How do you share files between computers that you own? Say you have a Word document on your desktop that you want to bring over to your laptop. Do you e-mail it to yourself? Put it on a thumbdrive? That's what I used to do until I discovered a really cool web 2.0 serviced called "Dropbox".
Basically what Dropbox does is create a folder on your computers that is shared in real time between all of your computers. Drop a file into your dropbox folder on your Mac and it appears magically in the dropbox folder on your netbook. Update a spreadsheet on your laptop and it gets synced automatically to your desktop.
There are some other places that offer this service, like Apple's MobileMe. But Dropbox has several things going for it:
- Blazingly fast. I'm in Tokyo and my work computer is in New Haven. I've dropped a file into my dropbox on my New Haven computer (using a VNC connection) and it literally popped into my laptop computer here in Tokyo within two seconds. I was absolutely gobsmacked by how fast it is.
- It actually syncs. This is one of the reasons why I've come to hate MobileMe. My gorrham iDisk is constantly failing to sync and plays havoc with my files.
- It backups. Dropbox keeps 30 days worth of archived versions on its servers, so if you accidentally overwrite a file with the wrong contents, you can retrieve it. Many places can handle deletes, but not overwrites, so I'm very happy.
- They have Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Linux versions.
- They are free: They'll give you 2 gigabytes free as a matter of course but....
- They also have a great referral program: if you sign up with my referral code, https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTcwMjMyMjI5, they'll give both you and me an extra 256 megabytes free.
You can get up to 8 gigs of free cloud space just by referring your friends. Which is what I'm trying to do.
So.... if you need a great file sharing / syncing program -- or you just want to help me out -- please sign up for DropBox! It's absolutely free and the referral bonus will mean a great lot to me in the long run.
Thanks everyone!
Karen
Thank you Chris D. for signing up! :-)
Thanks G.D.!
Karen,
Just wanted to say thank you for your Photoethnography website and blog.
After accidentally drowning my digital camera in the bottom of a wet canoe in Florida two months ago I've been bit by the old 35mm camera bug.
Purchased a fancy digital camera (then found out it was 4 years old technologically). Purchased an "easy" digital camera for my wife. That was the beginning of my photo bug.
Purchasing a digital camera in a photography store that sold old used cameras was like being in a candy store. Forget the digital cameras, let's talk film...
Then I found your Photoethnography website. Have read your camera descriptions again and again. Now I own a few used cameras. Found an Olympus 35 RC in excellent condition this Saturday with case, filter, and flash for only $20. Love those garage sales in Chicago.
Thanks again. I look forward to learning even more about photoethnography now that I realize you have a blog.
Best wishes from Chicago, IL USA.
Richard Kraneis
Thanks Gunner for signing up for DropBox -- woohoo! I'm nearly at 3 gig now. This makes my life easier!
And thanks Richard for your kind words! Keep shooting film!
Thanks Again Karen
I decided to find an article on how to buy or assess used cameras. Gues whose name bubbled to the surface: yours.
Your "Buying and Testing a (Used) Classic Camera" is a wonderful web page. Anyone bitten by the camera bug should read it.
And yes, there's a moratorium on purchasing used cameras until August (I'm counting the days, really). But there's no moratorium on using my new/old cameras, assessing their qualities, and doing my first camera seal repair.
Best wishes from Chicago, IL USA.
Richard Kraneis
Thanks Gabriel and David -- I'm now past 3 gigabytes! A few more referrals and I can dump MobileMe's iDisk for good!
Thank you John M. for the referral! Whoo wee!
Karen
Thanks to Thierry for putting me at nearly 4 gigabytes! :-)
Merci Beaucoup!
Karen
Thank you Federico C. for your referral! I'm now at 4 gigabytes.
Domo arigato Carla T. and Allison A.!
Karen
Thanks Sarah P. (ohisashiburi!) and Ie C. for your referrals!