As an iPad user, one of the things that may slow you down is a cable. You may feel like you have documents on your computer that you NEED to have on your iPad. To get them on the iPad, you think you need to sync with iTunes with the white wire.
Enter Dropbox. Dropbox is a method via software to sync folders and files via the cloud in a relatively easy way. Let’s say you have a file on your desktop you are working on and want to continue working on it at lunch via your iPad. Without a cable or emailing yourself the document, it can become complicated.
What if you could simply log into a folder in the sky with your iPad that had your most recent documents? What if the changes you made to your documents on your iPad would automatically be synced back to your computer without having to email them or tether your mobile device to sync. That’s the magic of Dropbox. You will need to set up an account that gives you 2GB of free storage. If you use this link to sign up, I get a little extra free storage for myself.
A short video showing the Dropbox concept is helpful to watch. The free Dropbox iPad app can be downloaded. You will also need to download the app for your operating system to sync the folders with your laptop or desktop. You can choose your OS here.
You can even share folders with friends of clients so they have access to the latest changes you are making.
Once you have the account, you will be able to do some amazing things with apps like iAnnotate, ReaddleDocs for iPad, and GoodReader for iPad. These apps will allow you to save, read and annotate your PDFs with little to no effort. Imagine needing to read a PDF that you want to mark up for corrections. With these apps and Dropbox, you will soon learn to leave your highlighter, notepad and papers behind.
I plan on reviewing some of the above apps soon. I encourage you to try out Dropbox and see how it changes your iPad experience. I encourage you to make sure you look for apps that are Dropbox compatible.
