I’ve tried many online file backup solutions and all of them have left me wanting. Then I found DropBox. DropBox works a bit differently than other online backups. Rather than merely telling the software what folders you want to back up, DropBox creates a folder on your computer and it’s that folder that gets backed up. I see this as a benefit because it keeps things simple, and it’s outside of the normal Windows ‘My Documents’ structure. I like software that leaves me in control, and DropBox definitely does that.
Place a file in your DropBox folder and it’s immediately copied to DropBox’s servers. This happens as quickly as the upload bandwidth on your internet connect will allow. This is not technically real-time, but it’s fully automatic and doesn’t require you to manage a backup schedule.
There are two enormous benefits to DropBox. First, you can install it on as many computers as you like. Update a file on one computer, it’s pushed up to DropBox, and then in turn pushed to your other computers. This keeps the DropBox folder on your computers perfectly synchronized. I’m not aware of any other online backup solution that offers this.
Second, your files are available online through DropBox’s website. Should you happen to need a file from your DropBox and you’re using a computer without the DropBox software installed, just login to their website and download your files.
DropBox will backup 2Gb of files for free. If you sign up through this link, you’ll get an extra 250mb of space. Higher capacity plans are available for very reasonable rates.
DropBox is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.