There are dozens of free online storage available today even with MegaUpload’s woes. For Linux users, Mandriva, Ubuntu, and openSUSE endorse separate online storage services (Mandriva Sync, Ubuntu One, and Spider-Oak respectively). As a conservative user of the cloud, I keep very minimal data online, preferring instead to store it safely in portable HDDs (Toshiba and Buffalo hard drives), within a local file server, or use the traditional method of backing up to DVDRs. When on the go, however, I depend on three of the most popular online storage services today:
1. Ubuntu One – Ubuntu One as a standalone online storage service was nothing special when it first started. Moreover, even Ubuntu 10.10 users and later had problems syncing in with the service. Numerous updates to the popular Linux distribution and a slight increase in offered storage now make it invaluable to Ubuntu users. One of the more useful features I found was Ubuntu One’s no-nonsense ability to backup Tomboy Notes and Evolution contacts and e-mail.
2. Windows Live SkyDrive – Like Ubuntu One, Windows Live SkyDrive had its share of hiccups when it was first launched. It was slow, taking close to a quarter of an hour to upload documents while a silly bouncing ball game was displayed. Microsoft’s efforts have spruced up not only the storage space but also its speed and feature set (though storage space varies according to country and region). SkyDrive now works very well with other MS services such as LiveMail, LiveMesh, and the underrated Microsoft Office Online service. Although I’m primarily a Linux user, I find myself accessing the online Office service when LibreOffice or OpenOffice fails to open a document properly or a client requests for a purely Microsoft-created document.
3. Dropbox – I’ve been using Dropbox for more than 6 years now (though I stopped when they went offline to upgrade their servers). Though there are many other services out there that provide more storage space, Dropbox’s compatibility with every platform makes it invaluable to any user of the cloud. Dropbox works seamlessly with most Linux distributions and packages for the sync module are available for both KDE and Gnome.
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