The app is optional – if the computer in your classroom that doesn’t have Dropbox installed, you simply access your files from a browser.It works across platforms – sync up a to-do list from a Windows machine and modify it on a Blackberry, Mac, Linux, iPhone, or Android device.Use it on multiple devices – backup files on your desktop and see them later on your laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Access it anywhere – save a PowerPoint in your office and then open it in the classroom, library, coffee shop, home, airport, hotel, or conference center.And that’s where the features offered a third party like Dropbox begin to look interesting. The solution provided by a university tends to be a no-frills proposition, though. Online storage might be a better choice, and most institutions provide some kind of networked file space. You also have to remember to copy the right files onto it. If you don’t want to lug a laptop into your technology-equipped classroom, you can use a USB flash drive to tote files, but it’s easy to lose that little guy or leave it behind. Most college-level instructors have to manage a raft of computer files – syllabus, presentations, handouts, images, and more. I have already recommended this service in A half dozen tools to try and Seven free web tools for students, so I hope you’ll forgive me for giving it a little more space. However, based on Alexa traffic rankings, Dropbox is the most widely used. Other vendors provide similar services, like Box.net, Mozy, Sugrasync, and Syncpility or the platform-oriented MobileMe (Apple) and Windows Live Skydrive. Dropbox is a hugely popular service that provides free online file storage.

Blackberry box vs dropbox