Dropbox Brings the Cloud to the iPad, Android, and Other Apps
By: Hillel Fuld
I think it is not an exaggerated statement to say that 90% of all online buzz is somehow connected to a very small number of primary topics or words. Words like Twitter, social media, location, and cloud computing. To focus on the last of those words, cloud computing has really started to become a leading trend, with the guiding light being of course, Google.
Whether you are a fan of storing your data in the cloud, or you are one of many paranoid people who do not trust Google or any other company to keep your information private, there is no denying the advantages of remote cloud access to your data. The ability to check your email anywhere using a Web mail service as opposed to Outlook, or the ability to view your calendar or documents online with Google Calendar and Docs, as opposed to using Outlook or Word, these are things people are starting to take for granted.
One of my personal favorite services in this space is the highly popular Dropbox. Dropbox enables you to create a folder into which you can drop files of any kind, that will almost immediately (depending on the size of the file and your internet speed) appear on your mobile phone or other computer, as long as they can access Dropbox.
I have been using this service for quite some time now, and I have to say that in both my personal and professional life, it has become like the mobile phone in that it leaves me asking “What did I do before I had it?”
Yesterday was a monumental day for Dropbox. They first and foremost announced their native iPad app. Why is this a big deal? There have been a staggering one million iPads sold so far, and all those new iPad early adopters, were most likely disappointed in the lack of any sort of file transferring mechanism between the iPad and your computer. That’s right, seems Apple didn’t think of everything. There is no way to transfer a Word file from your iPad to your computer, minus of course going through an entire iTunes sync process, which sometimes takes up to five minutes.
Now, with the native Dropbox iPad app, you can simply drag any file into your iPad Dropbox folder, and then access it on any computer within seconds. However, yesterday’s Dropbox announcements get a whole lot better.
Not only can you now sync files between your iPad and computer, but you can add one more variable into that equation, your Android device. That’s right, Dropbpox also released their sought after Android app, which will allow you to sync your shiny Nexus or Droid with your PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod, or iPad. Pretty awesome… But guess what? There is more.
Why not have the ability to add the very convenient Dropbox functionality from within other apps? Well, Dropbox, in addition to the iPad app and the Android app, also announced their brand spankin new mobile API. The API launched with 8 apps already supporting it including QuickOffice and Documents to Go, but I don’t think anyone has any doubt that we will be seeing a lot more apps incorporating Dropbox into their features.
This is a big day for Dropbox, Dropbox users, and basically the entire industry. Like I said, I have been using Dropbox for years, and it remains one of my all time favorites because of its simplicity on one hand and its pure genius on the other. I would highly recommend you sign up for Dropbox (did I mention it is FREE?), no matter what smartphone platform you use (almost). Just in case you were wondering (I know I was), the BlackBerry app is on its way and due to show its face this summer.
One last thing, this is the first time I am making such a prediction (in writing), but I give it 6 months before Dropbox is acquired by either Apple or Google.
Do you use Dropbox? What are your thoughts about these new announcements? Please let us know in the comments.
