I've been kicking the idea of getting MobileMe now especially since it appears to be a service that can be both a web host and an online storage center. I just wanted to know what peoples' views are on this. Is iDisk a good means for online storage? Are download and upload speeds ok? Or am I better off just going to a web host with a similar sized space?
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MobileMe/.Mac/iDisk = Good Online Storage?
- Thread starter ThePrimeDreamer
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I've had a .Mac account for a couple of years and I'm in 2 minds about the iDisk. Here's my take on the plusses and minuses from my perspective...
Plusses
- Good integration with the Finder
- Supports all the file metadata/spotlight comments
- Can autosync to a disk image on your Mac, so you can access files if disconnected from the internet
- Reasonable bandwidth limits on monthly access
- Good for many applications which use it as a backup or sync location
Minuses
- Pretty slow compared to up/downloading to one of my FTP accounts or Amazon S3
- Even the upcoming 20GB limit is not stellar compared to some of the storage deals around now
- The autosync gave me fairly frequent sync conflicts, even though I don't believe I'd made that many file changes from the 3 Macs I was keeping sync'ed
- Several times I'd get into a 'last sync failed' mode, which I couldn't seem to clear, so I'd turn off the autosync and then restart it. This worked OK except that it would have to recreate the local sparseimage copy by downloading all the files
- I always had a nagging doubt in my mind about keeping personal files on my iDisk. I used an encrypted image for a while, but it got to be a nuisance as the whole image would be re-sync'ed every time I accessed the files in the encrypted image
So I'm currently using Amazon S3 and JungleDisk. I've set up some auto backups in JD, and enabled encryption with my own key, so I believe my personal files are as secure as they can be. The speed is pretty decent because of some local caching, and the cost is pretty low unless you go crazy on uploading loads of media.
My best advice is to try the free .Mac trial and check out iDisk for yourself to see if it works for your purposes
Plusses
- Good integration with the Finder
- Supports all the file metadata/spotlight comments
- Can autosync to a disk image on your Mac, so you can access files if disconnected from the internet
- Reasonable bandwidth limits on monthly access
- Good for many applications which use it as a backup or sync location
Minuses
- Pretty slow compared to up/downloading to one of my FTP accounts or Amazon S3
- Even the upcoming 20GB limit is not stellar compared to some of the storage deals around now
- The autosync gave me fairly frequent sync conflicts, even though I don't believe I'd made that many file changes from the 3 Macs I was keeping sync'ed
- Several times I'd get into a 'last sync failed' mode, which I couldn't seem to clear, so I'd turn off the autosync and then restart it. This worked OK except that it would have to recreate the local sparseimage copy by downloading all the files
- I always had a nagging doubt in my mind about keeping personal files on my iDisk. I used an encrypted image for a while, but it got to be a nuisance as the whole image would be re-sync'ed every time I accessed the files in the encrypted image
So I'm currently using Amazon S3 and JungleDisk. I've set up some auto backups in JD, and enabled encryption with my own key, so I believe my personal files are as secure as they can be. The speed is pretty decent because of some local caching, and the cost is pretty low unless you go crazy on uploading loads of media.
My best advice is to try the free .Mac trial and check out iDisk for yourself to see if it works for your purposes
@blodwyn, thanks for your insight
I've recently went from not thinking at all about MobileMe, to very nearly getting one, to currently moving away. I'm mainly looking for something between web hosting and online storage but I've taken a good step back to really see what I need to back up. With places like Flickr and YouTube, I may not need big space.
And like you said, I've been eying services like Amazon S3 and JungleDisk with others like SugarSync, Mozy, and Dropbox. And in my research, I've heard rumblings that Google might get into the mix.
I've recently went from not thinking at all about MobileMe, to very nearly getting one, to currently moving away. I'm mainly looking for something between web hosting and online storage but I've taken a good step back to really see what I need to back up. With places like Flickr and YouTube, I may not need big space.
And like you said, I've been eying services like Amazon S3 and JungleDisk with others like SugarSync, Mozy, and Dropbox. And in my research, I've heard rumblings that Google might get into the mix.
FWIW I've tried DropBox and Mozy.
Mozy is OK for backup purposes, but not as an interactive storage medium where you're moving files around on a regular basis, or if you want to share files amongst several Macs. It's also slow to upload - I have FIOS and Mozy won't go faster than 1Mbps (which is the fastest setting in Mozy Prefs). I uploaded 1GB of files and it took nearly 5 hours
DropBox is actually pretty good with the syncing working smoothly. There are some Beta quirks which hopefully they'll resolve (check the forum). Also the files are duplicated on every Mac that is connected to DropBox so you have to have the disk space available. The charging mechanism is still unclear at this time. Also my paranoia over my personal file security is still there.
I'd be interested in how your research turns out, so please post back when you've decided
As a Dropbox tester I get 5GB of storage and let me tell you I have fallen in love with this service.
This is truly the first and only one alternative to the iDisk. it's well integrated into the Finder and the upload speed are amazing. Dropbox will give everybody 1 or 2 GB of free storage and very competitive subscription plan (storage based on Amazon S3)
They have nice sharing features and even a web gallery builder by simply placing your albums in a particular folder.
i highly recommend them and this actually make e wonder if I will renew .Mac cause I honestly doubt the iDisk can match this speed
This is truly the first and only one alternative to the iDisk. it's well integrated into the Finder and the upload speed are amazing. Dropbox will give everybody 1 or 2 GB of free storage and very competitive subscription plan (storage based on Amazon S3)
They have nice sharing features and even a web gallery builder by simply placing your albums in a particular folder.
i highly recommend them and this actually make e wonder if I will renew .Mac cause I honestly doubt the iDisk can match this speed
nice hybrid option...
If you are looking for a single solution that takes care of both the online backup and the easy access (sort of a combination of idisk and mozy), I went with ElephantDrive and it seems to do the job.
The cons:
1. Two pieces of software (it's annoying to have to download two things) - First you download and install the backup software and set it running, then you download and install the "trunkdrive" which is sort of like the idisk (shows up in Finder like a network drive). You can drag and drop stuff there or search the files that have been backed up
The pros:
1. One account for both services. It turns out that I don't really use the access as much as I thought, only every once in a while. The backup has been handy already though.
If you are looking for a single solution that takes care of both the online backup and the easy access (sort of a combination of idisk and mozy), I went with ElephantDrive and it seems to do the job.
The cons:
1. Two pieces of software (it's annoying to have to download two things) - First you download and install the backup software and set it running, then you download and install the "trunkdrive" which is sort of like the idisk (shows up in Finder like a network drive). You can drag and drop stuff there or search the files that have been backed up
The pros:
1. One account for both services. It turns out that I don't really use the access as much as I thought, only every once in a while. The backup has been handy already though.
Thanks for the comments guys, I really appreciate it.
At the moment I'm still in a "wait and see" period. Thankfully I've gotten rid of my pesky urge to pick something on the fly and moved back on more research.
But I'm really liking Dropbox. Security is still a concern but I would also like to know their paid fees, so I'm hoping they finish their beta period soon. And I'm still kind of interested in ElephantDrive and SugarSync.
At the moment I'm still in a "wait and see" period. Thankfully I've gotten rid of my pesky urge to pick something on the fly and moved back on more research.
But I'm really liking Dropbox. Security is still a concern but I would also like to know their paid fees, so I'm hoping they finish their beta period soon. And I'm still kind of interested in ElephantDrive and SugarSync.
coupon codes...
I heard they gave out some Dropbox coupon codes at Techcrunch. Not sure if they are still available (I didn't get one), but you might be able to email them.
ElephantDrive responds to messages sent to promos@ElephantDrive.com - sometimes with discount codes, sometimes with try back later.
If you go down the road with either, I think it is worth a shot.
I heard they gave out some Dropbox coupon codes at Techcrunch. Not sure if they are still available (I didn't get one), but you might be able to email them.
ElephantDrive responds to messages sent to promos@ElephantDrive.com - sometimes with discount codes, sometimes with try back later.
If you go down the road with either, I think it is worth a shot.
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i interviewed Dropbox CEO for an article and he said the beta should end beginning of september and introduce agressive prices (they use s3)
PM me to get invited (7 leff)
i interviewed Dropbox CEO for an article and he said the beta should end beginning of september and introduce agressive prices (they use s3)
PM me to get invited (7 leff)
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)
btw elephantdrive seems expansive compare to Dropbox which allow syncing btw multiple computers and unlimited versionning for easy restore
btw elephantdrive seems expansive compare to Dropbox which allow syncing btw multiple computers and unlimited versionning for easy restore