Dropbox

Dropbox is an online file sharing software as a service which allows user to upload and download all sorts of file which are synced across devices for storage, or for sharing with others. Users are able to share small and large files with Dropbox. Or share files in a team, or with clients. I've used Dropbox to each of these and it does these tasks all well. Dropbox works like Google Drive in that it is cloud based file storage software which is secured while remaining easy to access across all your devices. I've had horrible experiences losing data and the security Dropbox provides with it's backup capabilities is simple and effective. It's easy to retrieve files anytime and on any device and preview files in the Dropbox account. Retrieving files from Dropbox is simple as the interface is very straight forward. Click the box next to the file and select 'Download'. Look for it on your desktop or where ever you access online downloads. It's nice zipped files aren't always necessary. While this takes up additional space in your Dropbox account not doing so, it can be useful when dealing with clients who are not computer savvy, so it will speed up file sharing without having to provide a zip file tutorial. Files refresh in Dropbox instantly and permissions can be set per file. Allowing others to only download individual files, or edit all files in a folder. I like the versioning functionality a lot as well. Dropbox notes the next version of files uploaded if they have the same title. Useful especially with instances where it's best to have backups of ongoing versions such as in software development, for example. You can also set expiration dates for file sharing and downloads. This is useful for marketing purposes when giving away a free product to your list as a scarcity tactic. The referral program is a nice way to increase the size of my account storage.

I was wondering if Dropbox would sync on an older Linux run laptop I have, but just read it would not do so. Not a big deal as it's not my primary laptop. But has me question whether Dropbox works well across various platforms and browsers with a bearing on my purchasing decisions. Dropbox effects the start up time of your computer. The files syncing in the background does as well. While it's kept to a minimum it's always running in the background. Based on my computer status it had varying effects on my start up time; sometimes it was faster or slower. But it was noticeable. Syncing files initially takes time. Depending on how many it can take many hours. While it's a one time thing for each computer added to the Dropbox account it's got to be done. Which makes syncing files at the end of a long day at home using your Dropbox work folder takes time too, if you have to turn on the computer and refresh it with new files added. The pricing to me seems a bit on the expensive side. I appreciate the security though it's priceless especially if it saves your butt one day. But based on other options available it is relatively more expensive for the same amount of storage.

Dropbox is a great solution for secure file storage and role based file sharing. It's amazing to view my files using any device I currently operate daily. And I've shared countless files with contractors, JV partners and clients using Dropbox. I've not contacted their support but I've read it's not great. I'd imagine it's excellent for paid accounts though I'm guessing. I highly recommend the free option and the paid option if you have the means, or a need for leading file storage and security in one easy to use account.