Thursday, April 19, 2012

Don't DropKick the DropBox

So I've been busy with other non-computer projects.  Decided to take a look at DropBox, a free & then pay-as-u-need-more-space app & website to give you easy cloud storage & sharing. 
The free account has a 2 GB limit, but you can get more by completing some easy tasks as well as referring others to DropBox.  Think of it as Facebook Albums that can hold any kind of file, not just pictures.

It was pretty easy.  Setup was:
  1. sign up for an account
  2. install the DropBox app on my PC (or laptop, iPod Touch, etc) & then on my iPad
  3. copy folder of pics as a test
I then shared the photos with a friend.  My friend needed to setup DropBox before being able to view the photos.

I could view the photos at the DropBox website, or by using the DropBox app.

Overall, the process was very easy.  If you have problems with this one, you can call me to find out where the Start button is.

Pros:  Free.  Easy-to-understand upgrades for more storage.  They make everything as easy as possible.  Additional space offered for trying more features or referring others to join in.  May be used free indefinitely.  Sharing was easy once I read the help file.

Cons:  Shared content cannot be viewed without installing DropBox software on a device - gotta be a member.  No cost, the software overhead isn't large, but still - - oh, all right, at least it's a level of protection.  Must sign in to have access.
 
 
What I didn't like is more a pet peeve  
I added a folder of pictures, then installed the app on my iPad and watched as the pictures became viewable.  Cool enough.  I then deleted some of the photos from my DropBox folder on my PC, but they remained viewable on my iPad. 

I closed out of the app on the iPad.  When I reopened DropBox on the iPad, the deleted pics were no longer listed.  

So my minor complaint is that if the pics appear "instantly" when loading, I'd expect them to disappear just as "instantly."  

Good to be back.  Have a nice day!