Dropbox

Do you email files to yourself on a regular basis?

Do you carry a USB drive around all the time?

Do you want to have access to your most important files from anywhere?

If the answer is YES, then you should check out the fantastic service of Dropbox!

Dropbox is a Web-based file hosting service that uses cloud computing to enable users to store and share files and folders with others across the Internet using file synchronization.

I became familiar with Dropbox during my association with NIOS as Research Officer. And throughout that experience, I was so very irritated with this whole concept. Although my Boss was very fond of it! But I have been using Dropbox for a while now to sync files between my laptop and my main desktop and my sister’s laptop who is now happily married in Mumbai!  It took me a while to get hang onto it but, now I feel sharing things was never so easy before!

Here’s how we get started with it:

After you download and install Dropbox on your computer you can create an account. To sync files between another computer simply download and install the appropriate version of Dropbox for that computer. For example I sync files between my laptop and my Windows desktop. Once you have created your account with Dropbox, simply login to the same account on all the computers you want to sync. After the software is installed you will have a new folder on your computer called Dropbox. All the folders and files that are copied to that folder are synced to all the other computers. Those files are also available over the Internet using the Dropbox web interface. You can store upto 2GB absolutely free and there is a paid subscription for storage upto 100 GB.

Any file you save to Dropbox also instantly saves to your computers, phones, and the Dropbox website. Applications for iPhone, iPad, Android, and BlackBerry can be used to access your files from your Smartphone. Mobile access makes it very easy to upload and edit files in your Dropbox. It works even when offline. You always have your files, whether or not you have a connection.

So, what are you waiting for? Start dropping in things in your Box!