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Dropbox Shell Tools lets you copy files quickly to your Dropbox
Let me start off by saying I am not a huge fan of the Windows file context menu. On my system it contains twenty eight separate entries, just on the main menu (not counting sub-menus). It's an abominable UI pattern, and I wish it would be replaced by a simple command-entry interface, like Microsoft did with the Start menu. I mean, how many people actually use the "menu" part of the Start menu in Windows 7? I bet the vast majority of users just use the Quick Search box.
Now that I have this out of my system, you can probably understand why the screenshot of Dropbox Shell Tools is not from my own system; the last thing I need it another context menu entry.
However, the tool itself does seem very useful. It's originally German, and the English version was created in response to interest from GadgetHubs. That means documentation is a bit on the thin side (read: "does not exist"). But the menu entries seem rather self-explanatory. You can click on any file on your system, and immediately transport it onto your Dropbox public folder, or onto a specific subfolder within your Dropbox. If you use Explorer (rather than Total Commander) that should save you a few clicks.
Know of a quicker way to put stuff in your Dropbox? Tell me in the comments!
Comments
9
Subscribe to commentsRichardJul 15th 2010 4:20PM
Nearly everyone I know uses the menu part of the start menu. :x
MyriaJul 15th 2010 5:58PM
Same here. I feel confident in saying the OP would lose their bet, and lose badly.
Personally I think the command-entry interface is a horrible UI regression that should have been left on the pile with the rest of the extinct command-line interfaces.
SpeedGunJul 15th 2010 4:37PM
On Windows XP it's even easier, just put a shortcut to your dropbox folder here: C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\SendTo
SaraJul 15th 2010 5:03PM
Holding Shift while right clicking brings up Dropbox in the extended options list, but I would like to be able to choose a subfolder.
Kevin Scott SchlangerJul 15th 2010 5:32PM
I don't use "All Programs" in the Start Menu. But I do like the Start Menu quick access shortcuts.
RussJul 15th 2010 10:38PM
Erez - I think you might be under estimating the "mouse only" crowd -- or maybe I'm over estimating. In any case, I love any UI feature that lets me avoid the keyboard. I've just never been a very accurate typist and find that I can get things done more quickly if I keep my hand on the mouse as much as possible.
w4ffl3Jul 16th 2010 12:08AM
What in the world do you have installed to have *28* items on the context menu? I have 8...
TrunksJul 16th 2010 3:28AM
I have a rocket dock icon up top that goes to my public folder. When I want to share a file quickly, I just drag it up to that icon, and it'll make a copy of the file in my public folder.
If I want that url, click the icon, find the file, right click -> dropbox -> copy public link.
Kind of a lot of steps, but it's all second nature now.
edvarclJul 16th 2010 4:27AM
i setup a dock object on rocketdock (a WIN clone of mac OS icon bar) and set it's path to point to dropbox.
now all it takes is a drag and drop ;p