Whenever there’s a post extolling the virtues of Dropbox, some commenter chimes in to ask why people like it so much when (insert service here) is so much better. As someone who over-researches to an extreme, I’ve used just about every online storage service I can get my hands on, and Dropbox continues to be my primary cloud storage service. Here’s why.
Trust
One of the core reasons I use Dropbox is because they have shown they’re worthy of my trust. With each change, they’ve taken care of their existing users. I had 5GB as a beta user and kept it when they changed new signups to only get 2GB. Referrals were originally awarded 250MB but when it was bumped up to 500MB, they made it retroactive. They’ve shown they value their existing users by treating them well. Sadly, it sets them apart. Microsoft took several features away from FolderShare and continues to make changes for their sake that don’t benefit their users. Several other cloud storage providers have made similar changes that make sense from their perspective but leaves their existing users in the lurch. When trust is lost, users have no reason to stick around.
There’s a certain amount of overhead in switching cloud providers. It’s not much, but it’s enough of a nuisance that I’d rather avoid it if possible. I’m even willing to pay more for a service that takes care of their users if it comes down to it. There are a few core features that might pull me away from Dropbox, but at this point it’s in their court. It’s not hard to figure out how users want to be treated, but few companies choose to run their business that way. I hope Dropbox continues to be rewarded for it.
Simplicity
One of the biggest challenges of designing software is making it both powerful and easy to use. Dropbox has fought hard to keep their service simple, even making a small set of power users angry by cutting a less-used feature when it was too confusing for the typical user. This adherence to a simple design philosophy (which is anything but simple to execute) makes it easier to recommend to others, and even power users can appreciate a simple, intuitive user interface. Ease of use is worth the effort.
Functional
Dropbox has the core features I need, and with 30GB, I’m not hurting for space. Even if other services have features like syncing any folder, they would also have to match the rest of the package in order to get me to switch. Unless that feature is truly compelling, it’s not worth the hassle to switch.
There’s no telling what the future holds. New cloud offerings are sprouting up like wildflowers right now and it’s going to take some time to see who’s in it for the long haul. Many services will close up shop in a few years, but there’s nothing but good things in store as the competition heats up, forcing everyone to improve their services to attract or retain their users. As long as they continue to breed trust, focus on simplicity and keep the functionality on par with the competition, Dropbox will continue to earn loyal users, myself included.
Google Drive has long been rumoured and never seen, but that could all change in a few days. If done right, Google Drive could be huge. According to leaked screenshots you’ll get 5GB for free, and at their current storage pricing you can get 80GB for $20/year compared to $100 a year for 50GB with Dropbox. If Google Drive can provide the same, simple, automatic syncing as Dropbox for $0.25/GB instead of $2/GB, they’re bound to do well. This appears to be only a catchup move rather than a game-changing one like Gmail, but if they can provide a better overall experience there’s no reason they can’t take a chunk of the market.
The biggest hole in the current market is a low cost solution to sync a large amount of data (like my 70GB of music). Dropbox is great for syncing smaller amounts, but it can be pricey. FolderShare used to be the perfect solution to sync my 70GB music collection because it used P2P to sync files between my computers and didn’t store anything in the cloud. Then Microsoft bought them and screwed the pooch big time, removing so much functionality that now it doesn’t even work behind a proxy. And to go from bad to worse, Microsoft announced they’re doing away with a P2P solution altogether because “it’s a hard problem to solve.” Instead they’ll store all your files in the cloud, which is exactly what FolderShare didn’t do and why it was so useful. It’s sad that the reason Microsoft doesn’t have a solution to the hard problem is because they bought the perfect one then broke it over their knee.
Most cloud services have gone with the all-cloud solution as storage gets cheaper, and that’s fine as long as the price is right. I’ve used most of them, including Sugarsync, SpiderOak, Wuala, Syncplicity and AeroFS, but they all have their quirks and limitations on things like bandwidth, file size or how many devices you can use for free. After the test runs, I’ve always returned to Dropbox as my primary service. I admit, having 21.5GB of free space doesn’t hurt (5GB in beta, plus referrals and a bonus 5GB for testing camera sync), but the reason they’re so popular is because Dropbox is simple. You get one folder that’s synced everywhere.
Syncing really is the key feature, not just online storage, because Google already has a free solution to store 70GB of music with Google Music, but it’s useless for keeping my collection in sync, or when a device is offline. The beauty of Dropbox is that you always have your files, even if the service goes down. Of course you can’t still sync your files, but at least you still have them. The unfortunate Megaupload users can appreciate that.
What about privacy?
Google knows a lot about you, but the fears about their new privacy policy are a little overblown. Take a look at the behavior of other companies like your ISP, bank or credit card company. Heck, friendly neighborhood Target figured out a teen girl was pregnant before the father knew. How’s that for an invasion of privacy? It’s important to know how our personal data is being used, but it’s also an implicit part of the bargain. If you’re using a free service, you’re the product. Google is one of the best at data export and often comes much closer to the user’s best interests than not. We need to remain vigilant about privacy but if you’re grabbing a torch, look toward the egregious offenders first. All the supporters of SOPA and PIPA are prime candidates. And as a side note, did you know the music industry tried to ban cassette tapes and VHS in the 70s and 80′s? Google is not our worst enemy, not by a long shot.
One of the best features of Google’s Chromebook is the free 2-year Verizon data plan for up to 100MB/month. It’s perfect when I’m traveling and don’t have easy access to wifi. I realize most people just use their smartphone, but my $10/year T-Mobile piece of crap Samsung t139 flip phone is not what you’d call smart.
The Verizon contract ends this December and I’ve been curious to see if other providers would offer a cheap data plan for laptops and other devices (i.e. iPad/Pod) when wifi isn’t available. Gizmodo found an offer from NetZero, a company most considered dead and gone, that for $50 gives you a USB stick and 12 months on a 200MB/month data plan. Their hotspot will set you back $100, but supports up to 8 devices.
Another option touted by several folks in the comments is Clear.com. At $35/month for unlimited data, it’s a complete solution for internet connectivity rather than a once-in-a-while backup solution, but it’s still a way to have a device-agnostic, no-contract data plan.
As free Wifi becomes more prevalent, paid data plans may seem quaint, but I speak from experience when I say they can be handy when you’re in a dilly of a pickle.
Here is a heart wrenching story of how children are kidnapped from their beds, given a weapon and forced to join Joseph Kony’s army. In some cases they’re even made to kill their parents.
Update: It’s been brought to my attention that there is some suspicion about the way Invisible Children are behaving. I didn’t find hard evidence for the claims, but I’m linking to it so you can make your own conclusions. Metafilter also has some great discussion about the organization.
I came across Ben Rector’s cover of a Tom Petty tune and came away impressed. Not only does he do guitar and piano, he plays a mean fridge and countertop.
I also like that he can laugh at himself. (Platinum baby!)
He’s already released a few albums. They’re definitely worth a listen.
