Dropbox

[dose]

http://www.getdropbox.com/

Hey all, I'm pretty bored so I thought I would share my preliminary experience with the currently-in-beta tool Dropbox. I first saw this on Digg.com [linky] and thought that it was something I would find fairly useful.

Dropbox is a lightweight online storage app that seamlessly integrates with your Windows explorer shell. One of the main reasons I was attracted to this app was for simple, light file transfers between work and home systems. Files like images, music, small apps, etc that I use or find at home can be easily posted in a private online store for quick retrieval at work later.

The small 7MB program can be installed on XP/Vista or OSX Tiger/Leopard. When installed a small taskbar icon will appear for quick access to the apps' guts:

Clicking 'Open My Dropbox' will open your 'My Dropbox' folder whose default location resides in the 'My Documents' folder.

Uploading files to my Dropbox is a fairly simple affair of just dragging and dropping files into the desired shared folders within 'My Dropbox'. If you are familiar with any Windows explorer version control program such as Subversion you will see familiar sub-icons adorn each file, with either a green check or a blue transferring status icon.

I dragged over the Team Sleep video clip and you can see that the transfer is taking place in the background and is not yet fully synched with the server.

Alternatively you can do this all through the web interface (read: browser) which was one of the options in that taskbar icon menu.

The browser format is very simple layout showing 'Recent Events' within your dropbox. The menu also provides quick access to all of your shared folders and files.

One neat little feature is the ability to automatically create a public photo gallery with your shared Photos folder.

The link to my Gallery is: http://www.getdropbox.com/gallery/9426/0/?h=eb1ff5

Another neat feature is the ability to explicitly share a folder with a specific person by inviting them via email to a shared folder. This allows for collaboration within a specific folder to only a select group of people you designate.

One possibly live-saving feature is the ability to restore a deleted file. For example I will open my Dropbox and delete the file 'Confidential_Doc.txt':

To recover the deleted file you click on 'show deleted files' and then click on 'Undelete':

The ability to restore different revisions of the file is particularly handy:

So that's how the app works in a nutshell. Here are some other features/ notes I have come across:

• Online storage is maxed at 2 GB currently (during beta)
  
• I have tried uploading a file as big as 70 MB. It was fairly speedy and is only limited by your own connection
  
• File transfer is done over SSL. Once on the backend server files are encrypted with AES-256. User-defined private keys are in the works
  
• After go-live free accounts will still be available with around 1 GB of space. Paid accounts will be available with varying tiers of space
  

So far I am liking this simple, but powerful app. I have found a use for it almost daily since I was allowed in the beta. I haven't used a program like this before other than FTP/free ad-based hosting services so I have nothing else to truly compare it to. I like how simple the interface is and how it just slips right into the explorer interface. Accessing my files from another system is as easy as logging in online or downloading the app on that system as well.

Currently, I believe the app is still in closed-beta, but the forums are always active and new features are coming down the line almost weekly. I am going to keep my eyes open on this one and I liked it so much I just wanted to share it with other Neowinians :)

[PKHelloNasty]

Good read. It's nice to see all these new file storage apps and hardware coming out with one thing in mind: simplicity. I personally just made the jump to store all my files locally with Drobo. I've had a similar no frills, but very easy to use experience.

[Shasoosh]

Thanks for the review

[cbosdell]

Good Review! Dropbox looks great but it's still closed beta. :(

Edited April 28, 2008 by cbosdell

[nothin2seehere]

This looks really smart. I really ought to get my finger out and start using something like this, I've lost documents too many times and reinstall far too often that I really can't afford not to backup critical stuff.

[Rappy Veteran]

Good review (Y)

I have dropbox installed and use it if I want share something with someone quickly so I can also recommend the service :)

[Guest]

If anyone would like an invite to the beta, PM me your e-mail address.

[Chlorpromazine]

Thanks to ynnoj, I have 10 invites to spare, too. Whistle a PM if you're interested in this very smart application.

[The2]

I'm using it. Very good. And, there is an linux client in the works.

[Lasker]

I like this application but all the time I use it, my internet connection go down and I can't connect unless I quit dropbox :huh: I am using this app in Mac OS X.