50 Mac Essentials #2: Dropbox

Giles Turnbull ()

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Do you still use a USB stick to move files between one computer and another?

You should be using Dropbox.

Do you still email files from work to home and back again?

You should be using Dropbox.

Do your clients constantly ask you to send the same file – with Track Changes on – backwards and forwards by email?

You should be using Dropbox. And so should your client.

Do you still work on stuff that isn’t backed up? Dropbox.

Do you have more than one computer, and drive yourself crazy trying to make sure that the most up-to-date version of the correct file is on the correct machine when you need it?

Yup. You should be using Dropbox.

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Dropbox is a virtual folder that sits on your computer and is quietly synced to the internet while you’re busy doing other stuff. You can use it on as many computers as you like, and it will do all the syncing so that you can forget about it.

The result is a folder you can use on your Mac just like any other; drag files in an out of it, make sub-folders in it, apply special rules to it, whatever. But at the same time it’s a magic folder, unlike any other. You can reach it from your work PC. You can give other people access to it. You can keep all your most important stuff inside it and always be sure of reaching it, no matter where you are or what computer you’re using. It’s all online if you ever need to reach it via a browser on someone else’s computer.

Dropbox is free for less than 2GB of storage; after that you pay for the storage space you need. It’s is the sync service that Mobile Me should have been. Go sign up for it right now.

(You’re reading the 2nd post in our series, 50 Essential Mac Applications. Read more.)

25 comments »

About the author

gilest

Giles Turnbull is a freelance writer in England. He writes for the Press Association and The Morning News. He has a website you can ignore and a Twitter account you needn't follow.

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Posted in 50 Mac Essentials, Reviews, Software |

  • http://www.palmettobug.com Michael Carnell

    I recommend DropBox to ever client and friend. It is a great way for me to share project information with clients as well. It is one of the three main branches of my backup strategy for important documents (the other two branches being TimeMachine and Mozy). Also my main way to sync files between my Mac and PC.

  • Norskman

    Now THIS is an essential app for a Mac user. If you don’t mind storing in the cloud it’s an easy and painfree way to keep files available anywhere, anytime.

  • http://Mojito.se Tynell

    How come dropbox gets all the attention? Ive tried it but I found SugarSync much more flexible (you can make ANY/multiple folders *magic*). Seems like dropbox is doing a better job at pr/marketing…

  • http://web.me.com/nerahla jennifer

    So why is it “the service Mobile Me should have been”? As far as I can tell, iDisk works the same way — can you explain the difference perhaps?

  • Mark

    Dropbox is perfectly integrated with the Finder and yet, OS agnostic. My only gripe? That Apple has not achieved an experience any where close to the understated elegance and functionality of Dropbox. In contrast, Mobile me’s iDisk is a disaster.

    If Apple can’t beat them, they should buy them!

  • michael

    @Tynell
    Dropbox is free…sugarsync is not

  • king

    I got bandwidth limit
    plus it takes a lot of time if I want to back up files like music and video

    if you mean its good to backup excel and text files, then I may as well just store them in my gmail account

  • Wendy

    SugarSync is free up to 2 GB, like Dropbox. I use both but find SugarSync way more useful for business use.

  • Joao Maia

    Dropbox is an excellent tool to have around! I strongly recommend it!
    By the way, in case you want an invitation and an extra 250 Mb, accept my invitation, I’ll also win some more Mb and I’m really looking for some more extra space :)
    https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTEyODE1OTM5

    thanks
    joão

  • Adam Cohen

    As a Teacher I love this tool. It is the best tool that I have used to keep my files when switching between computers at school and home. Iphone and IPad access are awesome as well.

    HELP A TEACHER and use my LInk to get YOURSELF and Me an extra 250mb

    https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTEwNDI5Mjk

    I could use the space to store students projects on

  • Jean Claude

    Excellent way to come back strong. THIS is essential!

  • http://www.fort90.com/journal/ fort90

    Yeah, count me in as another diehard Dropbox fanboy! Simply the best.

  • Adam

    FYI.. 2gb is free.. and an extra 1gb was avail with referals, which was just updated to 8gb! Wowza..

    They don’t mention it, but look at your settings/status area and see how much of X you’ve used/earned… etc.

  • Carrie

    Where are the rest of the Mac Essentials? Did you start with #2?

  • Doug

    2GB of storage = fail
    MobileMe is $100.00/ year
    10 GB of storage
    syncing of contacts, calendars, web sites
    find my iPhone, much nicer ui & oh yeah push mail
    get a life & spend a few dollars to get what u want instead of begging for referrals.

  • HD

    Hope these top 100′s are in no particular order because if they are based on usability and expanding the functionality of your computer, you are lost. I mean #1, I Love Stars, is basically useless while DropBox is essential if you have 2 or more Mac’s.

    Help us understand what the criteria is for something being #1 and another being #100.

  • http://gilest.org Giles Turnbull

    HD: This is a list of 50, not 100.

    I disagree with you about I Love Stars. But that’s what personal opinions are all about.

    And finally: this list is not being presented in any particular order. This is #2 because it’s the second one to be posted, that’s all.

  • Daniel

    I also would like clarification as to why DropBox is the “sync service MobileMe should have been”. I use both and have no qualms with either, but it takes a lot of work to get the same functionality from DropBox and there are many features it simply can’t duplicate.

  • http://bradallen.ca Brad

    Great tool!
    You can use transmission to look for .torrent files in a drop box folder. So if you’re at work and you want to watch something when you get home, then you can have it waiting for you with that neat little trick.

  • John

    Mobileme is osx only, doesn’t work through a firewall or proxy and costs 100. Uck for the pleasure.
    I love dropbox, synchs indows, linux, osx, iPhone and is simle to set up.

  • cj

    In my book the winner between SugarSync and Dropbox will be the one that will support both Android and Linux first. Still waiting for SugaSync for Linux and Dropbox for Android. If it’s a tie, SugarSync will win for giving 30Gb for $ 4,99/month.

    cj

  • AkaViki

    Yeah Dropbox really rocks my socks! It’s a shame that I hadn’t known about this before – so much hastle woud’ve been saved with sending files to my email to access them remotely, if necessary.

    Dropbox is so simple to use, and it looks good, too! I count this too as an very essential application/service for Mac.

    But hey guys, if you want to help me out to get some more space, please use the following link to join to the service. I’d really appreciate it! With referrals the maximum free capacity of this virtual drive is 8 GB.

    The link:

    https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTY2OTg4NzE5

  • MisterK

    I LOVE Dropbox. I love that the files stay local, but are synced, so it doesn’t make copies of my files everywhere. It works like a good SVN should (but without worrying about committing and updating. I keep some of my most important files on it.. my portfolio and resume are on there, too; so I can use the Dropbox iPhone app to send those out to people. Easy Peasy,

  • Eric

    I absolutely recommend Dropbox. I have used it now for many months, and it just rocks!!
    If you want to try it out click on the following link: http://db.tt/pnM2wv

    You will then get an additional 250mb for free!

  • Lane

    I recommend Dropbox because it will cooperate with Timemachine, something iDisk can’t. So my local as well as my cloud backup are in sync! That was not possible with the combination timemachine and iDisk. That was a choice between the two.
    Now I’ve both, just as I wanted it. Can’t believe Apple is shooting itself in his own foot with the impossibility to use them both at the same time and keep them in sync. Just unbelievable