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Technical Help & Discussion => General Tech Discussion, News & Q&A => Topic started by: Clive on March 02, 2009, 16:02

Title: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Clive on March 02, 2009, 16:02

Yahoo Briefcase, an online storage service, will be closing down at the end of the month, the company has announced.

An email to users of Briefcase informed them that the service would be shut on 30 March and that they should upload files back to their computers.

"You need to take action before we close, after which any files remaining on Yahoo Briefcase will be deleted and no longer accessible," the email reads.

Yahoo Briefcase also offers a paid-for Premium service, which will also be shut. Yahoo promised refunds for affected customers.

Yahoo said in a statement: "Yahoo Briefcase is being discontinued because usage has been significantly declining over the years as users outgrew the need for Yahoo Briefcase and turned to offerings with much more storage and enhanced sharing capabilities, such as Yahoo! Mail and Flickr.

"Discontinuing the service will allow us to focus our efforts on more broadly-used products, in line with our commitment to deliver the best possible user experience," the statement continued.

AOL's Xdrive, another online storage service, was shut down in January.

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Rik on March 02, 2009, 16:54

I'm sure we'll see more of this, Clive.

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Simon on March 02, 2009, 20:36

I fail to see the need for online storage, given that you can pick up 1Tb external hard drives for less than £100 now, which, I am sure, would satisfy most people's needs.

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Clive on March 02, 2009, 21:51

I quite like online storage because you can access it from anywhere.  I used yahoo briefcase myself. 

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Simon on March 02, 2009, 21:52

I guess there is that, Clive, but you could also take an external hard drive anywhere, although, admittedly, not quite so conveniently.

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Clive on March 02, 2009, 21:56

External hard drives can be easily lost or stolen.  And they cost money!   :)

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Simon on March 02, 2009, 22:09

So, what are you going to do when Yahoo packs it's briefcase and buggers off?

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Clive on March 02, 2009, 22:44

Yahoo mail offers free storage!   ;D

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Simon on March 02, 2009, 23:22

I wouldn't trust them with a bargepole, but I'm sure Google must do something similar as well.

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Clive on March 03, 2009, 07:18

Yes they do.   :)

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Rik on March 03, 2009, 08:52

To me, the big issue is trust. I'd much rather carry a pocket-sized USB HD.

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Simon on March 03, 2009, 10:17

Me too, Rik, but I guess it depends on what you're asking to be looked after, and how secure and private you need it to be.

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Rik on March 03, 2009, 10:39

Truecrypt will make it private enough for most people.

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Simon on March 03, 2009, 10:56

It's Google itself that would worry me. 

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Rik on March 03, 2009, 11:07

I wouldn't trust Google or, for that matter, any online storage facility, with anything but the most banal of information.

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Clive on March 03, 2009, 16:37

I don't store anything I would worry about should it become stolen.  None of it is sensitive or personal.   :D

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Rik on March 03, 2009, 16:46

What sort of space are you talking about, Clive?

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Simon on March 03, 2009, 17:10

Quote from: Clive on March 03, 2009, 16:37

I don't store anything I would worry about should it become stolen.  None of it is sensitive or personal.   :D

Nothing, er... 'woolly' then?   :devil:

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Clive on March 03, 2009, 17:39

Quote from: Rik on March 03, 2009, 16:46

What sort of space are you talking about, Clive?

I dont really know Rik.  I use Yahoo Notepad which is part of Yahoo mail and I store documents on that. 

Quote from: Simon on March 03, 2009, 17:10

Nothing, er... 'woolly' then?   :devil:

   :o:

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Rik on March 03, 2009, 17:48

What I was thinking was that you could probably store the material on a flash drive or SD card.

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Clive on March 03, 2009, 17:53

Yes I do but I don't have to worry about forgetting to take it with me.  I  use it mainly when I visit my son in London.

Title: Re: Yahoo to close down Briefcase
Post by: Rik on March 03, 2009, 18:00

Get a flash drive in your toothbrush? ;)