Dropbox is easier to set up than Amazon S3.

Dropbox is easier to set up than Amazon S3.

I’m in love with Dropbox! It’s a free service that provides online storage for your files and lets you access them from any computer—your laptop, desktop, work computer, and phone. Your files are also accessible from the Dropbox website, so you can get to them easily when you’re on the road (e.g. from an Internet cafe) — great for travel.

Everything is in a single, secure place (organized in folders you set up), no matter whether you’re on a PC or a Mac, and Dropbox acts like a backup; if your computer fries, your files remain safe.

It’s simple to use: install Dropbox, it appears on your desktop, and you just drag and drop your files into it. You’re moving files into Dropbox (not copying them), so there’s no worry about versioning. When you update a file, Dropbox quickly and automatically syncs so the updated info is available from all the computers you’ve connected.

You can provide other people with access to some or all of your folders, too. I’m working on a remote team, and Dropbox is perfect for sharing files with people in other cities and states. Sign up for the free Growl service when you install Dropbox, and you’ll be automatically notified whenever someone updates a file.

In summary:

  • Free online file storage (up to 2 gig; after that, there’s a modest charge)
  • Set it up for all your computers and on your smart phone
  • Access from any computer (great for traveling)
  • Works across platforms
  • Syncs automatically
  • Provides automatic backup
  • Easy to install, use, and organize
  • Allows retrieval of deleted files
  • Perfect for working remotely or with virtual teams
  • I love it!
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