CNET Reviews 5 Online Storage Sites
Online storage sites give you constant access to your files from any Web-connected computer. Find out which online drive is best for you.
By Gregg Keizer
(7/5/00)
Want anytime, anyplace, anywhere access to your files? Consider storing them on the Web.
A few years ago, the idea of an online hard disk would have sounded ludicrous. But now, with high-speed connections such as DSL and cable finally reaching homes, online storage services are starting to make sense. Not only do online storage sites let you make files easily available to your coworkers and friends, they also put work at your fingertips from any Web-connected computer. It's a brilliant idea for travelers, telecommuters, and anyone who works on office files at home. Now, scads of Web sites will store your data on their servers--most for free.
But even with an ultrafast connection, it's more hassle and much more time-consuming to store files online than on your hard drive. That's why we went looking for storage services that make the upload/download process as easy as possible. We found five that give 25MB or more of storage space and provide tools that either automate file transfers or let you use your own Windows software, such as Microsoft Word and Excel, to access online files.
Online storage is so new, though, that even the best site has flaws. None of the five are good enough to earn CNET's Editors' Choice award. Nonetheless, some are suited for specific tasks or particular groups of people. Which one's for you? Read on to find out.
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Ready to venture into the world of online storage? Don't do it until you know which Web warehouse we like best.
Editors' Note:
Earlier this year, CNET invested in X:drive, and the service has been marketed across the CNET network. Although it is normally CNET's policy not to review products with which we are affiliated, the author of this story included and recommended X:drive independent of CNET's influence, based on his own evaluation.
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Gregg Keizer is an Oregon-based CNET contributor. Got a comment for him? Tell us.
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