Transferring Files with Dropbox
December 29, 2011, By Michael O. Varhola 1 comment
Just as it is for many people, the need to move around large amounts of data is a frequent issue for me—transferring big documents, batches of hi-resolution photos and other hefty files, either from one of my computers to another or to someone else. If I need to move a single file of moderate size, the easiest way is to email it, and if I have to transfer multiple larger items then a USB flash drive is often the way to go. However, for various reasons—including the fact that email capacities do not seem to keep up with a general increase in file sizes, and my brain does not seem to keep up with remembering to always carry a thumb drive—neither of these methods is entirely satisfactory for me.
So, when my friend Robert Gruver at Yellow Dragon Studio in Houston needed to send me some large PDF files, I was pleased to have him introduce me to an online utility called Dropbox. This Web-based file-hosting service uses cloud storage—a networked online storage system in which data is stored on virtualized storage pools—to enable users to store and share files and folders across the internet using file synchronization.
Dropbox was created in 2007 by a pair of graduate students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—one of whom was reportedly prompted to do so because he kept forgetting to take his USB flash drive with him when he needed to transfer files from one location to another.
"I started using Dropbox simply to share text and PDF files from my gaming group, but it has morphed into a program I use on a regular basis," Gruver told me. "My favorite feature is the ability to save files from my computer to the cloud. I use this feature quite a bit when I am writing, as I can switch computers or devices and keep the same work without having to use an external or flash drive."
Since I began using it a few months back, I've been pleased with Dropbox. It has served me well for moving or receiving large PDF files, and many people have found it to be especially useful for transferring videos and photos.
While users will want to have a Dropbox folder installed on their regular computers, it is also possible to use the service by logging onto a website, which makes the files you've stored on it accessible from any computer with Internet access. It is also possible to use the service in conjunction with Android, Blackberry, iPad and iPhone mobile devices, and apps for all of them are available through the Dropbox website.
At the "Basic" level, the Dropbox service is free and allows users to transfer or store up to 2 GB of data, and there are several ways to gain additional space (e.g., users who complete an online tutorial can gain an additional 500 MB of free space). I tend to use the utility to transfer files from one location to another and can thereafter delete them from my Dropbox folder, so the 2.5 GB I now have available has been adequate, and likely will be enough for many users. Try out the free version of the service and don't spend money to upgrade it until there is a need to do so.
For those who need more cloud space, however, the "Pro 50" plan will probably serve most other needs. It covers up to 50 GB of data and costs $9.99 a month or $99 a year. If you need even more space, the "Pro 100" plan covers up to 100 GB of data and costs $19.99 a month or $199 a year. A more elaborate "Teams" option covers 1 TB or more of data and is intended for five or more people and includes various other options. Pricing starts at $795 a year.
There is, in any event, no risk or cost associated with giving Dropbox a try. You might find it makes your life a little easier.
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