sign up process any time I connect something new to a particular email account.

[Young Drachma]

Dropbox rocks my socks.