Tag: likes

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Why Is Dropbox More Popular Than Other Tools With Similar Functionality?

Michael Wolfe on Quora

Well, let’s take a step back and think about the sync problem and what the ideal solution for it would do:

  • There would be a folder.
  • You’d put your stuff in it.
  • It would sync.

They built that.

Why didn’t anyone else build that?  I have no idea.

“But,” you may ask, “so much more you could do!  What about task management, calendaring, customized dashboards, virtual white boarding.  More than just folders and files!”

No, shut up.  People don’t use that crap.  They just want a folder.  A folder that syncs.

“But,” you may say, “this is valuable data…certainly users will feel more comfortable tying their data to Windows Live, Apple Mobile Me, or a name they already know.”

No, shut up.  Not a single person on Earth wakes up in the morning worried about deriving more value from their Windows Live login.  People already trust folders.  And Dropbox looks just like a folder.  One that syncs.

“But,” you may say, “folders are so 1995.  why not leverage the full power of the web?  With HTML 5 you can drag and drop files, you can build intergalactic dashboards of stats showing how much storage you are using, you can publish your files as RSS feeds and tweets, and you can add your company logo!”

No, shut up.  Most of the world doesn’t sit in front of their browser all day.   If they do, it is IE 6 at work that they are not allowed to upgrade.  Browsers suck for these kinds of things.  Their stuff is already in folders.  They just want a folder.  That syncs.

That is what it does.

And this is why I love Dropbox.

(via Daring Fireball)

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Sleep Timer for iTunes

Sleep Timer for iTunes

I like to listen to music as I go to bed, but I don’t like to be awoken by a loud song in the middle of the night.  Thats where the iTunes Sleep Timer script comes in.  Just put in the amount of time you want iTunes to play for, and at the end of that duration, the script will pause iTunes.  Its wonderfully simple.

(via Lifehacker)

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minimalmac:

onethingwell:

TextEdit has a very simple outlining mode, perfect for jotting down quick notes with a bit of structure. To activate it, hit ⌥ + ⇥ while editing an RTF document.

Yet another reminder of the oft forgotten power of TextEdit. Want to know even more TextEdit magic you are likely unaware of? Well, your in luck as I have written about it before (including the outlining feature).

Update: One more thing I forgot to mention. All of this stuff works in anything that uses your Mac’s built in text editing engine. So, for instance, making a note in Yojimbo? Works there. MacJournal? Yep, works there too.

Since I discovered Outline mode in Microsoft Word I have been looking to a simple, lightweight alternative.  I have searched on and off for years, but nothing came close.  Today I finally found out that the humble TextEdit has been sitting under my mouse with the very feature I wanted.