Dropbox has announced a basic but important feature that allows users to share files or folders via public links. Now Dropbox users can generate links to their files and folders, and these links can be shared with anyone and they can view the files in the browser with out downloading.
To generate a public link for any file or folder open Dropbox folder and open file or folder in browser, copy the link displayed on the page. Alternatively links can be generated from Dropbox site, click on a link icon the file will open in the browser, then copy the link. You can also get links from photos opened in a light box, see the link icon at the bottom of the page.
Send the generated public link to your recipients for viewing the file in question in their browsers, they can also download the file if they want. It also allows users to copy the file to their Dropbox folder if they are Dropbox users.
The new feature is a basic one but it attracts many others to the service. For example users who use file locker services like Megaupload which is defunct for distributing large files now can use Dropbox for the same purpose. Users have to just drag and drop the file into Dropbox folder and get the link. The link can be shared with anyone including non Dropbox users.
It gives users who want to distribute their content a far superior service than any other file storage service. The recipients don’t have to wait in queue for the download to start and fill in stupid captchas to get to the file, which itself is an incentive to use Dropbox for file distribution.
