SkyDrive has Microsoft Office web apps, Google Drive has
Google Docs, but Dropbox doesn't have any online apps or special features. It's
simply online storage space that is synced with a folder on the hard disk
drive. The service also provides the smallest amount of space: just 2GB free.
However, there are some clear advantages, one of which is that it runs on
everything. It runs on Windows, Mac OS X, Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Linux.
This may not be important to some people, but to others it's vital.
The website has some useful features and it enables you to view photos as a
slideshow
Although only 2GB is free, there are ways of earning more,
such as by connecting Facebook, referring friends, connecting Twitter,
following Dropbox on Twitter, tweeting, providing feedback and watching the
guided tour. In five minutes you'll be up to 3GB and each friend adds another
0.5GB. If you need more, 50GB is $9.99 a month, 100GB is $19.99, but in both
cases you can add up to 32GB by referring friends, so a 50GB account is nearer
to 100GB when maxed out.
“Although only 2GB is free, there are ways of earning more”
The Dropbox folder created on the computer has more
functionality than Google Drive or SkyDrive and right-clicking a file or folder
enables access to a Dropbox context menu. If you want to send someone a file,
you right-click it, copy the link to the clipboard and paste it in an email. A
folder can be shared by right-clicking it and selecting the shared option on
the context menu. With a link, someone can download a file, but with a shared
folder you invite another Dropbox user and it appears in their Dropbox folder.
You'll find you use a web browser far less than with Google and SkyDrive. Files
you create, edit or delete on the PC are automatically synced and it feels more
responsive than rival services.
SkyDrive and Google Drive's online apps mean you'll use
their websites a lot, but the Dropbox website isn't needed as much. It stores
deleted files and revisions of files, so if you've lost a file, it can be
recovered using a web browser. If you want to revert to a previous version, you
also can recover it on the site. Files can be uploaded and downloaded if you're
on a computer without Dropbox. It has special features for photos that are good
and you can view large thumbnails of images, click them to view larger versions
in the browser and play a slideshow. It's far better than Google Drive.
The iPhone/iPad app is good and browsing your files is easy
Photos and videos can be uploaded and seconds later they appear in the Dropbox
folder on your PC. Many common file types can be viewed, such as .jpg, .png,
.txt, .doc, .pdf and so on. This means you can view Office files, PDF
documents, photos and so on.
Dropbox is a much simpler service than Wuala, SugarSync and
OpenDrive, but there aren't as many features. However, what it does, it does
well and it's a good service to choose if you use Linux.
Dropbox on the iPad and iPhone enables you to access files and upload photos
and videos too
Details
Price: Free
Manufacturer: Dropbox
Website: dropbox.com
Required spec: Windows XP, or later, Mac OS
X 10.6 or later, 2GB HDD space
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