Dropbox Indeed Balked at Major Acquisition Offer from Apple

[kurosov]

With all the copycat services popping up i would have taken the deal.

Used both dropbox and idisk and i found idisk to be more useful. What i would like to see is the dev of an app like files add iCloud support and then release a desktop helper app, instant iCloud based idisk like replacement that just so happens to be able to access other services as well.

1Password doesn't support iCloud yet, but they're looking into it. http://blog.agilebits.com/2011/10/on-1password-and-icloud/

But the data still gets backed up if you enable iCloud backups of devices.

 

[applesith]

Steve was right when he said dropbox is a feature, not a product. Having to add a third party like drop box to my phone, computer, or tablet is very dated.

 

[samcraig]

Disagree. Apple doesn't allow other companies to fully integrate with the OS. That is part of the 'walled garden' effect, and also what gives magic to iOS. Siri is now part of the OS and adding new functionality is limitless. I can't wait for Siri 2.0!

I think we just pointed out the same thing. Apple DOESN'T allow apps to integrate with iOS. That's the point. My point was - Siri was already powerful. Apple INTEGRATED it - which makes Siri better.

Some people on this forum want to act like Siri was a decent App but that Apple made it great. Apple's biggest role was integration - more so than app development.

 

[arcite]

I think we just pointed out the same thing. Apple DOESN'T allow apps to integrate with iOS. That's the point. My point was - Siri was already powerful. Apple INTEGRATED it - which makes Siri better.

Some people on this forum want to act like Siri was a decent App but that Apple made it great. Apple's biggest role was integration - more so than app development.

Yes I fully agree with you.

 

[samcraig]

Steve was right when he said dropbox is a feature, not a product. Having to add a third party like drop box to my phone, computer, or tablet is very dated.

So you don't buy/download any Apps for your iPhone or iPad? Or Software for your computer? Seems awfully "dated" to me

Ridiculous argument.

Integration is definitely great. But the idea that 3rd party applications are dated is silly.

 

[rwilliams]

Dropbox? box.net? Sugar sync? What's the point? Why bother?

iCloud is free and it works with iOS.

Because there's a great big world out there outside of the Apple ecosystem.

 

[Caliber26]

John Cusack owns Dropbox?

This just jerked a literal LOL outta me.

 

[monkeylui]

50GB free from box.net & I forgot about Dropbox.

 

[applesith]

So you don't buy any Apps for your iPhone or iPad? Or Software for your computer? Seems awfully "dated" to me

No. Something such as accessing my files from all of my devices should be built into the OS- so other apps can easily access them in a standard protocol. Having a separate drop box app at this point is like having a third party app for txt or email.

 

[tigres]

Honestly, I never heard of drop box until i saw this posting. After reading article, dropbox guys seem like they think they are equal to Jobs, which they aren't.

iCloud all the way.

What?

----------

Steve was right when he said dropbox is a feature, not a product. Having to add a third party like drop box to my phone, computer, or tablet is very dated.

Well you do understand it is a necessity due to Apple's API restrictions, right?

 

[ranReloaded]

Disagree. Apple doesn't allow other companies to fully integrate with the OS. That is part of the 'walled garden' effect, and also what gives magic to iOS. Siri is now part of the OS and adding new functionality is limitless. I can't wait for Siri 2.0!

If by 'other companies' you mean third-party developers, you're right.

But they've integrated Twitter (granted: as long as iOS4.x devices are out there, we still have to link with third-party solutions like MGTwitterEngine, etc.), and I could imagine an 'alternate reality' in which iCloud never existed and Apple integrated DropBox into iOS

 

[jmpnop]

Sure, Dropbox is a more feature rich feature. Eventually iCloud will grow into something bigger just like Dropbox did. I've already used iCloud to restore a backup to a new phone - can't do that with Dropbox.

Dropbox is great and more than what iCloud is, but that isn't the point. The point is that it could have possibly been what Dropbox is and what iCloud will be if they would have taken the deal

iCloud will never be cross-platform, it can never be Dropbox.

 

[samcraig]

No. Something such as accessing my files from all of my devices should be built into the OS- so other apps can easily access them in a standard protocol. Having a separate drop box app at this point is like having a third party app for txt or email.

ok - well let me know when you can upload docs, download docs and share docs with that great integrated iOS feature known as iCloud.

Incidently - it's about as "tricky" to load the phone app vs text app vs email app as it is to open up dropbox or other 3rd party solutions.

I agree integration is always great. I just think that you're looking at a distant future when/if Apple allows what dropbox provides.

Not to mention - it won't be cross platform. Not truly.

 

[ridesdeepsnow]

I am sure Houston is making the "MOST" of this story for his own benefit media wise.

I also think Steve Jobs had no reason to actually visit their office to try to "so as to not give Jobs personal insight into Dropbox's operations"
That made me laugh, Houston thinks Jobs doesn't already know everything that goes on there like it's a sort of trade secret. LOL

I am sure Drop Box just lost their best deal that will ever come across their door, in 2 years we will be saying "Drop Box who?"

 

[ecib]

50GB free from box.net & I forgot about Dropbox.

Only if you sign up in the next 45 days or so (I forgot how long the promotion runs). Also, from what I understand, there is a limit to the size that each individual file uploaded to box.net can be, -something like 10MB (if memory serves).

Still, 50GB for free is nothing to sneeze at. No reason not to snatch up that much free cloud storage

 

[kas23]

Gotta love Jobs' attempt, though. It's so measured and confident.

The acquisition will happen (by someone.) All in its own time . . . all in its own time.

Of course, Apple has between now and say, next June, to introduce a Dropbox-like service (that actually works like it should . . . iDisk, I'm looking at YOU) and kill the need for Dropbox altogether.

It's just that at this point, Drew Houston thinks he's Mark Zuckerberg. We'll see if he's right.

Come on. Jobs was an arrogant ass and this story just illustrates this.

I'm glad Houston blocked the acquisition or Dropbox would have went the way of Lala. Truth is, right now, Dropbox runs circles around iCloud. I really didn't need another service that syncs my notes, contacts, and calendar events, I've already had this feature for years through Google. I especially didn't need one that acts like a vampire on my battery. Apple, give me a service where I can store any document I please and let me be able to access it on any device/computer/tablet I want and then we'll talk. Until then, iCloud's just another hobby.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

This FORBES article that's coming out is so obvious: these guys see are probably already seeing people jump ship. People probably have mostly music in their dropbox accounts. Once Apple releases their ITUNES MATCH for $25 annual product, people will be dropping off like rats on sinking ship.

I am going to say most people do not use dropbox that way. Honestly drop box sucks for that type of usage.
It is great for storing files that go across multiple systems or you want to have access to anywhere. Talk to students. I know at my college a lot of us have stop messing with flash drives because it is juse easier to upload and download the files from our dropbox than it is to keep a flash drive upto date with the lastest files. updating a flash drive for changes takes a while when you have 4+ gigs worth of files.

I was just about to mention the sharing of files. If you want to share files or information in iCloud, then everyone would have to know your Apple ID & password. In Dropbox, you send them the public link.

You forgot about shared folders which are great as well. You can just work as a group with a single shared folder

For those of you that don't have an online storage/syncing solution, you might want to look into SugarSync.

It lets me keep my files exactly where they are, instead of having to put them all in the same folder or play around with symbolic links. Overall, I found it easier to work with and a lot easier to delete unwanted files. Dropbox has an annoying problem with folders that had a large number of files in them.

I am going to say if you have a problem with drop box that way you are doing it wrong. Drop box is a single folder yes but at the same time it should be orginzied. Heck I rarely if ever go straight to the default dropbox folder. Instead on OSX I have the folders I use in dropbox most often as a favorite (my case School) and on windows the same thing. I just jump into it that way.

 

[*LTD*]

50GB free from box.net & I forgot about Dropbox.

Indeed. However file transfer sizes are limited. I think it's around 25mb and there's a fee of some sort if it's higher.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I am, box.net just became a whole lot more attractive.

 

[kas23]

iCloud will never be cross-platform, it can never be Dropbox.

I agree. For this very reason, Apple was and will never actually going after "Dropbox's market". I think Dropbox will be perfectly safe as long as Apple doesn't block them on iPhones and Apple wants to keep iCloud a closed-shop.

 

[ecib]

I agree. DropBox is good for small things. SugarSync lets you do much more with your files, especially if you are on a computer without the ability to load the client, by using their web interface.

Just so you know, you can do the same with Dropbox. I access my files through the web interface all the time on borrowed computers that don't have my dropbox installed.

 

[kas23]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I am, box.net just became a whole lot more attractive.

Finally something we can all agree on.

 

[Obi-Wan Kubrick]

I'm literally uploading files to dropbox while I was reading this article. An acquisition might have been cool but I like to use dropbox between my work PC and home Mac.

 

[iWizzard]

WTF do these 70 pople do?

2-3 programmers
2 in marketing
the hardware is the bigger part.
a few in support

 

[kntgsp]

They think they're the next Facebook. Or Apple.

They'll find out soon enough that both acts (and opportunities) are difficult to follow.

Then they're both morons. Should have taken the massive payout and retired. Or stuck it all in the bank and used a small portion to start a new pet project.

Christ what a bunch of morons. Even if, by some miracle, they do become the "next big thing", why risk it? It's like gamblers who don't quit when they're ahead.

 

[*LTD*]

Come on. Jobs was an arrogant ass and this story just illustrates this.

Job's negotiation style gave you very nearly all the Apple services you enjoy today. He might have overplayed it with Dropbox, but big friggin deal. With the major players integrating cloud services and nothing stopping Apple from releasing a Dropbox-like service, Houston et al are in for a world of hurt.

I'm glad Houston blocked the acquisition or Dropbox would have went the way of Lala. Truth is, right now, Dropbox runs circles around iCloud.

Clock's ticking. Enjoy Dropbox while you can, and so will I. Before long it might well be redundant.

Apple, give me a service where I can store any document I please and let me be able to access it on any device/computer/tablet I want and then we'll talk.

They're probably on it as we speak (and so is everyone else.)