5 uses for Dropbox

Every time I travel or attend a conference, I see people moving files and information around via printed documents at worst or flash drives at best. And increasingly, I see people needing to access this information on more mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads. I’m reminded then of how glad I am to have a Dropbox account to simplify the process of getting files out to others, or shuttling them over to my own collection of computers and gadgets. If you haven’t tried Dropbox yet, I strongly urge you to look into it.

Dropbox is free to use. The basic level of service provides 2 GB of storage, plenty for Word documents, PowerPoint slides, digital images, and short movies. If you need more space, Dropbox provides additional pricing tiers with more storage capacity.

1. Sync files between multiple computers

If you have multiple computers (say, a laptop and a desktop, or a work computer and home computer) and need to work on the same files on all of them, what do you do? Do you send yourself e-mail attachments, or use a flash drive? Working with files across more than one computer is much easier with Dropbox–just put the file you’re working on in your Dropbox folder, make sure syncing is finished before you shut down, then the next time you open the other computer your file will be there. Do your work, save your changes, and they’ll be on your other computer the next time you connect to the Internet.

If you’re on a computer that doesn’t allow you to install software (say a work computer) you can upload and download files from your Dropbox account through a web browser.

2. Share files without attachments

Even in an age of nearly limitless e-mail account quotas, I hate attachments. They’re slow to load, and when you try to compress large files (for size) or folders (for convenience) you’re likely to have your attachment rejected by zealous virus protection software (as is the case on KU’s mail servers). The solution? Move the file or folder to your Dropbox Public folder, right-click (or control-click), and grab its public link. Paste that link into the e-mail and lighten your friends and colleagues’ inbox loads. You can also share large files–I once successfully shared a 1.3 gigabyte file via Dropbox–could you imagine a file that large showing up in your inbox?

3. Access your files on the road

I use this feature a lot when I travel–I print my boarding passes, itineraries, conference schedules, and meeting agendas to PDF, then move those PDF files to my Dropbox folder. Then, using the Dropbox app for iPhone or iPad (both free), or even the web version (also free), I can get to those files anywhere I have Internet access. The downside of this is I can’t get to them when I’m on a plane, but I could move them over to iBooks for offline access on an iPad (more on that in a moment).

4. Back up files quickly

If you’re not backing up important files on your computer, you really should be. I know a good backup scheme can be complex and time-consuming to create, so maybe a first step would be to identify your most important files and move them into your Dropbox folder for quick and easy backup while you ponder a more thorough scheme. If you’ve got good backups in place, you might consider your Dropbox as an additional backup to that backup.

5. Move books and PDFs to your iPad

Last but not least is my new favorite use of Dropbox. The latest version (go to the App Store on your iPad to download it, if necessary) allows you to transfer books to the iBooks e-reader application, so you can access them even if you’re not on a wireless network, without syncing the files through iTunes on your computer. This is especially useful if you’re taking advantage of iBooks’ new ability to view PDF files, or you buy ePub-formatted books from sources besides Apple’s iBookstore.

Image: Wikipedia

Related posts:

1. Back up and share your files in the cloud with Dropbox or Mobile Me
2. 5 reasons you should use Dropbox
3. Extend Dropbox with Dropbox apps
4. Travel light: Access your files on the go with an iPhone and Dropbox or MobileMe
5. How secure are your files on Dropbox?

Aaron Sumner

Aaron Sumner is the Director of Technology for Research and Development at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He has worked in web development and instructional technology since 1994.