Users can save storage space on their computers with a selective sync feature that only downloads some files, but the data people leave out can’t be seen on their computers at all. Files which you choose not to download locally take up virtually zero space on your hard drive, with 10 TB of cloud storage only taking up 28 MB of placeholder space.
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Of course, the caveat here is that you won’t be able to access your files if you’re not connected to the internet.
The team at Dropbox is constantly trying to assist in our storage troubles, and Project Infinite is another way the company hopes to alleviate some headaches. “You can view key info like file size, and creation and modification dates through your desktop file system, no downloading required”. Clicking on the latter will open the file in your computer and sync any changes to the file safely stored away in the cloud. Cloud storage, in general, shares the same characteristics across the board, and one of the issues – or rather shortcomings – that most cloud storage services have in common is the fact that the ongoing file management systems for cloud-based services don’t allow users to access their cloud-stored files through their local file explorers on their devices. Everything in the company’s Dropbox that you’re given access to, whether it’s stored locally or in the cloud, will show up in Dropbox on your desktop. Project Infinite can be especially useful for enterprises using Dropbox’s business plans, as it will provide more context visibility, real-time file access, and universal compatibility.
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Dropbox Infinite will only be available for business users at first, but it seems like the next step will be to bring it to individual accounts too. Dropbox says it’s testing Project Infinite with “a select number of sponsor customers” and says it’ll have more updates throughout the year, but there’s no word yet on when it’ll be widely available.
