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Forum Discussion
Jon C.10
3 years agoCollaborator | Level 8
Dropbox removing external disk support for Mac users
In case anyone's unaware... if you're a Mac user storing your Dropbox on an external drive, you'll shortly lose that ability.
https://talk.tidbits.com/t/dropbox-drops-support-for-storing-files-...
- 2 years agoHi Everybody,We’re excited to share that external drive support for Dropbox for macOS on File Provider is now available for testing as a beta feature. This is available to some users today and will be available to additional users on a rolling basis. In order to be eligible to test this feature, please follow the instructions in this Help Center article.Keep in mind that participation in beta programs is subject to the certain terms and conditions. There are certain additional participation requirements:
- This beta is only available to US-based users
- You must be on macOS 15 beta
- You must have an external drive that is APFS formatted and encrypted
Please let me know if you have any further questions!
beenyweenies
2 years agoHelpful | Level 7
Just weighing in on the recent comments on this thread. No one here should be arguing over whether a person should purchase enough internal storage to satisfy the new cloud storage mechanism. That is a personal choice, based on budget and need, and is not always realistic. I personally have 7TB of data and much more on the way. Macbook Pros max out at 8TB, and at an additional cost of $2,200. If that is a good plan for YOU, then so be it. But it won't be for most.
I'm going to reiterate my long term solution which has been working flawlessly, in case it helps others here. I purchased a 5-drive Synology DS1522+ NAS and loaded it with enough WD Red drives to give me 20+TB of data. One of the software packages that is included, Synology Drive, has local/cloud sync features just like Dropbox, so I can locally sync whatever project I'm working on at the moment for fast speeds, then switch those files back to cloud only when the project is complete to free that space up again. It works just as well as Dropbox. However, I decided to upgrade my network components to 10Gbe so that I can work directly off the NAS, and this gave me around 700MB/s write, 900MB/s read speeds, which is plenty for my personal needs. This entire setup cost me around $1,500, far less than Apple charges for around 1/3 the local storage on a new Macbook Pro. I ALSO pay around $10/month to back up all of my files to iDrive E2 cloud storage, which the Synology NAS does automatically every night, eliminating most risk from using local storage.
shinbeth
2 years agoExperienced | Level 13
"I'm going to reiterate my long term solution which has been working flawlessly, in case it helps others here. I purchased a 5-drive Synology DS1522+ NAS and loaded it with enough WD Red drives to give me 20+TB of data. One of the software packages that is included, Synology Drive, has local/cloud sync features just like Dropbox, so I can locally sync whatever project I'm working on at the moment for fast speeds, then switch those files back to cloud only when the project is complete to free that space up again. It works just as well as Dropbox. However, I decided to upgrade my network components to 10Gbe so that I can work directly off the NAS, and this gave me around 700MB/s write, 900MB/s read speeds, which is plenty for my personal needs. This entire setup cost me around $1,500, far less than Apple charges for around 1/3 the local storage on a new Macbook Pro. I ALSO pay around $10/month to back up all of my files to iDrive E2 cloud storage, which the Synology NAS does automatically every night, eliminating most risk from using local storage."
While your Synology DS1522+ NAS setup presents a cost-effective solution and appears to meet your personal needs, it's crucial to recognize that such configurations might not be adequate for all professional settings, particularly due to their dependence on external cables which detracts from a seamless experience. For professionals involved in producing and exporting 8K video files, undertaking extensive photo, movie, and music production for clients, or engaging in complex machine learning projects, the superior data transfer speeds 3'000 MB/s offered by Apple's internal storage become indispensable. Furthermore, the simplicity, cohesion, and integrated backup capabilities provided by Apple's ecosystem, notably through TimeMachine (which is free), deliver an unparalleled, hassle-free experience that a NAS setup, with its intricate configuration and reliance on physical connections, simply cannot match. While NAS systems offer notable flexibility and cost-effectiveness, the efficiency, speed, and integration of built-in solutions are paramount for tasks requiring high bandwidth, ensuring optimal productivity and peace of mind for demanding professional endeavors.
When the entirety of your work hinges on data - its accessibility, speed, integrity, and backup - spending an extra $1'500 is a negligible cost. Ensuring the utmost reliability and performance of your data management system is paramount when your livelihood and income(s) depend on it.
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