DROP BOX: WHAT IS IT & HOW TO SETUP
What is drop box?
Drop Box is a file hosting service (basically a big computer that holds your information securely) created back in June 2007 that allows users a folder on their computer that will securely sync what you would like to save so that you can access your files or photos no matter what device you are on including the Drop Box website.
At the time with the cloud services being such a new concept and Apple being the only other file sharing with Mobile Me, it looked like a scary thing to sync your personal photos, files and videos without proper knowledge of how it works.
It starts out with a free 2G and encourages personal users to sync their photos from their devices and also to invite new users to join to increase your data space up to 16G for free.
There are subscriptions starting from $12.99 per mth for 1TB and then moving to larger business plans for any business small or large. Ultimately this is a file sharing application that will work across all devices Mac,PC,Android and IOS.
What are some of the features?
- You can upload documents, photos, videos and screenshots.
- Create folders and a file system so that if you want to you can share certain files/folders with other people
- Auto sync of photos from your mobile device as a backup in case anything happens to your phone.
- Invite your friends to get free space
- Business drop box accounts available to allow sharing security and admin accounts to manage who sees what.
- There is a number of applications that will sync with Drop Box
- Has remote wipe if needed to remove all personal info.
How do I set it up?
Drop Box is quite easy to set up, you just need an email address and to go to www.dropbox.com create and account and away you go that easy.
For business accounts it’s similar but you pay for a premium service and more storage to share throughout your employees.
I find Drop Box is great for a second backup of my photos and documents I need to share with Mac and Windows users as it is cross-platform. The best way to grow your space is by inviting your friends and family to sign up and use the service then you can all benefit without paying for extra storage.
This type of cloud service is based on storage of files and photos mainly to allow for easy sharing between employees or family and friends. Also backing up said files as a secondary line of defence against loosing data. It is ever-growing with Apps being created to work with Drop Box and sync with it so you won’t lose your App data (for example there is a number of budget Apps that save their information and sync with Drop Box for easy access).
(Contact us if you get stuck at all)
Drop Box once set up has a home folder set on your computer that you can on a Mac drag and drop into or on a PC upload.
There is an App for Apple and Android to log in, see and use your photos and documents as well as access directly through the web.
Lastly as always I recommend backing up to an external HDD so that your folder is never lost and your documents and photos stay safe and sound. The main folder that syncs all your data is on you computer so it is the main holder of all your stuff, backing up insures that Drop Box won’t sync and loose data. Also changing your password on a regullar basis every 3 to 6 months for any online services to protect you from hackers.
Stay tuned for One Drive for Personal and Business.
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