Dropbox: Simplifying your life in a multi-device world

When I think of the most important apps I have installed on my Android phone, outside of the basic call and SMS functions. The Gmail app quickly comes to mind. I can not only send and receive email on it, I can search the through the several thousand emails stored on Google's serves. And syncs my contacts and calendar to my Gmail account too. 

HTC's FriendStream is another. It can keep you Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Plurk updates all in one place.  

Than there is Dropbox. Victoria Barret of Forbes wrote an article about Dropbox. I am writing this post, mainly to thank Dropbox for the service they have given me. I am one of their non-paying clients with now 4GB of free storage available to me. This is one way of saying thanks.

I have Dropbox installed on a Linux laptop, a Mac OSX laptop and a Windows laptop. I have it on my Android phone too. Instead of keeping my files in My Documents, I keep them in the Dropbox folder. What does it do. Through an Internet connection it will sync the files in the in the Dropbox folder so that in every computer I have, all my files are the same.

Lets say I create a word document in my Linux laptop. When I save it, the file will be saved on my hard disk and on Dropbox's server. Later when I open my Mac OSX laptop, the Dropbox app will connect to the Net and compare the contents of Dropbox folder on my Mac to the contents of my Dropbox account online. Detecting a new file it will download it on my Mac. When I modify the document, it will later update my Linux or Windwos machines, when I turn those on. Basically, it keeps a copy of your files on the hard drive and on the Dropbox server.   

From my Android phone I can access my Dropbox account, and download from and upload files to it. If I did not have any of my devices, I could access my files on Dropbox through any web browser. 

Dropbox gives you 2.25GB of online storage free, and you can earn up to 8GB more by completing tasks or making referrals. You can also buy more online storage. 

Apparently, Dropbox was at least part of the inspiration for Apple's iCloud. Even if you are an iOS user, I would recommend you use Dropbox instead. This gives you the option to use different devices.  Dropbox works on Linux, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and BlackBerry. iCloud only supports Apple devices and has very limited functionality on Windows. So unless you are sure you are never leaving the Apple ecosystem or mix Apple and non-Apple devices, Dropbox is a more portable choice.

Anyway, here is a link to the Dropbox website. Give it a look.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 - The best tablet option?

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is now available in the Philippines. Two versions are available:

16GB, WiFi & 3G - Php24,500

32GB, WiFi & 3G - Php30,000

These prices make it the cheapest dual-core 3G capable tablet in the Philippines. Hardware wise, we also think it could the best, depending on your needs. 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 has the specifications of you basic Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) dual core tablet. It has a 800 x 1280 screen, a dual core 1GHz processor on a Tegra 2 chipset, 1GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB (non-expandable storage), A-GPS, WiFi,  3G (HSDPA+ 21.1 mbps) and Bluetooth,  connectivity and HDMI and USB connectivity through an adapter. It also comes with two camera's capable of 720p video recording. It also has full phone functionality. So it is the most fully feature tablet in the Philippine market.

What is to like, hardware wise? The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 has a smaller 8.9-inch screen compared to its competitors, but this also gives it a much lighter weight.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 - 453g

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 - 560g

Apple iPad 2 - 607g

Acer Iconia - 730g

We also like it best price wise for a 3G tablet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 16GB, 3G & WiFi - Php24,500

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 16GB, 3G & WiFi - Php27,500

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 16GB, 3G & WiFi - Php30,000

Apple iPad 2 16GB, 3G & WiFi - Php30.990

Apple iPad 2 16GB, 3G & WiFi - Php35.990

Smaller but still substantial screen, in exchange for the lighter weight seems to be worth it. It is 15% lighter than its bigger brother, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 25% lighter than the Apple iPad 2. 

Ultimately, 10-inch tablets are used on tables the same way we use netbooks and laptops. If used a tablet on a table, I really would much rather use a laptop. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is a more mobile device. Something which is easier to use in hand than its larger 10.1-inch siblings.

With Ice Cream Sandwich having been launched, more and more Android apps will be optimized for 720p screens. It could be the right time for an Android tablet.

Would I buy it? Well no. I do not feel the need for 3G on a tablet. I already have it on my phone. Basically, I would rather not have to maintain a second line. Since I do not appreciate 3G, than things like Apple iPad 2 16GB WiFi only version is still a cheaper option at Php23,990. I also do not need full phone functionality on a tablet, so that score no points we me either.

Second, I do not like being an early adopter. Ice Cream Sandwich has been launched so more and more Android apps will be optimized for 720p screens, but I will have to wait for those. Apple has 100,000 tablet optimized apps now, though they usually cost twice as much as iPhone apps.

So it is a hard choice. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is compelling hardware wise and there are more free apps on the Android Market. It is both a tablet and a phone is that is important for some buyers. But for a pure tablet, Apple iPad's are still the safer bet. For Php24.5K, I would not want to be an early adopter.