Dropbox allows a user to access files – documents, photos, videos, etc. – from the office or on the go.
A user selects files to be controlled by Dropbox by placing them in a designated folder on a local drive.
Changes made in this folder are replicated to the cloud storage, making the latest versions available to mobile devices or for restoration.
(We use dropbox on a daily basis for sharing client files with large numbers of photographs, and also large documents. Because we often exchange mutiple types of files, it is a simple solution for our team…and WAY better than emailing tons of attachments back and forth)
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Dropbox Review
Table of Contents (click ahead!)
Pricing| Supported Devices|Security| User Comments|Pros and Cons| Dropbox Alternatives
Dropbox Pricing
– Cloud Storage Quantity = Cost
– 2 GB = Free
– 50 GB = $9.99/month
– 100 GB = $19.99/month
– Above prices are for a single user. Team pricing is available starting at $795/year.
Supported Devices
– MS Windows: Windows 2003; XP; Vista; Windows 7
– Mac: Mac OS X 10.4 and later
– Linux: Ubuntu 7.10 and later; Fedora Core 9 and later
– iPad: Yes
– iPhone: iOS 3.1 and later
– Android: Android OS 1.5 and later
– Blackberry: Blackberry OS 4.5 and later
– Plus other mobile devices capable of running a browser
Version rollback: “Yes” for teams
Security
– Encryption: AES-256 standard
– User encryption allowed: Yes
– Network security employed: DDoS attacks; MITM attacks; packet sniffing
– Transfers: 256-bit SSL (where supported)
Data Storage: Outsourced to Amazon S3
Cloud backup: Multiple-location, redundant backups
Data privacy: Yes
Third-party Application Access: Yes, but security is not guaranteed
What Users Say About Dropbox
Checking the Dropbox user forum, the users’ primary concern tends to be file deletions mysteriously occurring in the Dropbox folder. These may be due to user errors or configuration issues. There is also a consensus that read-only sharing would be a beneficial addition.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
– No cost if less than two gigabytes of data requires cloud storage.
– Files exist both locally and on the cloud, so they can always be accessed.
– Active and knowledgeable user forum.
Cons:
– Maximum of 100 gigabytes for a single user will be too limiting for some.
– Design requires using cloud in addition to local drives, not as a replacement.
Dropbox is a good option for those making a cloud storage debut or owning a small amount of data requiring backup. It may also be the best fit for customers slightly off of the beaten path, such as Linux shops. For larger installations, you may wish to look at dropbox alternatives, due to cost.
Dropbox Alternatives
It’s become a popular file sharing and cloud storage service…but it does not have enough features or flexibility for some tastes.
- Backblaze (see our Backblaze Review here)
- SugarSync ( Sugarsync review)