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The SpiderOak desktop app

is packed with detail.

Dropbox has quite a

basic appearance.

D

ropbox is chiefly a file

syncing and sharing

service, but the Pro

account comes with

1Tb of storage for the tempting

price of £7.99/month. The

Dropbox app is compatible

with almost every operating

system, allowing you to store

files in the Dropbox Folder.

These files are then accessible

online or from any of your

devices with the Dropbox

app on it. Any alterations to

files are updated and synced

automatically with the added

benefit of being able to revert

to a previous version of the file

up to 30 days old, or a year old

with the Pro account. Creating

shared folders allows you to

collaborate with other people

in different locations.

The web interface looks a

little bare and uninteresting but

it works well enough and has a

useful drag and drop method

for uploading files. There’s also

a bandwidth throttle, which

S

piderOak is a great

option for photographers

wishing to back up

their files as securely as

possible. The downloadable

desktop client for PC, Mac,

Linux, iOS and Android is its key

asset. A wealth of settings in the

program allows you to select

files for regular back ups, sync

files across devices and share

files with others.

You can set limits on when to

back-up, and the size, age or

type of files to exclude. There’s

also a great facility for retrieving

older versions of files across

their lifetime, from first upload to

the most recent amendment.

The desktop app is also

the place to make the most of

SpiderOak’s heightened privacy

and security measures. Due to

clever encryption no one except

you will know what’s on the

servers. Access to your backed-

up files is also available through

a web app, but it only displays

thumbnails of certain types of

DROPBOX SPIDEROAK

TECH SPECS

LIKES

LIKES

DISLIKES

DISLIKES

BEST FOR...FILE SYNCING ACROSS DEVICES

Free storage: 2Gb

Cost:

1Tb for £7.99/month

Contact: dropbox.com

Free storage: 2Gb

Cost:

30Gb for $7/month (£4.50)

1Tb for $12/month (£8)

5Tb for $25/month (£16)

Contact: spideroak.com

File sharing made easy

Bandwidth throttling for

faster uploads

Undo changes to a file up to

a year after the event

Private and secure back-up

Can retrieve historical versions

of files

Excellent desktop program

offers great control

Raw files cannot be previewed

Not all image files display as

thumbnails

Uninspiring web app

No sorting options for photos TECH SPECS

The Dropbox Folder syncs fi les across devices. The web app is a much simpler affair.

image files, can’t preview Raw

files and doesn’t show any

shooting information. You’ll also

have to rely on folders, as there’s

no way to sort or filter pictures.

Still, as a pure back up option

it’s good, especially as you can

get 1Tb of storage for around

£7/month by paying annually.

BEST FOR...PRIVACY AND SECURITY

enables you to dedicate more

of your bandwidth to uploading

files instead of other internet

activity. The desktop client

can upload photos of any size,

although the website is limited

to files under 10Gb. Photos

are displayed in date order

but there is no other way

to sort them. Raw files are

accepted, but not displayed

in the Photos page.

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