Dropbox as back-up only?

Major Eazy

Major Eazy

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It is my understanding that Dropbox seems to be more suited for saving files to a cloud server so that you can access your files from any computers, anywhere, for the purpose of being able to continue to work on the same files from any computers, as well as being able to access your photos from any computers.

But I am not really clear on how do Dropbox works as a stand alone back up.

I have iPad and an app called Noteshelf, I do some draft work on it, sketching out ideas for photo-shots, graphic design ideas, and so on. I am not interested in using Dropbox to save files to cloud as I only have just iPad, I don't have other iOS device so pointless having to sync files. I only want to be able to consider saving Noteshelf files to say Dropbox so that if the app goes wrong, and I have to reinstall, I would like to be able to restore the files back to iPad.

So can I export files from Noteshelf to Dropbox and in case of problems, import the files back from Dropbox to Noteshelf?
 
Use iCloud as it it will backup some apps without you needing to do anything. You get 5gb free and it backs up all photos taken on the iPad and any documents in pages.


I use one note for note taking as this automatically syncs with skydive and you can use skydive on iOS, android and windows 8 for free, a free web app or one note as part as office enterprise.
 
Yes you can use DropBox for what you want. However I tend to use it as a delivery system, to clients. rather than burn DVD's. If you want to have a system that syncs notes and similar, the try Evernote. It's free and can sync with multiple devices, Mac PC iOS and Android. It also does voice memo as well
 
Dale_tem said:
Use iCloud as it it will backup some apps without you needing to do anything. You get 5gb free and it backs up all photos taken on the iPad and any documents in pages.


I use one note for note taking as this automatically syncs with skydive and you can use skydive on iOS, android and windows 8 for free, a free web app or one note as part as office enterprise.
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Okay, my fault, I should have made it clear or give little more details.

I have a 14 years old computer still running on Windows 98 and a dial-up network. I use the desktop computer for my main work, doing graphic designs, photo editing, writing on word processor.

I bought the iPad mainly for making notes, sketches, download images direct from camera so to check if view is fine, often use iPad for draft work.

Before any of you say: "Hang on! You need to use iTunes on a computer to set up iPad." Yes, that is right, to do that, I have to use my mother's computer to update iPad or to download any apps. But the problem is that I tend to pop over every couple of weeks, so it would be a long time before I get a chance to back up the iPad.

I was thinking, it's time I start thinking about using my iPad's 3G system to back up some files, mostly files I have been working on that I want to back up every few days, often after doing big work, just until I get to pop over to my mother's to use the computer.

It may sounds silly to most of you that unlike many people who sync an iPad and a desktop so whatever work on iPad will be on desktop. Example being if you started making notes on Pages on iPad, it makes senses to sync to desktop (if it was an Apple Mac) so you can finish off work on desktop. But I don't do that, whatever work I do on iPad, I tend to put iPad aside, and read off iPad, and type in desktop. The work on iPad is often just notes, draft ideas, rough sketeches, and so on, the work on the desktop tend to be fresh start and proper full work.

That's why there's no need for me to sync my work on iPad to desktop, beside, I don't have Wi-Fi at home, as well as my computer being out of date, I just wanted to think about backing up any work on iPad, via 3G, whenever I can, in case there are any problems with iPad.

Some of you seems to give the impression that I can back up to Dropbox (or Evernote), so I assume if anything go wrong with iPad or if I am not happy with the updated app and change it back to earlier version of app, I suppose I can still download my work from cloud back to iPad.?
 
My ipad never touches my laptop unless I need to add an app not in the app store (developer).

Dropbox on the ipad is a manual affair and I am not sure how easy it will be to get files out of apps on the ipad and on to dropbox.

Tools like Evernote and Onenote sync in their own way and they sync is part of the app and so is automatic provided there is an internet connection (wifi or 3g).

If you use Apple software like Pages, Numbers or Keynote, then the documents get synced to the cloud as part of icloud.

You can also take photos on the ipad and via photostream can sync to the cloud via icloud.

All of these are automatic providing you have an internet connection of some form.

You say you are on dial up? do you mean 56k? How much do you pay a month?

You can get broadband with a free wifi router from £6 a month. This would provide you with internet access on the ipad and allow you to backup to the cloud. It would also improve the speed of the home PC (you can connect via network cable)
 
If you have largish files then maybe Evernote might not be the best answer, DropBox maybe better.

DropBox can sync automatically when any of the devices are linked to the internet.This may be a bit of a pain with a 3G ipad as it could soak up a lot of your airtime, unless you are on unlimited . You can stop DB syncing automatically on the computer app but not the iPad
 
Dale_tem said:
Dropbox on the ipad is a manual affair and I am not sure how easy it will be to get files out of apps on the ipad and on to dropbox.

Tools like Evernote and Onenote sync in their own way and they sync is part of the app and so is automatic provided there is an internet connection (wifi or 3g).
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Interesting. I suppose I can always start a new test file and try moving it to Dropbox, delete test file from iPad, and see if I can move copied file from Dropbox back into iPad.

So Evernote do use 3G, that sounds good, I just assumed such cloud apps like Dropbox and Evernote were designed to work only with Wi-Fi and won't accept 3G.


You say you are on dial up? do you mean 56k? How much do you pay a month?

You can get broadband with a free wifi router from £6 a month. This would provide you with internet access on the ipad and allow you to backup to the cloud. It would also improve the speed of the home PC (you can connect via network cable)
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Yes, I do meant 56k, i did mention my computer is 14 years old and still running on Windows 98. Every software on it is out of date, to be able to use Broadband, I would have to update Internet Explorer and Windows, as it won't accept Broadband at the moment.
 
Chappers said:
If you have largish files then maybe Evernote might not be the best answer, DropBox maybe better.

DropBox can sync automatically when any of the devices are linked to the internet.This may be a bit of a pain with a 3G ipad as it could soak up a lot of your airtime, unless you are on unlimited . You can stop DB syncing automatically on the computer app but not the iPad
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So Dropbox can be used with 3G? That sounds good. I'm not worried about airtime or data usage as the files I want to back up are just few files, not photos.

Well it's good to know Dropbox and Evernote can use 3G. Thanks.
 
Windows 98 will accept broadband, it depends how you connect.

If you connect via network cable to a router, you will find it is nice and simple. If you tried one of the USB modems that were first around with broadband (now no longer used thank god) then you may have a nightmare with Windows 98. As for updating your browser, you can't install Chrome, or go past Internet Explorer 6, so your internet experience will be limited.

All of the cloud stuff will work over 3g or wifi
 
You might need to check that any of these apps will run on Win 98.
 
Dale_tem said:
Windows 98 will accept broadband, it depends how you connect.

If you connect via network cable to a router, you will find it is nice and simple. If you tried one of the USB modems that were first around with broadband (now no longer used thank god) then you may have a nightmare with Windows 98. As for updating your browser, you can't install Chrome, or go past Internet Explorer 6, so your internet experience will be limited.

All of the cloud stuff will work over 3g or wifi
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Although you are right that I could try using broadband on Windows 98, but...

Mine is an actual Windows 98 not Windows 98SE so it's a nightmare with hoping to use USB memory keys or hooking up my Nikon to the computer to upload photos, as well as i've managed to get hold of the last printer that still runs on Windows 98 as all others (at that time I bought the printer needed 98SE). And then as you point out, I can't install anything later than IE6. Plus the fact that my computer is 14 years old, it will be 15 years by this November, and it only have two USB 1.1 at the back of the computer, an annoyment trying to change cables. (And I'm still using a CRT montior so not doing mother Earth a favour!)

So I am pretty much limited and therefore it is time for me to upgrade, especially in order to use iTunes as well as using iPad and Nikon with computer.

I must be crazy being an out of work graphic designer still using old technology while everyone else are using lastest ones. Thankfully I got CorelDRAW 10 on it. But I've came to a point where is it time for me to upgrade, and I would rather upgrade my computer first then worry about moving from dial-up to broadband.

For now, I have to use my mother's computer to use iTunes for my iPad and do back-up, but I only get to pop over every week or two. I just wanted to consider thinking about backing up only few important bits of work on the iPad at any time (like every day or few days) to Dropbox or similar via 3G.

But as you point out that "All of the cloud stuff will work over 3g or wifi" then that is great that I could try downloading Dropbox or Evernote or any others and back up via 3G.
 
mid_gen said:
Windows 98 on dialup? I hope you aren't browsing the internet on it!
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Did I mention I have an iPad and 3G..? Don't worry, I do my browsing on the iPad, and I leave the dial-up only for downloading e-mail with attached image files.

I get along fine at the moment.
 
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