Maybe Google is on to something. They store our email, documents, music, files, calendars, bookmarks, forage through the whole mess, and sell the data to advertisers.
That may explain why so many companies want to give us online cloud storage for free. Like a burglar rummaging through our drawers, they like to go through our stuff. Here’s yet another free online storage service.
Box For iPhone And iPad
Let’s have a show of hands. Who among the Apple faithful do not use iCloud? Apple boasts nearly 200-million users already. It’s difficult to complain about free.
True, iCloud isn’t Dropbox. For most of us, it’s just a place to store files until the storage gets so big we are required to pay money to keep it.
Dropbox and iCloud are nicely integrated into many of our iPhone and iPad applications, so we’re used to using what’s free. For now.
How does a new company get in on the free parade? Box is here for iPhone and iPad and they offer free online storage. It’s more free. 10GB free. If you need more than that, then the Box business model kicks in and you’re required to mortgage your house. Again.
Box starts with 10GB of free storage and sync. Sync, as in it syncs files between your iPhone and Box, or iPad and Box, or both devices and Box (have no fear Mac user, there’s a Box app for the Mac, too).
What does the clever and elegant Box interface do for you? View, edit, share, and manage files from your iPad and iPhone.
Everything you store in Box is secured with file-level encryption, and not everyone can get to your files (even Google).
While Box is no Dropbox, some features are similar. You can view and edit files online.
Box has a few dozen apps which also integrate storage from the iPhone or iPad app direct to your Box account (works similar to iCloud and Dropbox).
One feature I like is the option to share a file by sending a link to the file in email.
Searching through a bunch of files is simple enough in either the iPhone or iPad Box app, but you can mark files and folders as favorites for easy viewing.
BOx is also a good place to store photos online. It’s no Instagram, of course, but photos can be uploaded and shared.
My biggest fear with Box is the same that I share with Dropbox and iCloud (or, any of the me-too online storage services).
I’ll keep using it and using it and loving it and one day I’ll have enough files, music, movies, documents, and personal stuff stored online and I’ll end up having to pay by the month just to keep it all.
About Alexis Kayhill
Actually, I’m pretty sure BOX was around before Dropbox. But even if I’m wrong, it’s hardly new. I’ve been using it for at least two years. In fact, about a year ago they offered 50GB of free space for anyone who signed up using their iOS app.
Box has been around awhile but you’d never know it, having been crushed by iCloud and Dropbox. It’s a decent service, but the key is usability and there are far more OS X and iOS apps that use iCloud and Dropbox than Box. The same problem exists for GoogleDrive, Microsoft’s SkyDrive, and Amazon’s new whatever-the-name-is cloud service. If you can’t store data easily then the service won’t gain traction or customers. I use iCloud and Dropbox and love both, but for different reasons.