Dropbox works by creating a directory on your computer and having every file located in that directory sent straight to the company's servers. The folder acts as any normal folder on your desktop would. You can cut, paste, copy, add, delete or edit any file inside. You are also not limited to the type of file that can be placed inside. It can be anything, Dropbox will store it. .
In order to work in this fashion, an installation program must be installed on each machine that would be dropping files into the Dropbox Folder. This software can be selected to run at start-up, so it's a hassle free sync of any files and folders you've created or uploaded (or deleted) within seconds. Once a file is sent to Dropbox's servers, any machine that logs in with your credentials will automatically begin to download all content that was updated since its last login. Simply put, once you upload the file, it becomes accessible anywhere you log in afterwards. Whether it is at home, work, school, your Smartphone, all of your content is ready. Dropbox is also available to use within a browser. Logging into http://www.dropbox.com allows you to look at a directory of your files, and manipulate it (upload, download, delete). In essence, the software doesn't ever have to be installed. This is a huge benefit to people like students and office workers who are not owners of their machine, but still need access to their files.
Users of Dropbox can share their files or folders as well. Instead of creating an email and attaching multiple photos or waiting for a large file to upload as an attachment, Dropbox is able to create a public link to any file you place inside of the Dropbox folder. Using the web interface, simply right click and select get link, and a web address will be created that you can send to your friends and family. Using this, anyone can click the link and access the specific files you selected only, leaving the rest of your documents and media secure.
