Microsoft OneDrive

MWhat is it? Microsoft’s cloud storage offering. Initially a little late to the party, the company has used its deep pockets to catch up and create a cross-platform storage solution that offers extra features to Windows users. What does it work with? More or less everything: Windows and OS X through a downloadable application or a browser, iOS and Android and of course Windows Phone devices. It even ties in with the company’s Xbox system to let you view pictures and movies and upload game clips. icrosoft’s OneDrive gives you a generous 15GB of online storage for free and you can put your files in it using regular drag-and-drop or by setting up desktop syncing using a downloadable app that works in a similar way to other providers.

Get extra space by inviting friends to join and boost your storage to 100GB (for $1.99 a month) or 200GB (for $3.99 a month). You can also get extra storage as part of an Fffice 365 subscription, and there’s built-in integration with Office on the desktop; while this feature isn’t available on the Mac, it works if you use Office for iPad or iPhone. Although you can store and sync any kind of file, the benefits of using this particular system are centred around Office-style tasks. You can create and edit documents in a browser, collaborate in real-time on Office documents, and there’s automatic versioning and history of documents too. Photos and videos can be backed up from any compatible device and viewed from the cloud, and, of course, you can share links to specific files inside your drive with others while keeping everything else private. Business plans are also available and offer more advanced tools in the areas of auditing, reporting and administration.

Like Apple does with iCloud and Macs, so Microsoft tailors OneDrive to make it most attractive if you’re using a Windows device, but it’s still very capable even if you’re not.