Update 5/15/13: In response to Google increasing Drive's capacity to 15GB, Copy has decided to match that and is giving away 15GB for free now instead of the initial 5GB. That means if you use a referral link, you get a sizable 20GB of free storage just for signing up. After you sign up, Copy will eventually offer to give you another 2GB for tweeting about their service as well. That means you can get 22GB without even referring anyone! Enjoy!
Copy.com is a new cloud storage service similar to Dropbox, SugarSync, Google Drive, Box, or SpiderOak. It is a pretty crowded market but Copy is entering it anyway. So what makes Copy stand out compared to the host of other cloud storage services available?
From a user interface standpoint Copy.com is VERY similar to Dropbox. This is good because, as you probably already know, Dropbox is very simple and easy to use - it just works. Copy, like Dropbox has a single folder where you can add anything you want uploaded to the cloud and synced to your other devices. There are controls that allow you to pick which files/folders you want synced to which computer or device.
One thing that Copy is doing better than Dropbox right now is giving a way a huge amount of storage for free compared to Dropbox's somewhat miserly 2GB. I contacted Copy regarding their security and encryption policies because I was unsure about a couple things after reading their privacy policy and terms of service. They confirmed that that do encrypt all data to and from their servers no matter the agent used (browser, computer application, mobile app), it is stored in an encrypted format, and authentication keys/passwords are also stored in encrypted formats. Regarding giving information to authorities, they simply replied that, "currently all DMCA requests have been made regarding public links." So, I feel comfortable saying that your data is probably pretty safe.
However, what’s exciting is the 15 GB storage space that comes free of cost with every registration. And, for the few initial days they would continue to run programs allowing you to earn more free space by referring friends and family to the service.
Copy is available as an online application and desktop applications for Mac, Windows, Linux, Android and iOS. So, apart from Windows Phone users, I guess everyone has got their piece to get started. Registering an account is simple and when you attempt to download the app it recognizes the underlying OS by itself.
The online application has been kept very clean and simple. It wouldn’t actually take you more than minutes to learn the details. By default it has two folders as shown in the image below.
The former is the one that’s in sync with the devices you have connected Copy to. And, the latter shows contents that other people have shared with you. In a few steps you can move the shared contents to the Copy folder to sync with your devices.
In a similar fashion you can choose which files and folders sync with what devices by managing the preferences on the respective local apps.
The installed app would create a Copy folder in the Users folder. However, you can explicitly move it to another folder via the app settings. Logging on to the application is a must for identifying the online repository to sync with.
Register
Conclusion
Copy may look like just another cloud storage service. Indeed it is in many ways. But what impresses me is the 15 GB free storage, group management and sharing mechanism. The site also boasts of its security algorithm in place but I guess it would be way too early to comment on that.
In my opinion, you should register for the product right away and start earning more free space lest the scheme shuts down soon. If nothing else, you can at least get access to additional online space among others that you already have.
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