Store and Sync Your Files Online with Dropbox 1.0

File sharing site Dropbox recently came out of beta status, and its new 1.0 release offers a variety of new features and fixes. Dropbox (News - Alert), which I wrote about in a column earlier this year, provides you with your own online storage area where you can house your files and documents. You can also sync files from your PC with their cloud-based counterparts so that the same versions reside in both places.

The folks at Dropbox say they’ve fixed a host of bugs and glitches that plagued users in the past, so the product should be more reliable and stable. The application has also been streamlined to make it faster and less of a memory hog. I tested it with some large files, and it did seem quicker than it had been in the past.

The installation routine has been redesigned as well. You’re presented with options to create your Dropbox account or use an existing one and choose the Dropbox level of service that you want. You can also configure Dropbox with the typical settings or choose more advanced ones.

Speaking of settings, Dropbox offers several options for you to choose. You can now elect to sync your entire local Dropbox folder or only certain subfolders. You can limit the upload or download rate so that it doesn’t chew up too much bandwidth. And you can link more than one computer to your Dropbox account so that your online files are synchronized among multiple PCs.

Dropbox remains as simple as ever to use. Just drag the files that you wish to sync online into your local Dropbox folder, and the program does the rest. By clicking on the Dropbox icon in your system tray, you can open your Dropbox folder, access your Dropbox online storage site, and directly retrieve any of your recently-changed files.

Dropbox offers both free and paid options. The basic account gives you 2GB of storage for free. A Pro 50 account throws in 50GB for $9.99 a month. And a Pro 100 option entitles you to 100GB for $19.99 a month. You can even share your online Dropbox folders with other people, a useful option for businesses that don’t have their own in-house document sharing systems.

Though I use different programs to store and sync files online, Dropbox remains one of my favorites. And the new 1.0 release makes a great product even better. If you’re looking for a good online storage tool for yourself or the users at your company, Dropbox is definitely worth checking out.