Thing Seventeen

Give a review of the tool you explored - what worked, what didn't work, how might it be used in your personal or professional life? 

I explored a tool called “Dropbox” which can be found at dropbox.com.  By creating an account on Dropbox, users can “drop” documents and photos into folders that can be accessed from any workstation.  The documents can also be shared with other people who can then modify and edit.  The site also provides a single file option so that documents and photos can be shared with people who do not have a Dropbox account.  I was also able to install a free Dropbox app on my phone. 

When I first created my account, I was automatically given 18GB of storage space.  New users can earn more free space by completing a list of tasks such as taking a site tour, inviting friends to join, and uploading and sharing a document.  By completing most of these tasks, I was able to earn 256MB of extra storage space.  Users who need more space can upgrade by paying $9.99 per year.  Because I don’t have a clear understanding of megabytes or gigabytes, I’m not sure if I will need more space.

I have spent a short amount of time exploring this tool, and have been impressed so far.  For my own personal or professional use it seems like an easy way to access documents from other computer workstations as well as my mobile device.  It also appears to be an easy way to share and collaborate on documents.  I like the option that allows single document sharing for people who do not have a Dropbox account.  I also like that a document does not have to be converted from a Microsoft Word format, like it does in Google Docs.  The limitation appears to be the limited storage space, although for my uses it appears that I will have plenty of space on this site.