Dropbox

Do you find yourself moving files around between computers often, or needing to send files to someone else to quickly review? If so, you really should checkout Dropbox at getdropbox.com. As stated on their website, Dropbox replaces:

• Emailing file attachments to yourself and other people
• Using USB drives to move files between computers
• Renaming files to keep a history of previous versions
• Complicated backup software
• FTP servers, system-specific sharing methods, Network Attached Storage (NAS)

You simply copy files to your "dropbox" folder (a folder you set up anywhere on your computer), and anytime a file is added to it, it will automatically be synced to other computers that you have Dropbox set up. In addition, the files will be saved (and encrypted) on Dropbox's servers so that you can access any of your "dropbox" folder files through the web browser as well.

Specific ways I've been finding this useful:

• There are two computers I primary use: personal MacBook Pro and work-provided MacBook. I try to do personal stuff on the MBP and work stuff on the MB, but that isn't always the case. Whether it's journaling, writing cards, etc., these activities can often be done on my work-provided laptop. As long as I save the files in my Dropbox, they instantly show up on my home machine as well.
• Sometimes I need to share files with other people. Emailing the files isn't that bad, but it can clog one's inbox. Instead, I just put the file in my dropbox, and then generate a url to the file that I can email/IM instead. Here's an example file you can access through my Dropbox: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1754420/Top%20Secret.txt.

A few other notes:

• Dropbox works on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux so you aren't locked into one platform.
• You get 2GB of storage free. If you want more, you pay. 2GB free is still great.
• Dropbox competes somewhat with Microsoft's Mesh. I have used Mesh, but at least on the Mac side, it felt too heavy-weight and intrusive.
• All changes to files are saved on Dropbox's servers. You can easily view an older version of a file later.

Let me know if you have any Dropbox questions or issues. We'll see what we can do to help!