14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft recently announced that, starting early 2016, new and current OneDrive users would receive only 5 GB of storage in their online accounts, while the unlimited storage plans would no longer be available, no matter if we’re talking about paying customers or not.
The reason for this decision, at least according to Microsoft, is that many people actually use their online storage to upload movies, videos, and DVR recordings that obviously eat up too much space. So basically, Microsoft found out the hard way that if you give customers unlimited storage space, they actually use.
But according to IDC analyst Liz Conner, the Redmond-based tech giant never expected OneDrive to become an all-you-can-eat buffet, and the company actually hoped that people would use its service for storing backups, documents, and images that don’t take up too much space.
“My guess is that Microsoft intended OneDrive to be more a cache for documents and productivity, never intending it to be a replacement for an external storage device to back up one’s entire computer, music, movie collection, etc,” Conner is quoted as saying.
Users already fighting back
And unsurprisingly, users’ reaction arrived almost instantly, with some saying that if Microsoft indeed cuts down the amount of free storage, they’re ready to give up on all products the company currently has, including Windows and Office.
Obviously, the transition would really be a painful process, but such statements are living proof that Microsoft’s free storage reduction causes immense frustration in the community, who no longer seems to tolerate such changes when there are plenty of other similar services to choose from.
Microsoft hasn’t yet announced timing details for this change, but more information should be provided in early 2016. But if the same level of criticism is maintained, the company might actually go back in reverse for the second time and keep the amount of free storage untouched.