Google Docs has long let users share documents between one another, but folders--a feature Google begrudgingly added to Docs back in mid-2007, have largely been left out of the picture.
That changed on Monday, as users are now able to share entire folders of documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with other people.
The benefit here is that the permissions settings for a shared folder controls the individual file permissions of all the documents inside of it, meaning that you don't have to go through and change each document's viewing permissions one at a time. It's also an easy way to start working on a document, then share it with a select group of individuals without having to remember to invite them in the first place.
Users can now share entire folders with groups of other users.
(Credit: CNET)Google says this was one of the most requested features from its users, as voted on at its product ideas voting page. Google has also used this feedback for guidance in upgrading its Docs file uploader to accept multiple files at once.
Just as users are able to do in Gmail, the Docs uploader now lets users pick multiple files from their hard drive, then see how far along each upload is. The new process makes it much easier for new users to move entire folders into Google's cloud, which could be handy if--or, rather, when--Google decides to open up Docs to more file types.
Docs users can now upload multiple files at once, making it much easier to simply dump an entire folder from a hard drive into Google's cloud.
(Credit: CNET)Undoubtedly one of the best apps to come out of Redmond, Windows Live's freeware FolderShare is a fantastic tool for keeping folders synchronized across multiple computers and multiple platforms. Although we're just getting around to the product review now, for people who don't know what the program can do I figured this would be a good time to highlight some of the more useful and interesting features.
FolderShare gives you the power to share files and folders across computers.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Also important: FolderShare is still in beta, but sported none of the bugginess that plagues most betas.
While both the PC and the Mac versions do the same thing, which is allow you to send a file from one computer to another simply by dropping it into a folder, the Mac client surprisingly offers more on-the-fly options. To get started, download the OS-appropriate client. FolderShare then asks you to create an account when you install, and it was one of the least invasive account-creation dances I've done. There's no email with a secret link that you need to confirm, simply register and go.
FolderShare lets Mac users in on the fun, too.
(Credit: CNET Networks)All configuration tweaks were dead simple to manage, too. The online interface means that you can create new folders to share as you need, and changing a folder from manual sync to automatic syncing was a one-click affair. As mentioned above, the Mac client lets users change the computer name, toggle encryption, and manage the transfer logs. Windows users can change the computer name online, but their desktop client limits them to configuring proxy settings and ports. Fancy, but those tools are also available on the Mac.
Although I liked that FolderShare respects your default browser settings, users should realize that it's not very good for collaborative work unless both users are online simultaneously. If one of the shared computers is off or hibernating, files won't be synchronized. For users who leave their computers on all the time, though, it's a fantastic tool that re-affirms that Microsoft can, in fact, get things right.
Featured on this week's Real Deal podcast: Synchronizing two computers. If you want to know how to keep yourself sane if you regularly use more than one PC, tune into this show for a rundown of my tips on how to keep files, bookmarks, and e-mail synchronized over the Web.
How to make sure your work on one PC shows up on another.
Products mentioned:
- FolderShare
- LogMeIn
- SimplifyMedia
- Orb
- FoxMarks
- Del.icio.us
- Google Docs and Spreadsheets .
- For RSS readers: http://www.cnet.com/i/pod/realdeal.xml
- iTunes: Subscribe
If you want to join the ongoing discussion, come on over to the Real Deal forums.
Real Deal subscription links:
- prev
- 1
- next
