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Dropbox Review
- Dropbox Basic: 2Gb storage for free
- Dropbox Pro: 50Gb storage for $9.99 per month or $99 per year
- Windows, Mac or Linux
- Free downloadable client software
- Works like any other folder on your computer
- Intergates with your operating system
- Handy coloured icons to show the backup status of a file
- Automatic folder synchronization
- Share folders to collaborate on projects
- Easily publish files online
- Create photo albums just by dropping files into a special folder
- Changes in shared folders are reflected in seconds
- Easy to use web interface
- Restore files you accidentally deleted from your computer
- Share files with non dropbox users
- For large files Dropbox only updates the changed part for extra speed
- SSL encryption on all uploads
- Use the web interface from any device with a web browser
- Access from mobile devices like the iPhone
- Drag and drop interface
- Restore previous versions of files
- Files are stored in encrypted format on dropbox servers
Dropbox from GetDropbox.com is a fully featured online storage service that also manages to sync up folders between computers running any of the three main operating systems. It is aimed at anyone who needs a fast and efficient backup/synchronisation service at a low price. Although still quite a young company we think Dropbox will soon be rising higher in our top ten list.
Being a new small company Dropbox doesn't really seem to know who they are aiming their service at yet. The homepage has a friendly feel to it and gives the impression that it's just a bunch of guys who got together and made the service to see what happens. And what an excellent service they have made. Dropbox does most of the things its larger competitors do, but offers it for free (up to 2Gb). You can expect real time folder synchronization, automatic backups, easy sharing of files and a great looking interface to boot. The only thing you might miss is support for multiple user accounts.
The best way to use Dropbox is to install their free client software, which is available for Windows, Mac OS or Linux. This global compatibility means Dropbox is a great way to keep your files synchronised between, say, your Mac laptop and your Windows PC. Dropbox is one step ahead of the game here as most of the services we reviewed only supported up to two different operating systems. The software itself is very easy to use as it makes your Dropbox online space appear just like a folder on your computer. Files you drop in the folder are automatically synchronised between any computers you have installed the software on and you can see the backup status at any time indicated by a coloured dot on the file.
The web interface Dropbox provides allows you to get access to your files from any device with a web browser - including most mobile phones these days. It also lets you easily share files with non Dropbox users simply by entering their email addresses into a form. Another feature we particularly liked was the way that you can drop any image files into the special 'photos' folder and Dropbox will automatically create an online photo album which you can share with your friends.
Security on Dropbox is pretty standard and provides all you need to keep your files safe. All uploads are handled using SSL encryption and files are encrypted using AES (A well known encryption algorithm) before they are stored on the Dropbox servers. We couldn't find much info about how secure their data center is, but we would assume that every measure is taken to keep it safe.
Dropbox's pricing options are refreshingly simple. You can either have a free account which gives 2Gb of storage space or spend $9.99 per month ($99 per year) to get 50Gb of storage space. Both types of accounts come with the same feature set so you only have to decide on the amount of space you require.
Dropbox is a well designed and very useful online storage service. It has enough features to keep most home users and many business users satisfied, but larger businesses may want to look for a solution that allows multiple user accounts. It also stands out from a lot of its competitors by offering compatibility with all three of the main operating systems. If you want a cost effective way of synchronizing folders between different platforms then Dropbox will do the job perfectly.
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