Dropbox is a world famous cloud storage that allows the user to get their movies, music, photos and other files anywhere they have an Internet connection. As for a specific program, Dropbox on a computer, here we are talking about a tool that creates a separate folder on your PC associated with the cloud storage.
Dropbox or what is modern cloud technology
To download Dropbox for free, you can click on the green button located at the bottom of this page or visit the official website, which is basically the same thing. The installation of this software is quite simple, there are no settings at all, the installer does everything automatically. But you will have to go through the registration yourself:
Click on the little "Register" button and enter your full name, email and come up with a strong password. We accept the conditions and click "Register".
However, there is also an alternative option for registering with the Dropbox service. Click "Login with Google" and then enter your password and click "Allow" when this window appears:
If you go to "File Explorer", you will find in the panel a folder called Dropbox. It should be noted that this software is supported on any operating system:
- Windows XP;
- Windows Vista;
- Windows 7;
- Windows 8, 8.1 and 10;
- Linux;
- IOS, Windows Phone and Android.
Dropbox is also displayed in the system tray, here you can configure a number of parameters: from general to network. In addition, the amount of free and occupied space is immediately displayed. Initially, the user is offered only 2 gigabytes of cloud storage.
To understand how it works, you need to visit dropbox.com - the official site of the developers and, in fact, the service itself, which links all your files in one environment. Authentication is also required here, so we enter an email with a password.
Click "Add File" and upload something from your computer, such as a photo. When the photo is uploaded to the server, it will automatically appear in your folder. The same scheme works the other way around. Let's say you need to come to work with a report, but you don't have a flash drive. You upload a document to a folder at home, and it will automatically appear in the repository. At work, we go to the site, download and that's it, we learn the beauty of cloud technologies. A tangible plus of Dropbox is that it transfers not only small files, such as documents or images, but also heavy ones, such as a disk image or a movie.
Another plus in this "cloud" (and in all similar ones) is the possibility of open access. Those. if you need to transfer an object to a friend via the Internet, you simply upload it to your account, make an open access link, and your friend can easily download the downloaded file.
So, to download Dropbox, you just need to click on the green button, having previously selected the operating system, of course. The link leads to the official website, so that the client itself will load quickly, and most importantly - without viruses or SMS subscriptions.
Technologies today provide owners of personal computers and mobile gadgets with many options for storing files and other data. The abundance of possibilities is sometimes confusing, and an ordinary user simply cannot find his way around and does not know what to choose: a hard drive on a PC, an external storage device for a smartphone, an ordinary USB flash drive or a "cloud" on the Web.
The latter option is gaining more and more popularity due to widespread internetization. Such "clouds", or in other words - cloud storage, are third-party servers, where a certain amount of data is allocated to the user for his needs. A prominent representative of such a fraternity is the Dropbox service.
What is Dropbox?
Such storage facilities are very convenient, especially in our mobile age. A good half of personal computer users do not sit still, and it is not always convenient to carry the necessary data with them on the same flash drive.
Take, for example, social networks, where the exchange of photos, music and some documents is much easier to organize using the Dropbox cloud storage, rather than copying the content first to an external medium, then to another device, and then publishing it to the Internet. Such a procedure is complicated, tedious and does not always work as it should, especially if you come across a finicky flash drive, memory card or cable with the wrong connector.
What is Dropbox? This is the transfer of your data without unnecessary intermediaries. Of course, this option also has its pros and cons, but there are still more of the former. However, more on that later.
Let's try to figure out what Dropbox is and why you need it. We will also outline the main features of the service and the expediency of its use in a particular area.
Why Dropbox?
So what is Dropbox and why should you use it? It's free, but naturally with some restrictions. The base plan includes 2 GB of free storage space for absolutely any information.
That is, the user can add folders, files with any extension and without restrictions on the size. The last moment is quoted only by the selected rate in Dropbox. What kind of program is it uploaded to the "cloud" or whether you are keeping a licensed track, no one will ask you. The service provides a place without any questions.
Restrictions
Storage, especially if you chose the basic option, has its limitations. Let's see how Dropbox works in this case. When uploading data via your browser interface, the total size is limited to 2 GB. This is quite enough for photos, music and some documents.
If you want more, then at your service is a special Dropbox client for a computer or mobile gadget. In the event that the basic 2 GB is not enough, you can expand the virtual space for storing files to very large volumes, of course, for a fee. There are different tariffs and options for increasing storage space. Let's look at a couple of examples to make it clearer what it is.
Dropbox provides an advance payment for additional gigabytes on a virtual server. For example, the volume of 50 GB will cost an average user about 600 rubles / month, and 100 GB - already 1100 rubles / month. That is, the more space you reserve, the more favorable the conditions will be.
In addition, if you devote at least a couple of lines to this service on your page on social networks, then you can get free gigabytes on top of the selected tariff. So the cloud welcomes ads and encourages users to do so in every possible way.
Other possibilities
Let's go further. We have not yet described everything about what a "Dropbox" is. It is also a file hosting service. For example, you often exchange with your friends, subscribers or in general with strangers some data like the same photos, music, etc.
The service provides other users with access to your data through a public section. All you need is to transfer the files you want from your mobile gadget or Windows to Dropbox and mark them with the Public checkbox, then copy the link to your data and place it anywhere. Naturally, there will not be any "Wait 60 seconds" here, and users get a direct address without any ornateness that is inherent in ordinary file sharing.
It should also be noted that the service has competent synchronization. That is, you will always have access to your files, wherever you are, as long as your device has access to the Internet. Numerous clients are responsible for synchronization, which can be installed on any gadget and stationary computer (support for Android, Windows, Linux and Macintosh with iOS).
Web interface
If you want to install a full-fledged client of the service on your computer or mobile gadget, then you can use the usual web interface. It is not as flexible as stationary software, but all the functions necessary for ordinary operations are present in it.
First you need to go through a short registration. Go to the official website of the repository and select the appropriate item. In the field for entering information, you must specify your data: last name, first name, email, and also come up with a password. If you wish, you can read the privacy policy.
After entering all the data, an email will be sent to your mail with a link that will activate your account. After that, you can enter the service with your username and password. The repository web interface is very similar to a standard explorer. It is almost impossible to get confused there, especially at every step there are pop-up tips for each item.
Features of the interface
On the left side there is a column for searching files with the display of the current logs: copying, creating, deleting, etc. Almost the entire right side is occupied by the file and folder management interface. By default, the branch contains two directories: "Public" and "Photos". The user can create their own folders and name them whatever they want.
The main menu is organized at the top. Here you can upload files from your computer to the service by pressing one button, create a subdirectory, show hidden files, rename them, that is, do almost everything that Windows Explorer allows us to do. By pressing one key, you can make a folder or file publicly available, and your friends will have access to the link specified by the service (appears in the context menu). Before adding music to Dropbox, video or other files with a specific resolution, it is better to immediately create the appropriate directory, otherwise confusion is guaranteed.
A detailed history of all actions with files and folders is also available to the user. Here you can trace everything and everyone, but only to a limited extent. The latter can be removed and depends on the selected tariff.
Local clients
Let's consider the most popular service client for the Windows operating system. You can download it in the corresponding section on the main page of the repository. It takes up very little space and is installed in a matter of seconds.
After installation, we launch the client, enter our registration data - you can start working. In fact, the Dropbox interface is no different from a regular explorer, you can even say that they are identical. That is, you can perform exactly the same actions, with the only difference that all your data is stored not on a hard disk, but on a virtual server. Here you can also share files, upload, rename, delete, add, compare, etc. Moreover, you can do all this not only using the context menu, but by simply dragging and dropping files / folders with the mouse.
The service also has clients for iOS and Android platforms. The mobile version of the storage is similar to the web interface. Here are the same menu items and work with folders. The functionality is cut in the sense that when you work you have to call contextual branches and windows more often. You can't fit everything on a small screen, but everything else is the same.
Security
The service also took care of the safety of its users, as well as the confidentiality of information entrusted to it. The entire process of storing, transferring and other use of data takes place through secure SSL protocols. The information itself is encrypted with the help of the modern AES-256 algorithm, so no packets were “out of the way”.
All folders marked "Public" can only be accessed by a limited number of people, which you yourself define. And downloading files is possible exclusively through your link, where you decide who to give / send it to.
Summarizing
Dropbox can be called one of the best services in its segment. Virtual servers allow you to always keep the necessary data at hand. Of course, storage is limited by your data plan, which you have to pay for. But even for free accounts, 2 GB of free space is provided, which is quite enough for undemanding users of social networks, and the functionality is not curtailed in any way.
Users and businesses will continue to ditch cumbersome and expensive servers and opt for the cloud instead. Given the variety of storage facilities available, the choice should be approached very carefully.
Lifehacker suggests paying attention to services that provide maximum free space with reliable data protection and quality service. Prices shown are for starter plans only.
- Price: 2 GB free, 1 TB for $ 8.25 / month. The standard Dropbox Business subscription costs $ 12.5 / month / user.
- Applications:
- Russian language support: there is.
Initially, this giant of cloud storage only gives access to 2 GB of free space. But it can be easily expanded up to 16 GB: it is enough to link accounts on social networks and offer a referral link to several friends.
A Dropbox Business subscription allows you to use your corporate account for collaboration and also gives you unlimited space for your personal account. Moreover, you get a number of advanced features like file recovery and setting access levels.
- Price: 15 GB for free, 100 GB for 139 rubles per month.
- Applications: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
- Russian language support: there is.
One of the most obvious options for owners of Android devices, since the application is natively installed on smartphones and tablets powered by Google OS. However, due to the considerable amount of free storage, the service can be attractive for owners of other devices as well.
Among the minuses is not the simplest interface of the browser version. But Windows and macOS users can download a much more convenient application.
3. Mega
- Price: 50 GB free, 200 GB for 4.99 € per month.
- Applications:
- Russian language support: there is.
Another service with a generous free plan and a drag-and-drop interface. Mega has a convenient mobile application for downloading files, as well as desktop clients for syncing them.
According to the company, all data is encrypted on your device before it ends up on the servers. The source code for the Mega client is available on GitHub and can be reviewed by any expert. Therefore, the statement inspires confidence.
- Price: 10 GB for free, another 10 GB for 30 rubles per month.
- Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, LG Smart TV.
- Russian language support: there is.
The cloud from Yandex works quickly and stably, constantly acquiring new functions. The service has a high speed of synchronization. Platform capabilities are built into some third-party applications.
Despite the presence of clients for all popular desktop and mobile platforms, Yandex.Disk's browser interface is also very practical. The service also has very good opportunities to expand its space through partnerships with companies. For example, if you are a Muscovite and use the OnLime tariff plan from Rostelecom, then the disk volume increases by 100 GB.
- Price: 5 GB for free, 50 GB for 140 rubles per month, 1 TB for 269 or 339 rubles for a personal or family subscription to Office 365, respectively.
- Applications: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Xbox.
- Russian language support: there is.
The former SkyDrive is built into the standard Windows 10 explorer. No need to download an app - everything is already uploaded for you.
The OS's built-in Photos app can use OneDrive to sync all of your pictures between devices.
When installing a client for macOS, you should take into account not the most positive reviews about it.
In addition to regular subscription plans, Microsoft has Office 365 Personal and Office 365 Home products. Both subscriptions include 1TB in the cloud, full versions of the Office apps for Windows and macOS, and a host of other benefits. The second option gives 1 TB to five users at once.
- Price: 8 GB for free, 64 GB for 69 rubles per month.
- Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Windows Phone.
- Russian language support: there is.
The closest analogue of Yandex.Disk in terms of available features, web interface and supported platforms. Loses to its main competitor due to an extensive referral program. Benefits include more free storage.
Among other things, the service has a tool for quickly creating and saving screenshots in the cloud.
- Price: 5 GB for free, 50 GB for 59 rubles per month.
- Applications: Windows.
- Russian language support: there is.
5GB of free space might not be enough, but iCloud is the most convenient way to back up your iPhone photos.
The service is integrated into the Finder program on macOS - the desktop of all MacBooks. Documents created through the iWork office suite are also saved in iCloud and can be synced across devices. The platform also has an official client for Windows, with which you can keep files on your PC up to date.
8. Box
- Price: 10 GB free, 100 GB for 8 € per month. Business subscription costs 12 euros per month.
- Applications: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
- Russian language support: there is.
The platform quickly gained popularity and is supported by a number of popular services for work, such as Google Docs and Office 365. Box desktop clients allow you to not only sync, but also edit files.
The company is actively promoting business subscriptions. It is she who appears in the center of the screen when you click on the registration button. The plan gives you access to advanced collaboration options and unlimited space in the cloud.
- Price: Free setup and use, space prices vary by hosting providers. Nextcloud Box costs 70 euros.
- Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- Russian language support: no.
The company itself is not a cloud storage provider, but offers free software to set up the cloud on your own server. The main advantage of this option is speed. You can also turn on encryption and not worry about files leaving your home network.
If you have no experience in setting up servers, you can buy a pre-configured option - Nextcloud Box. Inside the device is a 1 TB hard drive. It easily connects to an inexpensive single board computer. However, in order to get hold of a mini-server, you will have to use the services of third-party companies: there is no direct delivery to Russia and the CIS countries.
- Price: 2 GB free, 250 GB for $ 9 per month.
- Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- Russian language support: no.
Another English-language platform that has been working on the zero knowledge protocol for a long time. The implication was that the company interacts with user data without revealing its content in any way. Recently it was revealed that there are some caveats here, and SpiderOak has ditched its main feature. But this did not stop striving to provide files.
The store has clients for all popular desktop and mobile platforms. It is possible to use the web client, but this is the least preferred option for privacy advocates, since this is how you give your password to SpiderOak employees.
- Price: 5 GB free, 2 TB for $ 52.12 / year on special, then $ 69.5.
- Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Windows Phone.
- Russian language support: no.
The product maintains constant synchronization of all your files - even those stored on network drives. The web interface allows data sharing via email, Facebook and Twitter.
The advantage of IDrive is that files deleted from the computer from the cloud do not automatically disappear. The company also has an IDrive Express service: if you lose all your data, a hard drive will be delivered to you for quick recovery.
- Price: 10 GB free, 500 GB for $ 3.99 / month, pCloud Crypto encryption price for $ 3.99 / month.
- Applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
- Russian language support: there is.
The service has limits on the speed of downloading files, but there is no limit on their size. The storage can be used from any platform - through an application or a website.
The company is registered in Switzerland, a country known for strict privacy laws. For an additional amount, you can use the pCloud Crypto service to encrypt individual files.
Dropbox is a modern workspace that helps you cut back on chores and focus on the things that really matter.
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Illustration by David McLeod
Photo by Davy Evans
Illustration by David McLeod
Photo by Davy Evans
Organize all data without distracting from the workflow
With Dropbox, all your files are in one central place. They're easy to find and sync securely across all your devices, so you can access them from anywhere, anytime. You no longer have to waste time looking for lost files.
Collaborate on presentations, layouts, and any other files.
Dropbox is built for collaboration. Easily share large files you create with others like PowerPoint, Photoshop, or Sketch. Everyone will have the correct version. And you will be on the same wavelength. Finally!
Creativity without chaos in Dropbox Paper
Paper is a space where your team members can bring ideas to life. Discuss ideas, seek inspiration, share drafts. Paper can store everything from video and images to sound and program code.
Dropbox is the world's first and by far the most popular cloud storage. This is a service thanks to which each user can store any data, be it multimedia, electronic documents or anything else, in a safe and secure place.
Security is by no means the only trump card in Dropbox's arsenal. After all, this is a cloud service, which means that all data added to it goes to the cloud, remaining tied to a specific account. Files added to this cloud can be accessed from any device on which the Dropbox program or application is installed, or simply by logging into the service website through a browser.
In this article we will talk about how to use Dropbox and what this cloud service can do in general.
Installing this product on a PC is no more difficult than any other program. After downloading the installation file from the official site, just run it. Then follow the instructions, if you wish, you can specify the location for installing the program, as well as specify the location for the Dropbox folder on your computer. All your files will be added to it and, if necessary, this place can always be changed.
Create account
If you still do not have an account in this wonderful cloud service, you can create one on the official website. Everything is as usual here: enter your first and last name, e-mail address and come up with a password. Next, you need to put a tick, confirming your agreement with the terms of the license agreement, and click "Register". That's it, your account is ready.
Note: The created account will need to be confirmed - a letter will be sent to the mail, following the link from which you will need to go.
Customization
After installing Dropbox, you will need to log into your account, for which you need to enter your username and password. If you already have files in the cloud, they are synchronized and downloaded to your PC, but if there are no files, an empty folder will open that you assigned to the program during installation.
Dropbox runs in the background and is minimized in the system tray, from where you can access the latest files or folder on your computer.
From here you can also open the program parameters and make the desired setting (the "Settings" icon is located in the upper right corner of the small window with the latest files).
As you can see, Dropbox's settings menu is divided into several tabs.
In the "Account" window, you can find the synchronization path and change it, view user data and, what is especially interesting, configure the synchronization settings (Selective synchronization).
Why is this needed? The fact is that by default, all the contents of your Dropbox cloud are synchronized with your computer, downloaded to it in a designated folder and, therefore, takes up space on your hard drive. So, if you have a basic account with 2 GB of free space, this most likely does not matter, but if, for example, you have a business account with up to 1 TB of space in the cloud, you are unlikely to want the entire this terabyte also took up space on the PC.
So, for example, you can keep synchronized important files and folders, documents that you need in constant access, and bulky files can not be synchronized, leaving them only in the cloud. If you need the file, you can always download it, if you need to view it, you can do it on the web, just by opening the Dropbox website.
By going to the "Import" tab, you can configure the import of content from mobile devices connected to a PC. By activating the camera upload function, you can add photos and videos stored on your smartphone or digital camera to the Dropbox.
Also, in this horse, you can activate the function of saving screenshots. The screenshots you have taken will be automatically saved to the storage folder as a ready-made graphic file, to which you can immediately get a link,
In the Bandwidth tab, you can set the maximum speed at which Dropbox will sync uploaded data. This is necessary in order not to load the slow Internet or just to make the program invisible.
In the last tab of the settings, if you wish, you can configure a proxy server.
Adding files
To add files to Dropbox, you just need to copy or move them to the program folder on your computer, after which synchronization will start immediately.
You can add files both to the root folder and to any other that you can create yourself. You can also do this through the context menu by clicking on the required file: Send - Dropbox.
Access from any computer
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, you can access files in the cloud storage from any computer. And for this it is by no means necessary to install the Dropbox program on your computer. You can simply open the official website in your browser and log in to it.
Directly from the site, you can work with text documents, view multimedia (large files can take a long time to load), or simply save the file to a computer or a device connected to it. The owner of the account can add comments to content in Dropbox, link to users, or publish these files on the web (for example, on social networks). 
The built-in site viewer also allows you to open multimedia and documents in viewing tools installed on your PC.
Access from a mobile device
In addition to a program for a computer, Dropbox also exists in the form of applications for most mobile platforms. It can be installed on iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, Blackberry. All data will be synchronized in the same way as on a PC, and the synchronization itself works in both directions, that is, from a mobile, you can add files to the cloud in the same way.
Actually, it is worth noting that the functionality of Dropbox mobile applications is close to the capabilities of the site and in all respects surpasses the desktop version of the service, which in fact is only a means of access and viewing.
General access
Note: if you want to allow someone to view a particular file or download it, but not edit the original, just provide a link to this file, and do not share it.
File sharing function
This possibility follows from the previous paragraph. Of course, Dropbox was designed exclusively as a cloud service that can be used for both personal and business purposes. However, given the capabilities of this storage, it is quite possible to use it as a file hosting service.
So, for example, you have photos from a party at which there were many of your friends, who, of course, also want these photos for themselves. You just share with them, or even provide a link, and they already download these photos on their PC - everyone is happy and grateful for your generosity. And this is just one of the applications.
Dropbox is a world-renowned cloud service for which you can find a lot of use cases, not limited to what its authors intended. It can be a convenient storage for multimedia and / or work documents, focused on home use, or it can be an advanced and multifunctional solution for a business with a large volume, workgroups and broad administration capabilities. In any case, this service deserves attention, if only for the reason that it can be used to exchange information between various devices and users, as well as simply save space on your computer's hard drive.
