Dropbox has been a popular file hosting, backup and synchronisation service for years, but its client software has only just reached the magic 1.0 version number.
Users of the service are being rewarded for their patience, though, with a stack of tweaks and new features that should improve performance in just about every area.
The enhancements start at installation. The Mac OS X version has been rewritten to use only Apple’s Cocoa framework, which cuts the download file size by 20% (and it looks better, too). And the setup wizard for all platforms has been designed so it’s easier to get started with the program.
Dropbox says version 1.0 of their client includes a new sync engine that’s faster, and uses less resources, even if you’re tracking millions of files (RAM consumption in particular could be halved). And with hundreds of bug fixes included, the program should also be considerably more reliable.
Mac users will appreciate the new support for syncing extended attributes like resource forks.
And everyone will benefit from Dropbox 1.0’s Selective Sync feature. You don’t have to synchronise your entire Dropbox across all your systems, any more – Selective Sync allows you to choose which folders are downloaded to which computers, and all in just a few clicks.
If you’re an existing Dropbox user, then (or just looking for a new sync service) the new client looks like an essential upgrade. Grab a copy for yourself from the download page.
Your Comments & Opinion