Amazon has finally released its Dropbox / Google Drive / SkyDrive “killer”

Click here to listen to this post: 

It lets you save files to Amazon storage systems right on your Windows or Mac desktop, through a local folder that gets synced automatically.

Few notes:

1. The first 5GB of storage are free, and then you start paying.
2. It is separate from the usual Amazon S3 storage.
3. No sharing through links exists yet, but I expect it will be added in the future
4. Check the terms and conditions of use…looks like they allow Amazon disclose what you put there rather easily…

Another question that becomes prevalent is “How should we address the variety of cloud storage systems running all on our desktops?”

1. Stick to just one? (That’s my choice for now…)
2. Split across several?
3. Use Apps that consolidate all Cloud Drives into a single unit and get into the same risks which RAID 0 has (one disk is gone, and our data is a mess…)

All this tightly coupled web accessible, cloud based, desktop integrated content highlights a relevant security risk factor: Attacks which could penetrate through one end (say through web URL exploitation tactics) and end up much easier in the other side (desktop or other user’s desktops).

Amazon Cloud Drive is a 61.8MB download (!) and you can get it right here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000796931

Will you use Amazon Cloud Drive? How?