You want to show your vacation pictures to your friends and family? No need to copy them on a USB drive that you’ll have to remember to bring to them. To access them from a device connected to the Internet, simply put your pictures on a “cloud”, a digital storage space.
What is cloud storage?
Your computer and phone are probably overflowing with photos and files that are important to you. It’s a good idea to keep copies of them (in case you lose your device, for example). The cloud is a collection of servers and datacenters where you can store them. In other words, your data, instead of being stored on your hard disks or memories, will be available on remote servers and accessible via the Internet.
Features & drawbacks of cloud storage
The advantage, compared to a USB stick, is that you can connect from any device connected to the Internet to your cloud storage. The best part is that unlike USB sticks, computer memories or hard drives, your data will not be lost in case of failure.
On the other hand, it requires an internet connection. Also, the data stored on the cloud does not belong to you completely since it is kept on servers. Another disadvantage: if some clouds allow free storage, it is only for 5 GB. Beyond that, you will have to pay a monthly fee to store your data.
How to use the cloud?
Create an account with a secure password (a complex code that you don’t use on other sites). The services in our selection offer several options for viewing stored files or adding files. From a computer, a very simple method that works on all our selection is to go to the site via a web browser and then connect to it. Transferring a file is usually done by dragging the item into your cloud space.
Which cloud service to choose?
A free 5GB offer already allows you to store over 1,500 3MB photos. But if you want to store a lot of large files (like videos), you’ll probably have to opt for a paid plan. Also, make sure the service works with the devices you plan to use it on. The iCloud service, for example, does not offer an application for Android smartphones.
4 clouds to test:
- Google Drive, for the classic user. Free, it is probably the best in the field. It’s the service that offers the largest storage space at no cost and it offers the user all the tools you can look for on a cloud. You can store photos and files but also create documents directly on it and even allow your friends to view or edit them. The icing on the cake is that the service is accessible from a wide range of devices (PC, Mac, Android and iOS mobile devices). 15 GB free, paid plans beyond that.
- OneDrive, Microsoft, for Office regulars. An excellent quality cloud to easily save photos and documents. Its little plus? It allows you to create files (texts, spreadsheets etc.) directly on the cloud using online versions of Office. Those used to Word and Excel will not be disoriented. OneDrive also allows you to share files with your contacts and to create a document together (for example, a list of sites to visit with your group of friends). 5 Gb free, paid packages beyond that.
- iCloud, Apple, for Apple users. Your computer is a Mac and your cell phone is an iPhone? Using the Apple cloud can be interesting in this case: the service is pre-installed and designed to work in perfect harmony with the Apple devices. You can easily configure your devices so that photos and videos taken from your phone are accessible from your computer or tablet. Of course, the service allows you to keep many other types of files (documents, music…). 5 GB free, paid plans beyond that.
