Dropbox vs MobileMe

[MikeV99]

How do these apps compare with regard to usability and performance? Advantages of one over the other? I have used the free dropbox app.

Thanks,

Mike

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[Tim SPRACKLEN]

I've used MobileMe and not DropBox.

I guess, for me, the biggest advantage of MobileMe was the fact that it's inevitably directly supported in Apple's iPad iWorks suite - Pages, Numbers and Keynote - which means that I can directly move files back and forth to the cloud storage and then on to my PC.

I have had some problems uploading large files to MobileMe from my PC where the upload continuously fails for an unspecified reason.


I guess the other downside is that you have to pay for it!!

Tim

 

[twerppoet]

DropBox is a very good one trick pony. If all you want is some online storage it works at least as well as MobileMe's i'Disk, and if 2GB is enough then it's free.

MobileMe does a lot of things: In order to get almost* everything it does you'll need a few other accounts besides DropBox; Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Gallery, Website hosting, and a few miscellaneous others.

However MobileMe does cost money, at least for now. All those other things can be gotten for free from services like; Google, Flickr, Yahoo, etc.

* If you have a Mac, then you get extra syncing features and a few other handy tricks that can not be easily duplicated by other services.

 

[MikeV99]

I was reading the iDisk reviews sorted by "Most Critical." If those reviews are correct, it would suggest that the iDisk portion has serious limitations.

MobileMe sounded like a way to avoid having to connect to a PC and use iTunes to sync calendar, contacts, and so on. I use Outlook for my calendar & contacts (along with a LDAP server for contacts). I am thinking about getting an iPhone and was looking for an easy way to keep everything in sync. I currently use iTunes, Dropbox, and Goodreader to sync things between the PC and the iPad (although some apps like Listpro and eWallet sync directly when the PC and iPad are on the same WiFi network and their syncing could not use MobileMe).

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[twerppoet]

If you were reading the reviews for the iDisk app, agree, it's severely limited. But that is the app, not the iDisk service. You can access iDisk via GoodReader just like you can DropBox, and it work exactly the same.

However, given your mix of devices and current services I don't see that MobileMe would be worth the cost to you. The three big apps, Mail, Contacts, and Calendars will be of no use to you. That leaves bookmarks and notes, and they will probably only sync between the iPhone and iPad.

Other services like Galleries and iWeb are so Mac centric I'm not even sure you could use them without a Mac.

Since the iPhone should be able to sync with just about anything you've got your iPad syncing to already, and in the same way, you should be just fine with an iPhone if you decide to get one.

 

[richsadams]

I have both MobileMe and Dropbox. Dropbox honestly runs circles around MobileMe when it comes to syncing all types of files between multiple machines and mobile devices. Sharing files with others (Apple, Windows or Linux users) is much easier with Dropbox as well.

Dropbox also works seamlessly with programs like 1Password, GoodReader, TextExpander and many others as well. (More here). They also have their own Dropbox Addons.

I still sync my calendar, contacts and backup some files with MobileMe, but when it comes to managing files in the "cloud"...Dropbox is king. I kind of wish Apple would buy Dropbox.

It will be interesting to see where Apple takes MobileMe in the next six months or so though. That ginormous server farm in the Carolinas is certainly ramping up for some massive work. I'm guessing it'll primariy be iTunes-centric...but there are certainly other opportunities and if I were Dropbox, SugarSync, Amazon or even Google I'd be pretty nervous right about now.

 

[twerppoet]

Got to agree with that. DropBox is more useful cross platform. And the fact that many apps have chosen to directly support them gives them a big boost on the iPad.

MobileMe's pay wall and Mac centric nature limits it's customer base, and that makes it less likely that developers will add it as a feature.

Of course, no reason a person can't have both, and like you, I do. Though my strongest reason for hanging on to it is that I don't want to break in a new main email address. And then there is my vanity page made with iWeb. I'm not in the mood to deal with new tools and servers for it. Guess I'm getting old and crotchety

 

[MikeV99]

I installed MobileMe yesterday (trial version). It is way behind in disk flexibility. As I was testing it I was thinking about a strategy for copying from iDisk to dropbox (Office Mobile). Duh, why would I want to do that since Dropbox meets my needs?

I then went through the process of syncing outlook (calendar, contacts, notes, bookmarks, and so on). I can see where that could be useful if one has an iPad and iPhone (gonna wait until June to see what happens with iPhone 5, although I worry about Verizon dropping the unlimited data plan). But I digress.

Everything syncs as it should (calendar took a while to setup with only 1 copy). The thing I do not like is that Outlooks starts with it's calendar (which is empty) rather than the calendar in MobileMe Calendars. Apple support says that is just the way it crumbles (I guess they want me to buy a Mac). It felt like a deal breaker last night since it was costing me $99/yr. I may have too grumpy though since keeping an iPad, an iPhone, and a PC may be more of a hassle than the Outlook startup??

How well will MobileMe function if I add a Vista Laptop to the mix? It would still have the Outlook startup issue?

Regards,

Mike

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