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Dropbox's success depends on OS' file system representation. It's currently the perfect solution for the folder/file system but new systems like iOS and Android

by lalos 13y ago

Dropbox's success depends on OS' file system representation. It's currently the perfect solution for the folder/file system but new systems like iOS and Android don't need a dropbox. I remember reading that Steve Jobs wanted to abstract out the folder/file representation for a simpler and easier to use iOS. They hide the files inside each app and it is all synchronized by iCloud. Dropbox clearly is aware of this paradigm shift and that's why they are pushing their new SDK and have a conference to promote Dropbox integration with any other apps.

zaqokm 13y ago
that sounds fine until you want to share data between applications as well as people.
- w1ntermute 13y ago
  Which is why it's not the case with Android. You can easily share files between applications.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
eonil 13y ago
Dropbox also against to ALL the online/web services. All the web services are using non-file abstraction of data. If all the apps go to cloud, Dropbox will be dead immediately. The problem is, that's actually happening now. So number of potential user of Dropbox is decreasing. Doesn't seem to be a long-term sustainable business if you believe web will conquer the world. Also, Dropbox can't offer very high level user features, or platform specific features. It breaks symlinks, erases file permissions. Dropbox drops many kind of informations which can be essential to high-end users. Their speed and capacity is too low for high-volume data users - such as media works. So Dropbox is losing potential users in both ends, and honestly, I don't know who will use Dropbox for what in future.
rat87 13y ago
The cucumbersome file system access(and lack thereof) on smartphones sucks big time and is part of a reason dropbox is so usefull. Just sync the folders across and good apps that let you save and open files will work.
jiggy2011 13y ago
Dropbox solves the problem well when you need to bridge between devices that have different ideas about how data should be organized. Files/folders is really the only abstraction that is universal and somewhat standardized.

by lalos 13y ago

zaqokm 13y ago

that sounds fine until you want to share data between applications as well as people.

w1ntermute 13y ago
Which is why it's not the case with Android. You can easily share files between applications.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]

eonil 13y ago

Dropbox also against to ALL the online/web services. All the web services are using non-file abstraction of data. If all the apps go to cloud, Dropbox will be dead immediately. The problem is, that's actually happening now. So number of potential user of Dropbox is decreasing. Doesn't seem to be a long-term sustainable business if you believe web will conquer the world. Also, Dropbox can't offer very high level user features, or platform specific features. It breaks symlinks, erases file permissions. Dropbox drops many kind of informations which can be essential to high-end users. Their speed and capacity is too low for high-volume data users - such as media works. So Dropbox is losing potential users in both ends, and honestly, I don't know who will use Dropbox for what in future.

rat87 13y ago

The cucumbersome file system access(and lack thereof) on smartphones sucks big time and is part of a reason dropbox is so usefull. Just sync the folders across and good apps that let you save and open files will work.

jiggy2011 13y ago

Dropbox solves the problem well when you need to bridge between devices that have different ideas about how data should be organized. Files/folders is really the only abstraction that is universal and somewhat standardized.