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Microsoft Backs Down, Lets OneDrive Users Keep Their Free 15GB of Storage

Posted by timothy on from the taketh-away-and-giveth dept.

New submitter Farfetched619 writes: In November, Microsoft revealed that they would be reducing free OneDrive storage from 15GB to 5GB for all users, current and new. Microsoft mentioned that some subscribers were hosting movies and large files on the service, which has prompted the company to make this drastic change. Now, after community feedback, Microsoft is allowing free OneDrive users to retain their 15GB of free storage space.

43 of 80 comments (clear)

  1. Another reason to avoid "cloud" solutions by Hasaf · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Terms are always subject to change"

    1. Re: Another reason to avoid "cloud" solutions by TinyTheBrontosaurus · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Pray I don't alter the terms further

    2. Re:Another reason to avoid "cloud" solutions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I think this is more a case of "You get what you pay for".

      You pay nothing, you get what you get.

      Other cloud service providers take your money and and make a contractual agreement to what they have to deliver for that.

    3. Re:Another reason to avoid "cloud" solutions by antdude · · Score: 1

      It is not just the cloud. :(

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  2. Dumb argument by lyovushka · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "We gave users storage and they have used it. So we are going to cut it." That is the dumbest argument I have ever heard.

    1. Re:Dumb argument by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Maybe they would have been ok with 15GB of personal files. They mentioned movies and large files, so their beef could be that they weren't able to extract personal information from them and monetize.

    2. Re:Dumb argument by rudy_wayne · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Bullshit. If you advertise X, then you should assume, right from the very beginning, that *EVERYONE* is going to use the maximum amount of X, and plan accordingly. Otherwise, it demonstrates that you are dishonest and never intended for people to actually use X -- it was just an advertising gimmick designed to draw people in for something that you never intended to deliver.

    3. Re:Dumb argument by Fragnet · · Score: 4, Informative

      Not bullshit, no. A reasonable assumption is that usage falls on a curve of some kind and that the peak value is probably not everybody using all 15Gb. For example I'm currently using 1.4Gb of mine. Now if the bean counters see that the peak value of the curve has moved substantially, well, that's what terms of service changes are for. It's just a business decision for them. It's free to you (though not to them) so if you don't like it you can jog on I guess.

      And yes, it is a "tragedy of the commons" argument.

    4. Re:Dumb argument by Daimanta · · Score: 2

      Bullshit. If you advertise X, then you should assume, right from the very beginning, that *EVERYONE* is going to use the maximum amount of X, and plan accordingly. Otherwise, it demonstrates that you are dishonest and never intended for people to actually use X -- it was just an advertising gimmick designed to draw people in for something that you never intended to deliver.

      You probably know about internet overselling. In fact, the statistical truth that not everyone is going to use a service to the maximal extent of their capability is used in every area where people need to plan. You don't dedicate a persons internet line to them personally since it is quite unlikely that they use it fully all the time. You don't have as many toilets as employees at a company as not everyone will use it at the same time. If you offer storage, not everyone will use the same amount of space as the needs of people are different.

      Ofcourse, that doesn't mean you shouldn't be prepared for heavier usage of your system. But to expect MS or Google to make good on all the potential storage space they offered for the total price of zero is lunacy and doesn't work in the real world.

      --
      Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power lost.
    5. Re:Dumb argument by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Your defense of this argument is also idiotic. For a large company to make this offer without a basic economic analysis would be ridiculous, and to be surprised by uses they advertised (storing video, photos, and documents) would also. All you can eat buffets clearly understand that they need to feed people all they can eat, if that turns out to not be a profitable stance they charge FUTURE customers more or offer less, but they don't kick out people who took them up on the offer. Internet carriers always complain about the top 1,5, or 10 percent ruining it for everyone, but they know there will always be a top 1, 5, or 10 percent. They could have offered capped services years ago (even though they have never had a problem making profits with the unlimited plans) but didn't because anti-trust laws prohibited them from colluding on prices and services. Now that they have managed to divide up the country into almost competition free monopoly areas they have again started to consider capped plans because the customers have no where to go. It was common for ISPs to have tiered data, or caps early in the internet days, but competition forced them to match the best offer...Unlimited. MS simply hoped now was the time to monetize the free offer, they found they were wrong and backtracked. They will try again when more people have a compelling reason to stick with them (like tying all of their devices tightly to the MS cloud).

    6. Re:Dumb argument by Fragnet · · Score: 1

      Because the analysis of whether or not its profitable is multivariate. It's not a simple function of the cost of providing storage.

    7. Re:Dumb argument by unixisc · · Score: 1

      While that may be a reasonable calculation by the company, their legal obligation remains to deliver what's promised. If they've promised 15GB, they should be capable of delivering that to all their users. Yeah, they can have terms of service exceptions/exclusions that make it less likely that most people will come anywhere near it.

      From what I know, the 15GB only applies to Office 365 users

    8. Re:Dumb argument by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2

      Not bullshit, no. A reasonable assumption is that usage falls on a curve of some kind and that the peak value is probably not everybody using all 15Gb.

      And it makes as many friends as overbooking airplane flights does. All over a thumbs drive worth of storage.

      It's just a business decision for them.

      Apparently one that wasn't so popular either. And no tragedy of commons needed in this case.

      The bean counters who may have decided they should cut this storage in half - did they consider the effects of popularity? Did they not consider that some users would use all their space? Where were they during the initial stages of this

      Bean counters are very good at bottom lines - even when those bottom lines are destructive to the goal.

      I have no dog in this fight. I don't use any Microsoft cloud solution in my Windows machines, and only use "find my Mac/iPhone on my OSX machines.

      And this is an example of why. My storage devices, under my control, do not resize themselves, or go away, or change the terms for allowing me to store my data and backups on them.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    9. Re:Dumb argument by ArsenneLupin · · Score: 1

      All you can eat buffets clearly understand that they need to feed people all they can eat, if that turns out to not be a profitable stance they charge FUTURE customers more or offer less, but they don't kick out people who took them up on the offer.

      No, but they can tell all customers in the room "sorry, we're out of grilled pork". Customers are still free to stay (... and partake in the other foods, that may still be left). And they still need to pay full price, even those that look like Miss Piggy :-)

    10. Re:Dumb argument by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      then you should assume, right from the very beginning, that *EVERYONE* is going to use the maximum amount of X

      That is an instant trip to a failed business and shows a clear lack of understanding of your customers. Assuming everyone will use the max of everything results in highly wasteful over-provisioning which from a cost point of view can be just as damaging as under-provisioning.

    11. Re:Dumb argument by amiga3D · · Score: 1

      I have 12 Terabytes of storage on my desk. The smallest thumb drive I have is 32 GB. 15 GB of storage isn't a blip.

    12. Re:Dumb argument by KingOfBLASH · · Score: 1

      You're assuming it is profitable. I think the point is most services like OneDrive / iCloud / DropBox / Whatever try to get you hooked by offering limited storage so you'll upgrade. Companies lose money on the teasers but make money when people go onto the service.

      It could be they miscalculated and actually people only need 10GB of storage. So instead of roping people in (sorta like a drug dealer) they aren't getting a high enough conversion ratio to the full service.

    13. Re:Dumb argument by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Then we're in the case "they're losing money when people use between 5GB and 15GB". I think we're on the same side. The "15GB" was an advertising gimmick, which was the original point. As you said it could be that they were satisfying people's needs instead of roping people in. It has nothing to do with a "tragedy of the commons". A better analogy is an ice cream parlor which advertises "taste 15 flavors for free!", and the owner notices that a lot of people taste 10+ flavors and leave on a full stomach instead of tasting 5 flavors and buying their favorite flavor on a cone.

    14. Re:Dumb argument by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You probably know about internet overselling. In fact, the statistical truth that not everyone is going to use a service to the maximal extent of their capability is used in every area where people need to plan.

      Perhaps the GP realized that it's not the same thing: For internet conenctions, most people *are* using the max speed quite often -- every time they load a large image, etc. But as you say, there's also a lot of dead time. For cloud storage I'm having a hard time imagining someone using 10 GB for a short while and then deleting stuff to use 1 GB. So the customers aren't seeing any benefit from the overselling. The only advantage for MS is to have a bigger number than Google, Dropbox etc., so like the GP saied, it's just a marketing gimmick.

    15. Re:Dumb argument by Fragnet · · Score: 1

      Are you a fool? I don't know. The point is if you don't want it enough to want to pay for it, why should anyone put in any effort to provide it for you?

    16. Re: Dumb argument by netsurfer912 · · Score: 1

      for one person, no. if you have millions of users however ...

    17. Re: Dumb argument by amiga3D · · Score: 1

      Everything is relative. For something the size of Microsoft........

    18. Re:Dumb argument by Fragnet · · Score: 1

      You chose to utilise the facility by filling it to 80% capacity right from the get-go.

  3. honeypot, storage is free by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Storage is for the most part free, especially compared to the meta-data and other marketing analyses that can be done on the data people are storing. Hello NSA treasure-trove.

  4. Not really backing down by PwrSwitch · · Score: 2

    They're staying the course, they're just giving the option to be grandfathered in. I doubt they'll make an effort to let people know this exists.

    1. Re:Not really backing down by sixshot · · Score: 1

      People who have been told or heard about the whole mess would have already opted in to retain their 15+15 storage. The uservoice page, which Microsoft is using for their OneDrive feedback, that called for reverting the change garnered over 70k upvotes. MS's response on that page also included a link for people to "opt-in" to retain their 15+15GB cloud storage. Eventually everyone will know about it.

      The article title is a bit misleading, however. Microsoft didn't really back down. They merely gave people a choice if they want to retain that storage they were using/given. Granted, this isn't the best course of action. But at the very least, it gives the OneDrive users, along with any Windows 8/10 users out there, the option of keeping it. I still would have preferred if Microsoft truly backs out of their proposed change. Because once the change takes effect, OneDrive is worse off than Google Drive and Box.com's base offering, yet slightly better than what Dropbox offers initially.

  5. OneDrive quotas by unixisc · · Score: 1

    Ain't 15GB the storage that only Office 365 users get? I thought that one has to buy Office 365 to get that much, else, it's 5GB

  6. What their competitors offer by unixisc · · Score: 1

    I agree. Both iCloud and Dropbox offer 2GB - anything beyond that is paid. From just 2 years of WhatsApp exchanges of photos and short family videos filled those up.

    1. Re:What their competitors offer by amiga3D · · Score: 1

      2GB is almost nothing. I don't think I've seen a thumb drive smaller than 4GB for sale in a long time and those come in a three pack now for like $5. I wont say it's useless but really I don't see how it's worth paying for. I imagine the personal information they sift for is worth more than the storage to them.

  7. Re:more details by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

    Secondly, fifteen gigabytes is the equivalent of three blank DVDs, a ninety-cent value! This is a battle over ninety cents.

    Yeah. 15 Gb is so small as to be insignificant, 5 is pointless. Easier to buy a thumb drive and use that for storage. At least the thumb drive won't decide one day to only allow you to store a third of what it was allowing you to store.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  8. Re: more details by unencode200x · · Score: 1

    Yea, because a thumb drive automatically syncs to your various PCs, tablets, and phones. And replicates itself to different geographical areas and keeps previous versions and backups. Yep, it's clearly the same as a DVD or a thumb drive.

    --

    Chance favors the prepared mind.
    Perfect is the enemy of good.
  9. Re: more details by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2

    Yea, because a thumb drive automatically syncs to your various PCs, tablets, and phones. And replicates itself to different geographical areas and keeps previous versions and backups. Yep, it's clearly the same as a DVD or a thumb drive.

    First world problem, sir.

    Sarcasm rant follows...

    One time, I damn near died from the stress and exhaustion involved when I had to manually load in something from a thumb drive. Can you believe, it? First I had to put it into the USB slot, which is way too complicated - I even had to look for the USB slot. I cried a little by this point. Then a very confusing screen popped up, asking me what I wanted to do. Holy hell! How would I know? So after what seemed like forever, I chose to open it. I was sweating bullets by this time. Then there were these things on the screen! I had no idea what to do, so I went to my Facebook to find out. Did you know those damn computer geeks have these things they call files? Who knew? I clicked on it. Nothing happened. I clicked again. Still nothing happened. Finally I got really pissed at the utter unfairness, the ridiculous inconvenience, and in frustration clicked twice probably because I was shaking with anger.. Then it opened the file. What the hell? One click should always be enough That was .25 seconds of my life I won't get back. It should be criminal I tell you

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  10. Re: more details by unencode200x · · Score: 1

    Lol :) point was that there are more costs and infrastructure involved than the folks above were pointing out. Also, I heard that MS is having trouble building out/getting data centers up fast enough to keep up with O365 demand. I have no idea how accurate that is and in my old age can't remember who told me. Sounds legit right :) ?

    --

    Chance favors the prepared mind.
    Perfect is the enemy of good.
  11. Re: more details by thewolfkin · · Score: 1

    but these aren't new costs. These are costs they had when they started this. They should include those costs and start everyone at 5GB then if everyone is hitting the ceiling they could have raised to 10 and everyone would be talking about how awesome OneDrive is rather than how annoying it is.

    --
    Just another second banana
  12. Re:hmm by retchdog · · Score: 1

    someone want to explain how this is flamebait?

    --
    "They were pure niggers." – Noam Chomsky
  13. Re: more details by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

    My camera, phone, and tablet do not have USB ports.

    My camera has a little card I put into my computer, my Phone automatically loads it's pictures via bluetooth

    My USB drive point was that 5 Gbytes or 15 Gbytes is probably the amount of files I have in my trash at any given moment. It means absolutely nothing.It is of absolutely no use to me.

    I need way more than 32/64/128 GB at a time. It starts adding up fast.

    No kidding. Would you agree that my point is that that 5 or 15 Gbytes is laughingly useless?

    Cloud is the future and you're being a pedantic dinosaur on purpose.

    When they can give me multiple terabytes of storage that I can pay the same price as my drives - total? I'll think about it.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  14. Re:hmm by KGIII · · Score: 1

    Well, it used to be that if you pointed out a truth about Linux then it was flamebait. Then it extended to Microsoft. Then Uber. PHP was in there somewhere.

    I think flamebait means that you're saying something true so they think that you're saying it for no reason except to flame (varied definitions but call it needlessly going off on someone/something). Mostly, it just means you told the truth.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  15. Re:Global Mother Fucking Spyware? by rpstrong · · Score: 1

    You can set up a VPN at home if you need access to your shit while out.

    http://www.howtogeek.com/221001/how-to-set-up-your-own-home-vpn-server/

    Dead link.

  16. Re:hmm by retchdog · · Score: 1

    makes sense to me. thanks.

    --
    "They were pure niggers." – Noam Chomsky
  17. I doubt this is going to cost them much... by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

    The thing that Microsoft really needed to cut back on was the abusive use of unlimited storage by a few users who were backing up multiple terabytes of data. Making this move lets Microsoft look like less of a Grinch, while still cutting back where they really needed to cut.

    1. Re:I doubt this is going to cost them much... by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      I thought the issue was whether people got a free 15G or 5G. Neither of these will backup multiple terabytes.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    2. Re:I doubt this is going to cost them much... by Shirley+Marquez · · Score: 1

      My point was that Microsoft gets to look like a good guy by restoring the 15GB for free, mitigating the negative PR from taking away the unlimited storage. The cost impact of that extra 10GB per customer will be modest because a large percentage of the people affected will never use it; meanwhile, they're getting the savings from dealing with the people who were uploading multiple terabytes of data.

  18. Large Files by TheGrimmReaper · · Score: 1

    "Microsoft mentioned that some subscribers were hosting movies and large files on the service" You mean they... they... they were using what they were giving? Those greedy bastards!