Google: "Come enjoy this limited version of our service, it's absolutely free!"
Consumer: "Excellent. I was going to go with this other service, but since this one is free I will take advantage of it!"
Years later...
Google: "Ok, now that you have many years of data in our system, it's time for you to start paying!"
Consumer: "Wait... what?"
Yes, it's been free. But Google offered it for free and now people have years of data in it. Data which could have been in another service had Google not offered this one for free to begin with. It's kind of like a bait and switch. Get people in, get them to sink most of their life into it, and then start charging.
Also, it's not like a lot of people were out looking for this kind of solution. The fact that it was free brought in a LOT of people who otherwise wouldn't have done it, and are now tied down to it.
That's why a lot of people are mad, and to me it is justifiable.
Google: "Come enjoy this limited version of our service, it's absolutely free!"
Consumer: "Excellent. I was going to go with this other service, but since this one is free I will take advantage of it!"
Years later...
Google: "Ok, now that you have many years of data in our system, it's time for you to start paying!"
Consumer: "Wait... what?"
Yes, it's been free. But Google offered it for free and now people have years of data in it. Data which could have been in another service had Google not offered this one for free to begin with. It's kind of like a bait and switch. Get people in, get them to sink most of their life into it, and then start charging.
Also, it's not like a lot of people were out looking for this kind of solution. The fact that it was free brought in a LOT of people who otherwise wouldn't have done it, and are now tied down to it.
That's why a lot of people are mad, and to me it is justifiable.