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Yeah, it basically just uploads and downloads files. Except I didn't have to teach my mom how to use it. Except that I never have to worry if it's working cor

by teej 17y ago

Yeah, it basically just uploads and downloads files. Except I didn't have to teach my mom how to use it. Except that I never have to worry if it's working correctly. Except that it works on every platform I use. Except that it's just a folder on my computer. These aren't features you put on a retail box, but they are the features that set Dropbox apart. "Just works" is incredibly easy to say but incredibly hard to engineer.

stevenp 17y ago
Agreed. Dropbox is one of those rare examples of a product that takes no explanation and just works perfectly all the time, every time. It doesn't do a lot, but those guys have their core product down to an art. Whenever I demo something that I've built that seems mind-numbingly simple in the demo, I have to remind myself that things that work well should seem simple. "That's it?" is a sign of success.
mynameishere 17y ago
My god people, he just described a toaster. Is a toaster awesome because its operation is straightforward? Or, if you don't like that example, compare it to just about any online game. Consider the incredible complexity and operation requirements of Call of Duty (or whatever you like) and then come up with an adjective for it. How about "awesome". Well, no, that won't do, because Dropbox is "awesome" and Call of Duty is several 1000 times more awesome, by far. Not to mention that most games are also playable by non-technical people. Get some perspective people. Fanboyism is really pathetic and there's a lot of it going on right here.
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- robryan 17y ago
  So by your logic, if they cut the code base in half, took out everything that made it just work. We would then have something that easily looks twice as complex and this would be twice as awesome?
- reynolds 17y ago
  Says the Call of Duty fanboy.
- elblanco 17y ago
  > Is a toaster awesome because its operation is straightforward? Yes. We all own one don't we? Ever tried to toast bread without a toaster? It takes far more effort, is far less efficient, and the results are usually far less consistent.
  - mynameishere 17y ago
    There's a possibility that this guy's opinion is also the consensus opinion in which case I'm not going to win any arguments. This was all a semantic misunderstanding. When I think of the word "awesome" I think of something that inspires "awe", which I think is beyond the scope of file syncing. Let me ask you guys one thing though: Is there anyone here willing to admit that they would be incapable of making a workable clone of dropbox in a reasonable amount of time--not on the same scale, of course. The fact that almost everyone who comes to this website could produce something of that complexity is maybe a clue into all this irrationality. Most of us, by contrast, couldn't make Call of Duty (a game which, actually, I've never played). Maybe we're setting our standards where our capabilities are?
    - elblanco 17y ago
      > When I think of the word "awesome" I think of something that inspires "awe", which I think is beyond the scope of file syncing. I see your point. But having struggled with file syncing for literally decades, having somebody come along and make it so easily that it seems unimpressive and obvious really is very cool. It's kinda like the old adage, "the best special FX in a movie are the ones you don't notice."
    - timwiseman 17y ago
      Yes, I would admit I can't make it, and I am a reasonable competent developer (admittedly I'm a DBA first and a developer second and I tend to do different types of apps when I do development, but...). Remember there is a difference between making synching software, which is relatively easy, and making synching software that is absolutely reliable (so far as I've seen) and easy to use for anyone. These things are relatively hard. Now, to do that and produce a client for every major OS out there as well as a web interface... Yes, I am impressed. I just wish they had one smaller tier out there though. It would be alot easier to justify say $60 a year on my tight budget than it is $10 a month (smallest paid tier last I checked...)
Sukotto 17y ago
The dealkiller for me was it saves version info in it's application dir. Since my C:\ drive is typically very small it blows out the available space. So... back to using gmail-drive
- nzmsv 17y ago
  I don't use Dropbox, but this sounds like something that can be easily solved with a symlink. And Windows actually (sort of) supports them: they are called junction points.
  - sid0 17y ago
    FTR, Windows supports real symlinks too.

by teej 17y ago

stevenp 17y ago

Agreed. Dropbox is one of those rare examples of a product that takes no explanation and just works perfectly all the time, every time. It doesn't do a lot, but those guys have their core product down to an art. Whenever I demo something that I've built that seems mind-numbingly simple in the demo, I have to remind myself that things that work well should seem simple. "That's it?" is a sign of success.

mynameishere 17y ago

My god people, he just described a toaster. Is a toaster awesome because its operation is straightforward? Or, if you don't like that example, compare it to just about any online game. Consider the incredible complexity and operation requirements of Call of Duty (or whatever you like) and then come up with an adjective for it. How about "awesome". Well, no, that won't do, because Dropbox is "awesome" and Call of Duty is several 1000 times more awesome, by far. Not to mention that most games are also playable by non-technical people. Get some perspective people. Fanboyism is really pathetic and there's a lot of it going on right here.

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robryan 17y ago
So by your logic, if they cut the code base in half, took out everything that made it just work. We would then have something that easily looks twice as complex and this would be twice as awesome?
reynolds 17y ago
Says the Call of Duty fanboy.
elblanco 17y ago
> Is a toaster awesome because its operation is straightforward? Yes. We all own one don't we? Ever tried to toast bread without a toaster? It takes far more effort, is far less efficient, and the results are usually far less consistent.
- mynameishere 17y ago
  There's a possibility that this guy's opinion is also the consensus opinion in which case I'm not going to win any arguments. This was all a semantic misunderstanding. When I think of the word "awesome" I think of something that inspires "awe", which I think is beyond the scope of file syncing. Let me ask you guys one thing though: Is there anyone here willing to admit that they would be incapable of making a workable clone of dropbox in a reasonable amount of time--not on the same scale, of course. The fact that almost everyone who comes to this website could produce something of that complexity is maybe a clue into all this irrationality. Most of us, by contrast, couldn't make Call of Duty (a game which, actually, I've never played). Maybe we're setting our standards where our capabilities are?
  - elblanco 17y ago
    > When I think of the word "awesome" I think of something that inspires "awe", which I think is beyond the scope of file syncing. I see your point. But having struggled with file syncing for literally decades, having somebody come along and make it so easily that it seems unimpressive and obvious really is very cool. It's kinda like the old adage, "the best special FX in a movie are the ones you don't notice."
  - timwiseman 17y ago
    Yes, I would admit I can't make it, and I am a reasonable competent developer (admittedly I'm a DBA first and a developer second and I tend to do different types of apps when I do development, but...). Remember there is a difference between making synching software, which is relatively easy, and making synching software that is absolutely reliable (so far as I've seen) and easy to use for anyone. These things are relatively hard. Now, to do that and produce a client for every major OS out there as well as a web interface... Yes, I am impressed. I just wish they had one smaller tier out there though. It would be alot easier to justify say $60 a year on my tight budget than it is $10 a month (smallest paid tier last I checked...)

Sukotto 17y ago

The dealkiller for me was it saves version info in it's application dir. Since my C:\ drive is typically very small it blows out the available space. So... back to using gmail-drive

nzmsv 17y ago
I don't use Dropbox, but this sounds like something that can be easily solved with a symlink. And Windows actually (sort of) supports them: they are called junction points.
- sid0 17y ago
  FTR, Windows supports real symlinks too.