Just hours after Microsoft rolled out its Skydrive online storage service on Thursday, Google Inc. unveiled pricing for shared online storage available to both Gmail and Picasa, the search giant’s Web-based photo and e-mail services.
The new storage space, which Google took pains to stress is in addition to the free allowance for each service (1GB for Picasa, 2.8GB for Gmail), is priced starting at $20 a year for another 6GB. In the first 20 minutes after the paid storage debuted, however, Google sold the 6GB bump for just $1.00 a year; that was quickly changed to $20.
Other plans provide an extra 25GB for $75 annually, 100GB for $250, and 250GB for $500.