I am using Dropbox for online backup and storage on my white MacBook. So naturally, Dropbox was one of the first application that I installed on my hackintosh Mini 10v. With Dropbox I can easily backup my important files online by dropping them into the Dropbox folder on my hackintosh laptop. This same Dropbox account also enables me to share files between my hackintosh PC, white MacBook and hackintosh laptop effortlessly.

Free 2GB Box.net account from Dell

When I was ordering my Dell Mini 10v, I noticed that the Dell Mini 10v comes with 2GB of free online backup storage. I was wondering how Dell actually provides the 2GB of online storage. When the Mini 10v arrived, I noticed a link to Box.net on the Windows XP desktop. Clicking on the link brought me to a sign up page for a free Lite account at Box.net with 2GB of online storage. Since  anyone can sign up for a free 2GB account at http://www.box.net/dell, this really isn’t an extra service given to Dell Mini 10v owners only. Dell just points you to where you can get the free online storage. Dell must have a special partnership with Box.net. The normal signup page at Box.net only gives you 1GB of free storage, but Dell’s link at http://www.box.net/dell doubles the amount to 2GB of free storage.

Comparing Box.net with Dropbox

Since Box.net is giving away 2GB of free online storage, I decided to sign up for a free account and see how Box.net compares to Dropbox. After trying out my free account, the major difference between Dropbox and Box.net is, Box.net only provides a web interface for uploading and organizing your files; while Dropbox provides Mac OS X folder integration in addition to a web interface. Box.net approach of backup by uploading files using a web browser loses out big time in terms of ease of use compared to Dropbox approach of using a Mac OS X folder.

Box.net’s tagline is ‘Simply Share’, but it’s definitely takes more steps to backup or share files using Box.net web interface compared to using the Dropbox folder in Mac OS X. When I add or change files in the Dropbox folder, the changes are automatically synchronized to the Dropbox server. Once the laptop folder and server synchronization has completed, the Dropbox folder in my other computers will automatically synchronize themselves with the Dropbox server. No user intervention required. It doesn’t get easier than that.

Mozy.com not for me

One other free online storage service I wanted to try out was Mozy.com. However, I couldn’t get the Mac version of the Mozy Backup application to connect to their storage servers. Without that connection I couldn’t upload any files. Mozy.com web interface doesn’t provide functionality to upload files using the browser. After trying the Mozy application for half a day without success, I gave up.

Dropbox is my choice

So, without a doubt, the best free online storage service in my opinion is Dropbox. I love the way it simplifies the online backup process. I can even use the copy or move command in a Terminal session to add files to my Dropbox folder and they automatically get stored online.

You can get your free 2GB online storage account over at Dropbox with an additional 250MB by using this link – 2GB Dropbox account with additional 250MB.

box.net, dropbox, free online storage, mozy