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Access Files From Anywhere -- Even Your iPhone -- With Dropbox

by Terrence O'Brien on October 27, 2009 at 12:35 PM

What it is: Dropbox is an online storage service that holds your files (up to 2 gigabytes) for free, and automatically syncs them between several PCs. It also allows you to access your files from any Web-connected computer. Dropbox offers 2 free gigabytes of storage to all users, but you can upgrade that to 50GB for $9.99 a month, or 100GB for $19.99 a month. If you want a slight boost in storage, but don't want to cough up for it, you can gain an extra 250 megabytes of free storage for each new user you refer -- up to a 3GB limit.

What we like: Dropbox is dead simple to use. Simply download the application from GetDropbox.com and then install it. The installer automatically creates a Dropbox folder where you can save any files you want to sync and share. Whether you run Windows or have a Mac, or even if you're a Linux, you'll find a version of Dropbox that will work. There is also a newly released iPhone app that will let you access files from your phone, and a Web interface that lets you pull them up from any device (computer or smartphone) with Internet access.

Dropbox isn't just another folder, though. With a little trickery, it can be transformed from a storage space for your photos, music, and documents to a powerful tool that makes shifting from PC to PC a seamless experience. You can sync passwords between your devices with KeePass, start BitTorrent downloads on one PC from another one, and even run portable versions of apps, like VLC or Firefox.

What we don't like: Our only complaint about Dropbox is the price; 2GB for free is nice, but we do wish the cost of the premium options were cheaper. We'd love a lower tier of service than the $10-a-month option, or perhaps a discount for purchasing a year of service in one shot.

Bottom line: Many of you are probably logging on to a PC at home, a PC at work, a netbook on the fly, and also staring at the screen of a smartphone for much of the day. Dropbox is one of the only services out there that makes your files accessible to you from all your gadgets -- and does it for free. There are other cloud-based (i.e., online) storage options, but none can match the set-it and forget-it simplicity of Dropbox. We give it a solid thumbs up.

Download Dropbox here.

Dropbox

Tags: cloud computing, CloudComputing, dropbox, features, switcheddownload, top

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