Dropbox and File sharing; For school, work, and studying.

Drop box is a program used to share all types of files between multiple computers and other platforms–both personal, between coworkers and friends.

You begin by placing a file from your computer or device into the designated Dropbox folder. The program automatically uploads to Dropbox.com and then to the folders of those you share with. Then, you can access the files from Dropbox.com or the other computers or devices that are attached to the screen name, as well as users whom you’ve shared your folders with. In other words, this file acts as a backup option through a cloud process. Every time you edit it, it will update it also. Files that are shared with others can also be edited by them.

Currently, there is 2GB option that is free, but you can upgrade up to $19.99/month USD to get  100GB.  To learn more about the downloading/installing process, the applications and the reviews, please continue to read.

You can also gain more storage by inviting other friends to dropbox.

Signing up:

1. Visit Dropbox.com
2. Click the link on the upper right hand side that says log in. There is an option at the bottom that says to Create an account.

1. Fill out the information and click create an account.
2. A download page will show up and give you a few instructions.

• This downloading page and the program set up will walk you through the process.

For Windows 7:

My dropbox shows up on my task-bar on the bottom left. However, you can find it by going to where you installed it from your setup wizard.  Right clicking this icon, or the folder, will show you some options. For me it says open dropbox folder,  Launch dropbox.com, open recently updated files, and some more stats.  If the icon has a green check, as it shows in this screen cap, files are ready to be used. If files are being synched, it’ll show a blue circle in place of the check mark.

Starting a new  folder and sharing it.

1. This is what a developed folder looks like.
2. To add a new folder, right click within the folder: choose New//Folder. Anything put inside of the main dropbox folder will automatically be updated and shared.
3. To view this on dropbox.com, right click any where in the folder, choose dropbox//browse on dropbox.com

4. You can choose to share from this by selecting Share a Folder.

• Here you can make a new folder also, or select an existing folder.

5. Here is a screen cap of the slides after you choose the folder and have to input the information.
6. After this, dropbox sends an email to the person that you invited. John Doe can now read your files, edit them, and add what he wishes.

Applications:

Dropbox can be used on Mac Computers, PC with Windows and  Linux, Android platforms (including Kindle and android phones), and the itouch/phone/pad apps, and Blackberry The app (or download) is currently free as it the first 2GB.

Reviews:

Internet Source

• Pros

1. Effortless file synchronization.
2. Excellent array of apps for various operating systems.
3. Dependable servers (no downtime).
4. Easy to install.
5. Supports file-sharing.
6. 2GB free space.
7. Shows history of actions.
8. Allows access to deleted files and earlier versions.
9. Tight OS integration

• Cons

1. Can’t collaborate on files synchronously with others.
2. Can be confusing as to where files are actually located.
3. More space costs money.

Coworker/classmate :

• Pro

1. Gained 1.5 GB through referrals.
2. Limited free storage.
3. Availability to upgrade.
4. Absolutely loves the program.
5. Uses on mobile devices.

• Con

1. Server does crash occasionally. (No data is lost)
2. You can not share a folder with someone else inside a shared folder, thus forcing me to make another copy outside of the shared folder.it takes more space, wish they would fix that. (IE, you cannot share a sub-folder of a folder already shared)

• For example:

1. I have shared my spring 2011 folder with one of my best friends. My other friend wanted to look at my thermo tests and documents. My thermo folder is inside the spring 2011 folder. Since I was already sharing the spring 2011 folder with someone else, I could not share JUST the thermo folder. I had to make a copy of my thermo folder outside of the Spring 2011 folder and then I was able to share.

Personal:

I use Dropbox for both work, personal, and entertainment reasons. Using Dropbox allows you to effortlessly transfer images, pdfs,  documents, and much more between multiples computers.  For example, I use the application to share homework, notes and projects with my classmates. For work, instead of emailing files back and forth, we use Dropbox to instantly share.  Finally I use drop box on all of my computers, iPhone, and Kindle to share personal files  between my devices.

• Pros

1. However, although the starting 2GB seems low, I am still less than 25% full.
2. Can access files from computers that you can’t install programs on (work computers, public library) through the web browser.
3. Can be used to link multiple platforms together.

• Cons:

1. Only 2GB to start off with, although you can invite more to gain more storage.
2. Only upgrade options are 9.99/month for 50 GB and 19.99/month for 100GB.
3. Large files do take a long time to upload and download, but that is understandable.
4. Starting up each computer can take a while to download/install the program/app and download the files.
5. Multiple people cannot edit the same file at the same time.  Conflicting copies will be saved but it does not save it into one file.

The program requires a little trust on who you invite to share the folder. Although only the creator can delete the original files, other people can add files that contain virus and other harmful files.

Summary:

Although dropbox is not the only File-sharing resource out there, it is the one that PandaChan has the most experience with.  I plan to go back and go over several others such as Evernote, Google Docs, Box.net, and much more. Please comment with any other programs/websites that I forgot to mention or questions you may have concerning Dropbox. Thanks!

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