Google Drive (formerly Google Docs) went down Monday for many users. Google first commented on the outage at 7:17 a.m. PDT and shortly after, issued the following statement:
"We're aware of a problem with Google Drive affecting a significant subset of users. The affected users are unable to access Google Drive. We will provide an update by 3/18/13 12:10 PM detailing when we expect to resolve the problem. Please note that this resolution time is an estimate and may change."
Google stated that the problem was due to a service outage, but has remained mum on further details. Later, Google posted:
"Google Drive service has already been restored for some users, and we expect a resolution for all users within the next one hour," Google said in a service post on its site. "Please note this time frame is an estimate and may change."
The service is reportedly back up now. It's hard to tell if some users are still without access since even at its peak, the outage did not affect everybody. According to Google's official status page, the service is fully functional right now, but it remains unclear what caused the outage in the first place.
Google Drive is more than just the company's analog to Microsoft Office. Google Drive is also the primary storage option for Chromebook Pixel users. As Google works to find traction for its Chromebook offerings, it increasingly can't afford to suffer outages like this one. The total absence of an explanation is also deeply troubling.
Do you own a Chromebook Pixel? How did the outage affect you? Did it shake your confidence in Google's cloud-storage offerings?
