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ADrive lets you store 50GB of files online for free
A few months ago Microsoft issued an update to Windows Live SkyDrive, allowing users to store up to 25GB of files online for free. But a whole year earlier, ADrive was offering a whopping 50GB of free storage space. Unfortunately the service was hobbled by an awkward file upload system.
I hadn't really thought about ADrive very much in the last year or so. But this afternoon I got an email from the company telling me about some updates. So I decided to check in on ADrive. The first thing I noticed was that the files I uploaded over a year ago were still intact. That's always a good thing.
ADrive still offers 50GB of free storage. But the web interface has been improved, even if the file uploader still requires Java. Users can now edit certain files in their web browsers by right clicking a file and selecting the Edit in Zoho option. And you can share files with other users or get URLs they can use to share large files with anyone via email or a hyperlink on a web site. Free account holders have a 1 terabyte file sharing limit (I assume this is per month). ADrive is also limiting the number of concurrent downloads allowed from free, basic accounts.
But if you sign up for a paid account, ADrive is offering some advanced features like FTP access, a larger number of concurrent downloads, SSL encryption, and a desktop client for Mac, Windows, and Linux computers. And of course, there are no ads. You can also get up to 1TB of storage space if you pay for a premium account.
I hadn't really thought about ADrive very much in the last year or so. But this afternoon I got an email from the company telling me about some updates. So I decided to check in on ADrive. The first thing I noticed was that the files I uploaded over a year ago were still intact. That's always a good thing.
ADrive still offers 50GB of free storage. But the web interface has been improved, even if the file uploader still requires Java. Users can now edit certain files in their web browsers by right clicking a file and selecting the Edit in Zoho option. And you can share files with other users or get URLs they can use to share large files with anyone via email or a hyperlink on a web site. Free account holders have a 1 terabyte file sharing limit (I assume this is per month). ADrive is also limiting the number of concurrent downloads allowed from free, basic accounts.
But if you sign up for a paid account, ADrive is offering some advanced features like FTP access, a larger number of concurrent downloads, SSL encryption, and a desktop client for Mac, Windows, and Linux computers. And of course, there are no ads. You can also get up to 1TB of storage space if you pay for a premium account.
Comments
11
Subscribe to commentsEvenioFeb 11th 2009 3:43PM
The first thing I thought when I saw this: they should take it down to 1.44 MB of free storage to bring the service more in line with its name.
THJFeb 11th 2009 3:57PM
Ha, that took me a second. Fun concept though - If you had a total of 1.44MB of storage for your documents, what would be on it?
kristof.hajduFeb 11th 2009 3:59PM
I have been using it for a while and I reckon it is excellent. Upload is r e a l l y slow but files stay intact.
AnthonyFeb 11th 2009 4:18PM
I was surprised that when adrive first popped up that it didnt vanish just as fast.
dont mind the slow speed for the free space though XD
AjayFeb 11th 2009 4:20PM
It still is a painful experience uploading files via the Web Interface. This is good for temporary sharing of files with others.
SteveSFeb 11th 2009 6:40PM
I find the biggest limitation of all these online file storage services is not the total storage space allowed but rather the maximum file size, a detail seldom "advertised" by these services. For example, what good would a storage site be that offers 1TB of storage if the max file size was 5MB?
kirby145Feb 11th 2009 7:00PM
SteveS, actually it could be put to some use, as long as you can upload multiple files at once. A lot of multiple files.
Take a big fule, Use 7 zip and make the necessary amount of 5mb compressed archives, then download them all and put them back together.
:P
BondFeb 12th 2009 7:15AM
I always want to support these services, but I've been burned too many times but spending time uploading files to web storage and then having the company shut down (and take my files with it).
Xoom, X Drive, Yahoo Briefcase, and many more I'm forgetting.
scottixFeb 12th 2009 3:23PM
Almost worthless for backup if you can't connect to it easily.
cspFeb 25th 2009 1:38PM
I think the file size limit at ADrive is 2 GB and they allow upload of folders. I've been using it for a few months, and the upload can be slow at times, but it works for me. I hope they make it. I tried their 14 day free trial and the ftp worked quite well.
JackMar 29th 2009 11:24PM
I've been looking at these types of reviews for one to try for the first time. Indeed, longevity is my biggest concern. Speed does not matter at this point, maybe someday. Thanks for the info, I'll try 'em.