What Exactly Is Dropbox

[emmie]

is it something for storing stuff, and do you have to pay for it.

[emmie]

i have it on my new laptop, but i am not sure what it does.

[barry1010]

It stores your files in the cloud and you can access them from any device connected to the internet. It is free for a specified amount of storage but you can pay for more. It can be used to automatically back up your files.

[emmie]

thank you barry.

[barry1010]

It has been a long time since I looked at it and have now seen that they only give 2GB of storage for free. I used to use it when I was in a group as it was a safe and easy way to share files securely. We could all drop our files in the same place and edit them.

[emmie]

i don't think i will have use for it to be fair.

[emmie]

but never say never..

[barry1010]

If only you had all your photos in Dropbox before you bought your new laptop :D

[emmie]

my laptop is 13 years old, its why i finally bought a replacement.

[Prudie]

I use it as back-up storage for all my photos - the advantage being I also have it on my phone which is set to send any photo to dropbox automatically so I can take a picture and then have it on my laptop to view or email. I don't pay and have loads of pictures and videos stored (although it's always telling me it's nearly full and suggesting I upgrade by paying for extra).

[emmie]

so its worth signing up to

[aelmpvw]

emmie, didn't your laptop come with onedrive preinstalled? It's a free storage facility

[emmie]

ael, it does, thank you for pointing that out. I am still learning about this laptop, what it can do is remarkable compared to the old one..

[satprof]

Prudie, Do you leave your photos on Dropbox after transferring to the laptop, or do you delete them once they've been transferred?

[Prudie]

I delete some and leave most, I know I could spend a couple of hours weeding to free up some space - when I can be bothered :-). I also have some folders in it that I share - with my daughter for example - so she can see pictures without me bothering to email them or whatever.

[barry1010]

emmie, I know your old laptop is 13 years old but if you had used Dropbox to upload your photos they would have been there ready for you to download to your new lappy without all the faff you had. :)

It is a good idea to use cloud backup in case your hard drive files or your laptop gets stolen.

[emmie]

anyway, thank you for the help, its much appreciated

[Atheist]

If you're happy to add your files to digital sheds in Texas (or whatever) so that they can store them in their own 'filing cabinets' (and perhaps use the data for their own purposes) and add to the world's electricity bill, and know who you are and read all your private stuff, then go ahead. If not, kep your personal information on your own computer. If I am misunderstanding the way it works, then I'm sure I'll be corrected.

[ichkeria]

... and lose it all when your PC/laptop packs up.
Whether you use DropBox, OneDrive, (I use mainly Knowhow cloud), or an external disk, or a combination, there are multiple easy backup options these days. It’s almost harder NOT to back up!