I was looking through Digg today and came across a new file sharing and storage service that just just launched today called, Dropbox. I downloaded the installer and was up and running with a fresh account and I was sharing files with friends in a few minutes.
Quick Overview
Dropbox is a fast and easy way to share and store files remotely with the ability to access the files using PC, Mac, or Linux operating systems. The files are versioned so you can actually restore previous versions of a file and even restore deleted files. The basic account comes with 2GB of storage and premium accounts are $9.99 a month, or $99.99 a year.
Windows Experience
Once you install the application is installed, Dropbox sits in your notification area in the lower left of the desktop. Right click on the icon and you can see your remaining storage space as well as other options. When you click on “Open My Dropbox”, Explorer opens up a file location inside of your My Documents folder called “My Dropbox”.
Drop and drop files to the location and they sync to Dropbox’s servers automatically. It’s like SVN without having to manually commit and update. It only takes a few moments for others to see the items you just placed in shared folders. Also, you can choose to see any updates to your shared folders so you know when new items are added.
Mac Experience
Installing Dropbox on the Mac was just as easy. I downloaded the installed, dragged the program to the Application folder, signed into my account and I had Dropbox running on my G4 Mac. I didn’t have to have an Intel Mac to run the software (yeay!). The program adds Dropbox to two locations on the Mac. The first is in the area of Finder next to the Documents and Pictures. The second is in the top right of the page with and icon to see the same options as on the PC.
First Impressions
Right now, I carry around a few thumb drives in work bags to move around large files between work and home. Now, I can simply drag and drop those files to a folder on either my Mac or PC. I’d say that’s pretty convenient. Sharing files with friends is great too, already my friends and I have traded some large image files which wouldn’t send well in email. I’m pretty excited on how easy the service is and will be using it in the foreseeable future.
