A while back I wrote a bit about Box.net and their awesome platform for storing files online. Splashtop doesn’t currently allow access to your local files (those on your hard drive) so having online options are really important. Up until recent history, online storage was a pretty linear process - uploading and downloading was the most major feature. The ability to have “access from anywhere” was the value proposition. Now, thanks a host of incredible web applications and a well thought out API, Box.net can do more with your online files than you ever thought.
Let’s say you need to edit a Word document and you don’t want to wait the several minutes to boot up your traditional OS. Or, maybe you’re in Splashtop and want to work on a document because you like our environment better! Either way, Box.net’s platform allows you to do that easily and efficiently. Box.net will match up your file type (like a Word Document) with an online service (like Zoho). Once you add a service (for things like blog posting, image editing, file sharing, twittering and much more) you can access that service by clicking on the arrow on your file.
In the image above, I have clicked the arrow in the right hand top corner of my Word document, at the bottom you can see “edit document” with the Zoho “Z” logo next to it. I’m sure you can guess what happens next…
The great thing about this system is that you don’t have to re-download the document, edit it, and then re-upload it to accomplish the simple task of editing an online file. As you can probably imagine, the same process is true for photos using the excellent Picnik online photo editing tool. Box.net provides incredible utility and well thought out functionality that greatly extends the reach of your online files. Give it a shot and let me know what you think!
