DropBox with 8GB - In Search of Cloud Storage

Ever since a file arrived not via email, not via Skype, not via FTP, not via any other known data transfer method, but as a Dropbox link, I became curious to evaluate the advantages of this service.

What is cloud storage?

The idea of storing files (images, video, music, etc.) on the web so they can be accessed from any computer, or made shared or public, is not new. But either the tiny amount of data that could be stored in such resources, or the inconvenient access and file uploading/downloading meant it didn't gain widespread popularity for a long time. The situation changed when storage capacity reached gigabytes and working with files became as convenient as moving files from one folder to another on your computer.

In essence, it is FTP - only usable for free up to a certain amount, and it is also possible to work with files through a web interface (i.e. no special program required).

Let's look at a usage example.

You are a working student. At home you write coursework, on your phone you have some photos, at work some fun presentations. To exchange files you need a USB stick or have to send them by email. With cloud storage (as we'll call the service described above) you can do it differently: save your coursework in the cloud, the photos from your phone and the fun presentations too. Now you can access everything from any computer knowing your password. If the coursework needs to be sent to a friend but is too large to send by email, a couple of clicks in the cloud gives you a link which, when opened, will allow the file to be downloaded. You then send this link to your friend.

DropBox

DropBox emerged from student needs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2007, with the goal of creating a convenient and secure way to exchange files. The service also saves previous versions of a file - meaning if you wrote a long essay, "improved" it on day two and on day three realised you need to restore it, that will be possible.

DropBox is not the only such resource, but is currently considered the most convenient. What all of them offer: web access. DropBox additionally offers a dedicated application (versions developed for Windows, Mac and mobile devices: Android and iPhone) which will create a special folder and synchronise it with the cloud at intervals. As a result, you continue working with files and folders as before, only these files are invisibly sent to the cloud, making them accessible on another computer and on your phone. The convenience lies in not needing to download, make edits and then upload (as would be the case with FTP and email).

Storage space - how to get 8GB?

DropBox provides 2GB of storage for free. If you want more - two options. 1. Pay for additional storage (prices below). 2. Refer friends and acquaintances, because for each "recruited" user you both receive 250MB. And so on, until 8GB is reached, which is the maximum.

An invitation can be sent in two ways - by sending a link and registering a new user (for example, by opening this link - http://db.tt/ZQmHMP9) or by sending an invitation email from the Dropbox page itself. The recipient needs to complete 5 of 7 steps.

1. Take the Dropbox tour
2. Install Dropbox on your computer
3. Put files in your Dropbox folder
4. Install Dropbox on other computers you use
5. Share a folder with friends or colleagues
6. Invite some friends to join Dropbox
7. Install Dropbox on your mobile device

Experiments revealed that the bonus megabytes are credited as soon as the invitation is accepted, the offered program is downloaded and authorisation through it has taken place. You can authorise from the same IP, but not from the same computer (you can, but the bonus won't count). Changing the computer name won't help ;).

All that remains is to find 26 friends to send it to who would accept, but if that scenario doesn't work out, there are also other, similar cloud storage services.

On installation:

Everything installs smoothly and nicely (without unnecessary or confusing questions) on Windows, Mac, Android. There is no Debian Linux package (there is one for Ubuntu).

apt-get install libnautilus-extension-dev libnotify-dev python-docutils

if it reports missing packages, then:

apt-get –f install

If the package offered on the official page doesn't work (e.g. version incompatibility), fetch the dpkg package from here: http://repo.rivco.net/debian/nautilus-dropbox/0.6.2-1/

dpkg –i nautilus-dropbox_0.6.2-1_i386.deb

Further operation proceeds via GUI.

Cloud storage.

A list of other cloud storage services (Cloud computing data storage services):

When choosing cloud storage, important things to know:

• Whether there is a desktop application (which will allow working with files similarly to other files on the computer - i.e. not through the web)
• Single file size limit. For example, docs.google.com has a single file size limit of 250MB (relevant if that matters to you).

Interesting articles on the topic:

[1] Dropbox vs. Amazon Cloud Drive – Which one is Better? (A Detailed Comparison) - http://techsplurge.com/3485/dropbox-amazon-cloud-drive-detailed-comparison/