Our Verdict
DropCopyis a nifty utility that takes advantage of Mac OS X’sBonjour technologyto simplify transferring files between Macs on your local connection . We first refresh DropCopy back in 2006 , and while the program ’s basic functionality is the same , the developer has add up a number of minor lineament tweaks .
When launch , DropCopy displays a little “ dropzone , ” which attend like a black maw , on your desktop . When you haul files or folders onto that dropzone , a computer menu pops up showing any other users on your local web who are also execute DropCopy . ( you could opt to show the name of computer , rather than users . ) drip a data file onto a user ’s name , and the recipient gets a request to pick up the file ; if the petition is approved , the file is copy to whichever folder the user has specified for DropCopy downloads . ( To streamline the outgrowth between trusted drug user — say , on your household meshing — you could choose to receive files without favorable reception . )
While local computing equipment run DropCopy appear automatically , you may also manually tot up ( by IP address ) name and address outside your local web , and you may add SFTP server . However , you ca n’t add an iDisk as a destination — an option I ’d care to see , as I often apportion files with others via my iDisk Public folder .
DropCopy also allows you convert the content of the Clipboard between two Macs — useful for share text — and it lets you send onscreen substance . The latter option is utile mainly if one or the other exploiter is n’t lumber in to iChat .
DropCopy provides a number of option for pull off its behavior and monitoring progression . For example , you’re able to choose to run DropCopy without a Dock icon , hit it unnoticeable except when you need it , and you’re able to take to have the dropzone look either on your desktop or above all other windows . ( One pick I ’d wish to see is a keyboard shortcut to on/off switch between the two background , as I ca n’t often see the desktop on my independent Mac , and have the dropzone float above other windows at all times can be a beguilement . instead , I ’d like to be able-bodied to reckon the dropzone as as a window or a palette . ) The program can also use Growl notifications and audible feedback for completed transfers .
Perhaps the boastful complaint I have is that the dropzone ’s text is lilliputian and — with a high - resolve Apple Cinema Display and aging eyes — strabismus - inducing .
DropCopy is available in three versions : The free version , usable from the developer ’s Website or theMac App Store , is free and lets you use it on up to three Macs . A $ 5 Pro rendering ( Mac App Store link ) comprehend up to 10 computers . eventually , you canpurchase a $ 25 land site licensefor utilisation on an limitless number of computers .
When DropCopy debuted , five year ago , it was a rightfully unique solution for easy be active file between your Macs — there was nothing else like it . These day , you many more pick , from Dropbox to a turn of DropCopy - like utilities ( and , in the forthcoming Lion version of OS X , AirDrop , which is very similar to DropCopy ) . But DropCopy remains one of the round-eyed tools for remove files from one Mac to another : There ’s no configuration needed , and you do n’t even need to mount a shared volume , as you do with OS X ’s own File Sharing . If you want an comfortable room to transfer file cabinet across a connection , DropCopy makes it embroil - and - dip simple .
older contributor Kirk McElhearn writes about more than just Macs on his blogKirkville . Twitter:@mcelhearnKirk ’s latest Holy Scripture isTake Control of iTunes 10 : The FAQ .
