I finally received my invitation to Ubuntu One a few days ago. I’ve been using the service daily ever since and I have to say the integration with Ubuntu is, as we all expected, second to none.
What follows is not meant to be a critical blow-by-blow account of Ubuntu One. And that’s because you put files in a folder and it then syncs them to your online storage. Not much else to say, really!
Instead, I want to cover what is installed, how it works, and how it compares to rival cloud storage services when it comes to storage, performance, and price.
Ubuntu One Integration
Ubuntu One places a new folder in your Home directory called ‘Ubuntu One’. A shortcut to this folder is placed in your “Places” menu.
Inside, you have “My Files” and “Shared With Me” directories:
When viewing the Ubuntu One folder you see a dialog at the top (similar to the one in the ‘Deleted Items’). This bar allows you to connect and disconnect from the service easily.
Files you put in folders show an emblem next to them once they have been successfully uploaded.
Ubuntu One also shows a tray icon/applet. The icon animates when the service is connecting or syncing files, and will show a red cross when it is disconnected:
Left clicking on the tray icon opens your Ubuntu One folder. Right clicking the tray icon gives access to a menu with options to connect/disconnect, report a problem, open your Ubuntu One folder, or go online to view your files in a web browser.
Overall Impressions
Having wrestled with using DropBox (a similar service) in Ubuntu I can’t help but appreciate Ubuntu’s tight integration. I find Ubuntu One syncs the same files quicker than Dropbox too, but that might be dependent on server traffic/demand (Dropbox has millions of users).
Canonical says it will expand the feature set of Ubuntu One in time. And it will need to if it hopes to succeed longterm as a rival to established vendors.
Pricing is also an issue right now: for the same amount of money a month you get more storage with Dropbox than you do with Ubuntu One. Both services offers 2GB for free accounts, which is enough for basic needs, but as files accumulate…
Still, it’ll be interesting to see if the free quota increases in the future, especially as competition with other services heats up and companies begin to vie for users.