I don't really like to play the part of the curmudgeon. But, I am getting a bit tired of the Google "me too" way of doing business, despite the fact that I have to admit I have followed it to a large degree in the past. The company was not the first (obviously) with a web browser, but got me to switch from Firefox -- a move I have begun to regret, given recent problems. Google was not the first with cloud storage and, though I signed up for the free version, I pay for real storage on Amazon Cloud and use Crashplan for backup services.
I have used Google Docs, but I prefer Office. In fact, beyond Android, there is really not much being offered that I cannot live without. Don't get me wrong -- I am not being as bold as my colleague Wayne Williams and his total switch, but I have become a bit ambivalent to all of Google. I could switch to Bing. I could go back to Firefox. Neither would really cause me stress.
However, recent events have not helped my perception of the company. And, yes, by that I refer to the whole Reader debacle. I know there are alternatives, though most seem snowed under at the moment. That one simple kill, which is a part of much broader strokes the company has taken lately, was enough to leave a rather permanent bad taste in my mouth.
And now, today, the information giant would like me to trust it with all of my notes, lists and other data with the new Google Keep -- or perhaps I should say "keep until the next spring cleaning".
Give me one good reason why I should leave Evernote, where all of this data is already stored, works across every platform known to man, is completely free and has proven an ability to stay up and running and honest in the face of attacks from hackers?
Keep works on fewer platforms, has fewer options and comes with the headache of knowing that Google may simply decide it is no longer relevant to some future business model.
Honestly, if I were to leave Evernote, which would only happen if the business somehow goes south, I would sooner trust Microsoft and OneNote with my information. The company has a much better track record of trust than that search giant does.