What makes Dropbox so great vs the other online cloud storage solutions? Read on...

Hands down and not to sound bias but Dropbox is one of my personal favorite cloud storage solutions and it is free. To me, what makes Dropbox so popular is its support from third-party applications such as PlainText and Elements, which are text-based editors that utilize their APIs (Application Protocal Interface?). What does API mean? It is just a fancy word that means it supports and integrates well with Dropbox. Only SugarSync with its built in text editor comes close to Dropbox but it does not have the formatting options like a dedicated text app like PlainText and Elements does.

So, what gets me so excited about free cloud storage is that I can utilize their service for the PC, Apple iPhone and iPad. The Dropbox App for the Apple iPhone or iPad is extremely easy to use and navigate. That means you can seamlessly share and have files accessible from all three platforms in real time as long as you have an available WIFI connection to support all three devices. In the event that you don't have a WIFI connection and you make an update via Dropbox as soon as your other devices are connected it will automatically sync to ensure you have the latest and greatest across all three.


Passcode Lock available?

Yes, Dropbox has passcode lock available on startup and require immediately when switching apps for a short time. This comes in handle when you want to protect your account from prying eyes especially when the nephews want to play the latest games on your iPhone or iPad.

Third-Party Support from Text Editors


Getting back to third party applications that suport Dropbox, I currently can't live without these productivity tools for editing simple text files (txt). I am currently using the following PlainText and Elements. See below for my mini reviews. I plan to add another page in the near future to review these text-based apps and how well they support cloud storage.

PlainText

This native app from Hog Bay Software is free and I use it extensively for the Apple iPhone and iPad. It does contain a minor banner at the bottom but you have a choice to remove it for $1.99. This is a fantastic app and my only beef is that I wish it had the option to change the font.

Elements

Future write-ups on text based editors

Once I have more time, I will also try out iA Writer, Droptext, WriteUp, Notability, Write and Textastic. Yes, it is on my to do list so look out for an update on those text editing apps that I have mentioned. So a question you may be asking is, why have more than one text app? Well, if you are editing more than one text file at a time you will need 2 separate apps and by swiping left and right on the Apple iPad you can easily switch between the two text apps. As mentioned before, I am big on text editors that support cloud storage so this may not apply to you but it is something I wanted to mention.


Current Dropbox Plans (as of June 21st, 2012)

For those starting off with a NEW Dropbox account, they start you off with 2GB of FREE online storage. However, if you sign up by clicking on my link here BOTH of us will earn an additional 500 MB of FREE storage at no cost. How awesome is that? This offer only applies to NEW Dropbox accounts only. So, thank you in advance if you do decide to sign up for a FREE Dropbox account through my link. I appreciate the FREE space :)

If you really love Dropbox and want to make it your all in one cloud storage solution and forget about the others, check out their price plans below:


1) 2 GB Free - For New User Accounts


2) Pro 50 - 50 GB+ account

$9.99/month or $99.00/year

3) Pro 100 - 100 GB+ account

$19.99/month or $199.00/year

Conclusion

Depending on what you use cloud storage for, whether it is for work or recreation we all have different uses for them. However, for me Dropbox is one of my favorites for ease of use and 3rd-party support despite only accumulating 6.8 GB of total space :) Do I use Dropbox to store all my photos and videos etc?, no, I don't. With 25 GB from Microsoft SkyDrive and 50 GB from Box, I am more inclined to use them.

Disclaimer

I do not receive any monetary compensation from this review site, however I do use Dropbox and SugarSync daily and I recommend it because it is FREE. If you wish to setup a new Dropbox/SugarSync account, you will find my referral link in the Dropbox/SugarSync review page(s) which would give us each an additional 500 MB of free space. All opinions expressed on this website are my own and do not reflect the cloud storage providers.

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