Got this in my email this morning....haven't tried the program yet but it sounds like a good deal and google doesn't mind it beingused this way.
It did not take users long to discover other uses for the gigabyte of disk space provided by Google�s free e-mail service, Gmail.
A free new software utility for Windows XP called GMail Drive creates a virtual Web-based storage drive by harnessing a Gmail account. Much like an external hard drive or a USB memory device, Gmail storage appears as a drive under the ââ?¬Ë?ââ?¬Ë?My Computerââ?¬â?¢Ã¢â?¬â?¢ folder and allows you to transfer, store or retrieve files by simply dragging and dropping them.
Many Web storage companies charge $16 a month and higher for one gigabyte of space but include added features.
Bjarke Viksoe, a Danish software developer, created GMail Drive for Windows XP (www.viksoe.dk/code/gmail.htm). Earlier, Richard Jones, an Australian software engineer, developed a similar tool for Linux-based systems called GmailFS (at richard.jones.name). While there is no Mac version yet, it is likely to surface soon.
Both utilities are early versions and may have a few glitches. Gmail itself is still in the testing phase. Google said that it was aware of the utilities but was ââ?¬Ë?ââ?¬Ë?politely looking the other wayââ?¬â?¢Ã¢â?¬â?¢ as long as they were not being sold commercially or stressing its servers. The company does not guarantee that files stored in this manner will be accessible in the future.
'00 Blk CSVT #1087/2150 built 12/23/99
