Any file type you can imagine will soon be welcome on Google Docs.
The online document editing and sharing service will soon allow users to upload any type of file directly. Google has essentially created an online locker for its users, eliminating the need to e-mail a file to yourself if you're just looking for some quick online storage.
Users will get 1 GB of free storage space for any files that aren't in a Google Docs format, and files must be less than 250 MB. More space can be purchased for 25 cents per GB, per year. The service will roll out to all users over the next couple of weeks.
If you're just looking for an online locker, though, Google Docs isn't much different than other services already out there. Microsoft, for instance, offers SkyDrive, which provides 25 GB of free storage, though its file size limit is 50 MB. ADrive's free plan provides 50 GB of storage, with 2 GB size limits, plus extra features such as the ability to share files with anyone by creating a Web link to the content.
Google's strength, however, is in the collaborative nature of Google Docs. Users can create shared folders among a specific group of people, and then upload an entire project that includes text documents, images, sound and video. Spreadsheets and text documents can of course be converted to the Google Docs format so that collaborators can edit them directly online.
What I don't see in Google's explanation of the new service is the ability to incorporate these new file types directly into a document. The ability to paste images into a text file, for instance, could be quite valuable, but it's not clear whether you'll be able to do that. Still, the ability to quickly store and share files of all types could come in handy.
