Dropbox

Image Source: Dropbox

Hello All,

Recently a friend introduced me to a good bit of freeware called Dropbox. Dropbox is a secure backup up facility which is the answer to those of us who have to carry around a lot of memory sticks!

Dropbox works by first having you create an account. To start of it is free to create an account, and they also give you 2GB to get on with. If you need more, you simply sign up for their paid version and get up to 50GB! Anyway once you have signed up, Dropbox has you install a client on your computer, which is available on all platforms! Once you have installed the client, this is when the fun begins!

In effect (as mentioned), Dropbox first give you a free 2GB storage space. Within this space you have a private area where you securely store your personal files and a public folder. In the public folder (as it sounds), you put files you want anyone to see and simply link them. Also to ensure you are not limited Dropbox let you create other folders within your space which you can keep private or make public to only certain people.

You can install Dropbox on multiple computers, and every time you add a file to your Dropbox area a note of that addition is made. This means when you next turn on a computer where you did not make that previous update – the client on that computer will check your Dropbox area and copy the files down. So as you can see, Dropbox makes the memory stick obsolete. To further the ability of the service even more, you can login online to upload and download files, if you are on a public machine without the Dropbox client.

Dropbox also offer a photo facility which allows you to create slideshows of your pictures.

During the process of my latest group university project (Swimming pool booking system), Dropbox has proven to be invaluable! We have created shared folder amongst ourselves, and we simply add in the bits we are each doing. When a file/folder is added Dropbox even tell you of that update – Brilliant!

Well I hope I have wetted your appetite for using Dropbox! Currently there is a scheme where you can get free extra memory of you refer someone to the service – Give it a go!