Fun Size Bytes

Hey folks, I know I’ve talked about Dropbox before, and you may not have understood why you’d want it, but two things:

Trust me, you want it. [more below]
It’s free for up to 2 GB of online storage.
They’re taking away a feature in a month or so, but people with existing accounts will get to keep it. So if you haven’t signed up yet, do it now *

If you use this link http://luo.ma/dropbox you will get an extra 500 MB worth of space (2.5 GB instead of 2), still for free.

Upload your pictures using Dropbox (privately) and you can get another 3 GB of space.

Note: you have to create an account, download the app (works on Windows, Mac, and Linux… also iOS devices and Android phones), and launch the app to be considered an “existing user.”

~What is Dropbox?~

If you haven’t heard of Dropbox, it started out as an easy way to sync files across computers. The great thing about it is that it just looks like a folder, and it acts like a folder, but in the background, it’s uploading and downloading changes.

But even if you only have one computer, you should still get Dropbox. Why? Because it’s an automatic backup system too. Accidentally delete a file? You can get it back from Dropbox. Make a change and then decided you liked the old version better? You can get the old version back from Dropbox.

Need to share a bunch of files with someone, or have a file you want to share but it’s too big for email? Stick it on Dropbox, and they can download it even if they don’t have a Dropbox account.

Anyway, it’s pretty much the best thing to happen to computers in a long, long time.

~P.S.~

* The “Public” folder will not be available for new users as of sometime in the near future. Existing customers will be allowed to keep them.

All users will be able to use the ‘share’ feature which is what is replacing the Public folder… but it’s not the same.

If you don’t know what any of that means, just take my word for it.

Source: http://forums.dropbox.com/topic.php?page=2&id=62381

Source: luo.ma

Dropbox Questions, Dropbox Answers

There are 5 more Dropbox slots available folks. CORRECTION! There are now only FOUR spots available.

Some folks have posted some comments & questions about Dropbox. I’m here to answer:

mathcat345 said: You may be sorry I joined up! I’ve downloaded it successfully (I think), but am too tired to play with it tonight. I signed up through the first link; does that one count as a TJ Help Link? {{ANSWER: YES. If you’re not sure this is the link to use.}}
sokeri said: alas, I am already (kind of sometimes) using dropbox. wait, can I have more than one account? does that help you? {{ANSWER: You can’t have more than one account, plus that actually increases the chances of something unexpected happening to your files. Thanks for the support, but don’t worry about it.}}
steelopus said: Fine. You win. I caved. I downloaded. I doubt it will replace my use of FTP… </skepticism> {{REPLY: Why you gotta hate, Steel? Why you gotta hate? FTP is great, and I use it all of the time. But I know you have more than one computer, so why wouldn’t you want 2.25GB of free space that will automatically be shared between all of them? Unless you’re a hater.}}
jorshuwah said: Thanks for the referral. It looks like it will be useful for me when I need to print off an assignment at uni… any adv. to this over just using my email account? {{ANSWER: If you use the Dropbox folder to store your files, you can access them from any computer with a web browser, so you don’t have to remember to email them to yourself. Plus they’re backed up automatically. FOR FREE.}}

If you’re a Mac user, I posted 6 Dropbox Tips for Mac over on my “tech” Tumblr.

Oh, yeah, maybe some of you would like to know that: luo.ma aka my “real” website is now a Tumblr. Mostly Mac/Tech Nerdiness. As opposed to here. Which is different. Shut up.

Sign up for Dropbox, people. Don’t make me beg. Any more than I already have.

Are you using Dropbox? If not, read this

I have been an advocate of Dropbox for a long time now.

If any of you still aren’t using it, today is the day to change that.

If you sign up using this link, you will be able to help me (I’ll get some extra space) and I’ll be able to help you (you’ll get extra space too).

No strings.

Download the software
Install the software

Why use Dropbox?

Because you have files on your computer that you don’t want to lose, but you don’t back them up often enough.
Because you use more than one computer and want to have the same files at all of them

Why wouldn’t you use Dropbox?

Maybe you think it would be confusing or you’d have trouble figuring out how to use it.

Well here’s a deal for you: Sign up through my referral link and I’ll help you figure out how to set it up and use it if you have any trouble.

Here’s the only catch for that: the offer is only good for the first 14 people who sign up (that’s the total number of referrals I can earn).

(See follow-up here and 6 Mac-related Dropbox tips here.)

UPDATE 2010-04-02: Only 8 TWO spots left. Go go go!