I've used it in the disk mode to mount as an external drive. When I could get the drive to mount, it copied files just fine and with a pretty reasonable speed. It doesn't maintain the connection however (for me anyway) and I have to reconnect when I want to use it.
Ultimately, I found Dropbox to be a simpler solution, since it is integrated as a source for quite a few apps.
Some of them can. For example: I use Bookshelf (an eBook reader) on my iPhone. When I want to download more books, I can direct it to look into my Dropbox account, and download my books from there directly into Bookshelf and read. The iPad version of Bookshelf and Stanza can also grab my books from Dropbox.
QuickOffice can add my Dropbox account as a source, and I can get my documents downloaded to my iPad, and so can Documents To Go.
DropBox gives you 2GB of free storage space online. 250MB more if you use my referral link:
It's a great service and I really like that I can get access to my files from anywhere, and several of my favorite programs can access the files I keep there.
DropBox gives you 2GB of free storage space online. 250MB more if you use my referral link:
oh! so dropbox doesn't store files locally on the ipad .. it is an online thing? so the apps aren't really interacting on the ipad, they just all use this online service?
Yes, Dropbox stores your documents in the cloud, however they have their own app as well, which will allow you to preview, email or download to your iPad, the document you are looking at.
For example, I can look at a Word doc, and then chose to simply view the file in their viewer, or if I need to edit the document, I can open it in Pages, Documents to Go, or QuickOffice. If I need to print it, I can open it in PrintCentral.
If I want to access a book in ePub format, I can open that book directly in Stanza. Photos can be saved directly to the iPad as well.
For the reverse, I can say be in Stanza, and want a different book. I can go to the downloads section, and choose Dropbox as my source, choose the file I want and then download it right from within Stanza. (Or Bookshelf - works pretty much the same way)
It's actually better than saving a bunch of stuff directly to the iPad, since you aren't losing memory to things you might not need, but gaining the ability to easily access a variety of different types of documents, AND then open them on the iPad with the appropriate app.
I also use Sugar Sync as well, another cloud storage service. Comparing the 2, Dropbox is quick and easy, and there is virtually no lag at all when I want to look at a document or photo. SugarSync is a little kludgy, and can take more time to access your remote files.
Why use both you ask? I've been using Sugar Sync for quite some time (2 years now) and I have my computers set up this way: ALL of my work files, which are generally created on my laptop at my office, are dropped into one of 3 folders, which live on the desktop of both my laptop AND my home desktop. Windows Live Sync immediately syncs the 2 sets of folders, so I have a backup copy. Then, my home computer is set up to copy those files to SugarSync, which stores them in the cloud. So, simply by saving a document in the correct place on my work laptop, I can then access it from any web browser, email it, and know that I have it backed up.
I pay $50 per year for 30GB of storage with them. It's a little bit easier to set up a sync folder with them since it doesn't HAVE to live inside a single folder (like Dropbox) and I can pick and choose which folders to sync.
Both services have 2GB of free storage, and you can pay for more. Right now, you can get 50GB from Dropbox for $99 per year or 60GB with SugarSync for $99 per year. Both services also give you extra storage room if you refer friends to the service with an additional 250MB of storage for each friend you refer, up to a total of 8GB. (Referral link in previous post for Dropbox) And, with the referral in Dropbox, BOTH you and the person you refer get the additional storage.
I prefer Dropbox in quite a few ways, as now with the iPad, I find it easier to interact with, and be able to access. But, I'm not quite ready to start paying twice as much for storage just yet. I don't really need 50GB for my personal stuff, unless I started storing my media files in there, in which case I would need more than ANYONE has available for cloud storage. My work files are about 15GB more or less.
If you aren't sure if it's for you, I would suggest that you give it a try at least. The basic 2GB service is FREE, the app is FREE and so you have no risk if you decide it's not for you, but I'm willing to bet you that once you've tried it, you'll think it's way easier than AirSharing. AirSharing doesn't interact with as many other apps as Dropbox, so even though you can drag and drop files directly to the iPad (once you get it hooked up as a network storage device, which was a PITA for me) I have a bunch of files I can view or email, but not much else. Dropbox is easier, since you just drag and drop files into the Dropbox folder, and then open the app on the iPad (or iPhone, Crackberry, Android handset, etc.) or another computer, and they are all immediately accessible, with the added bonus that the service is FREE, and AirSharing is $10 (if I recall correctly) and is ONLY accessible from the iPad.
