pros & cons of Dropbox.

Dropbox: The Pros and Cons of Cloud Storage

ByLee Drozak First Published

Having a laptop lifestyle means that you need to have your files and information with you where ever you go. The beauty of Dropbox is you can and will have all the items you put into your box ready with the click of a mouse.pros & cons of Dropbox

For many business owners, we work from our homes, the local cafe, in our cars between meeting and if you’re like me on the open road while “vacationing”. The challenge with this business lifestyle is keeping you sane and having access to everything you need on all of your devices.

Dropbox As A Solution

Dropbox provides a solution to this problem by allowing users to store all of their documents in one easy to access location.

A file-sharing application that allows users to upload documents to a cloud environment. The documents are then centrally stored on their servers making them easy to access from virtually anywhere including personal computers and smartphones.

Here are some key features of the application:

Mobility
The primary benefit of Dropbox is that it makes files easily portable without the use of any external devices. This allows you to keep all of your important documents in one easy to find location. In addition to office and personal computers, Dropbox can be accessed using iPhone, iPad, Blackberry or Android devices.

The sync feature allows you to make sure you have all the up-to-date versions on any of your devices so that you can work offline at times when wifi isn’t available or sporadic.

There is also the added benefit of transferring pictures and videos to an account for sharing. Users can email an invitation to specified users, inviting them to view the video or pictures.

Security
The Dropbox cloud uses encryption security so that users can rest assured their files are safe and secure. Data transferred using the service are protected by SSL encryption while stored files are guarded by AES-256 protection. The application allows only authorized individuals to view designated files. Users can specify which files are for public viewing and which are to remain private.

Customer Support
One minor drawback of using this application is that customer support can only be contacted via email. With a click of the “Help” or “contact us” buttons, you can submit an email request for help or ask a question. Not to fear, most general questions can likely be answered by their “frequently asked questions” section.

Recap

Overall, Dropbox provides a fast, efficient way to store and share files from nearly any location. Main benefits include:

  • Reliability: Your files are is constantly available on stationary computers or mobile devices.
  • Ease of use: The file-sharing and group file-sharing features are by far easier to use than any other file sharing application to date.
  • Digital Downloads: You can use your account for your giveaway items so that you always have the latest version without having to change or upload files to your server.
  • Synchronization: Dropbox allows you to effortlessly synchronize your files once they have been uploaded to your account.
  • History: The unique “History” feature allows users to access previous versions of their files.

Cons of using the application include:

  • File Location: At times, the lack of specific tabs can make it difficult to locate older versions of files or deleted copies.
  • The service is free for the first 2GB of storage, and you can earn extra space by encouraging others to sign up. After that, you need to purchase space starting at $10 a month.
  • Collaboration: You can add notes and such to a document but you cannot edit in real time.

In conclusion, Dropbox is by far one of the best file sharing apps to date. Though it doesn’t solve every problem of the mobile worker it does make life a little easier.