The following is the review that I wrote for Trust Radius. Please go to Trust Radius to view this review, as well as to read other reviews of online products and services.
Copy Beats Dropbox in My Book
Copy is similar to Dropbox, in that you have a folder on your computer where you store the files you want to be able to access and sync via Copy’s online service. It’s very reliable and you can share folders and files with others. It’s great for video files and has a larger upload limit that DropBox.
Overall Satisfaction
On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend Copy if asked by a colleague? Are there any specific scenarios where it is well suited or where it is less appropriate?
10/10
I actually recommend this service to all my students and colleagues. It’s got more storage space for free than any provider I’ve found (and for students and teachers, this is a BIG deal). It’s wonderful if you want to upload video, too, because where Dropbox and other providers severely limit file upload sizes, Copy is much more generous. Also, since Copy is cloud-based, you don’t even need your own computer to use it necessarily since you can access it online. I can’t really think of a situation where it would be less appropriate unless you wanted to store classified documents (in which case I’d wonder why you’re uploading them to a cloud-based server in the first place).
Describe how Copy is being used by your organization? Is it being used by a department or across the whole organization? What business problems does it address?
Copy is a cloud storage solution for individuals and businesses. It has tiered pricing that is incredibly reasonable, and their initial free storage space offering is bigger than any other I’ve encountered (starting at 15G out of the gate, with an addition 5G if you signed up with an affiliate link – 5G for you, 5G for the affiliate).At my current school (and my previous one), I got fellow educators (both tech-saavy and not) hooked on it for its generous storage and ease of use. It’s also a service I recommend to my students (for the same reasons as I recommend it to my colleagues).
Please provide some detailed examples of things that Copy does particularly well.
- Copy is similar to Dropbox, in that you have a folder on your computer
where you store the files you want to be able to access and sync via Copy’s online service. It’s very reliable about making sure files are synced across machines. - You can create “shortcuts” to files on your main computer in order to access them from other locations without it impacting the amount of space you’re using on your account. It seems to work almost like a VPN (but not quite).
- You can share folders and files with others, allowing various privileges and rights. This process is incredibly easy. It also sends your affiliate link in case the people you are sharing with want to sign up (bonus space!).
- Copy is attractive and simple to use. It’s not complicated, and their support site is clear and monitored.
- Copy is great if you regularly need to upload or share video files. It allows a larger upload size thanDropbox which means that those videos you shoot on your smart phone can be uploaded and shared more easily.
Please provide some detailed examples of areas where Copy has room for improvement.
- One thing Copy doesn’t do is allow you to sync any folder on your hard drive (like Sugar Sync does). You have to save the file in the designated Copy folder. However, Dropbox and most other popular cloud storage services don’t allow this either, so although this is a negative, it’s so common that it’s hardly a major drawback.
- EDIT: You can work around this by creating shortcuts in your Copy folder that point to the folder in its original location on your hard drive.
- There are a few areas of support (instructions, primarily, in regards to file shortcuts) that are a little vague (although at the time of this writing they may have been clarified and detail added).
- Copy isn’t as well known as other cloud service providers, so your friends may need to be caught up on its awesomeness. This also means that it isn’t as well integrated into apps and programs. I’m hoping time will change this as the service grows.
What positive or negative impact (i.e. Return on Investment or ROI) has Copy had on your overall business objectives?
- +easier file sharing with my colleagues and students (less stress, more efficient than using flash drives).
- +easy access to files I use regularly, whether on my home computer, my phone, or at work, meaning increased productivity.
- +fast syncing (and selective syncing) means that I can choose which files to sync to each location, leading to optimized storage management on my hard drives.
- +since it’s super easy to get lots of free space, the ROI is awesome. Plus, because you start with more free space than other options, you’re already one step ahead.
Which other similar products have you used or evaluated? Describe how Copy stacks up against them and why you selected Copy.
Although Dropbox, SugarSync, and Google Drive are all excellent services (and I still use one or two of them depending on the circumstance – required by business, collaborative document creation, etc.), Copy is probably my favorite. The closest second is SugarSync. What keeps me coming back to Copy (after a long, happy stay with SugarSync) is the pricing and the amount of space you are given for the amount paid (that and my business started blocking SugarSync and Dropbox).Copy has a clean interface, has an equal (or better) user interface and functionality, makes sharing a breeze, and offers a ton of storage for a very reasonable price. And, since I’ve installed it, I’ve had zero problems with it getting out of sync or losing files. I’m in love!
On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to renew your use of Copy? Why do you give it this rating?
10/10
It’s by far the most reasonably priced storage solution. Microsoft OneDrive has great pricing, but most would agree that this service isn’t quite as easy to use as some of the others (I do actually use it, but not for sharing or collaborating). Also, Copy’s less stringent file limitations makes it a step above every other service I’ve tried. And, it’s super easy to explain to others how it works and how to use it.
Product Usage
How many people in your company use Copy? What business functions do they represent?
100? – Most of the people at my business are teachers, but we also have administrators, technology support people, media and library support people, etc. While not all of them use Copy, there is a growing group of Copy fanatics spreading the word. Since I am also a teacher, the majority of my review is focused on the use by the teachers at my school. Regardless, the applications of the use of Copy transcend the type of business in which the product is used, since I also use it at home for personal items.
How many people do you have in-house to support Copy on an on-going basis. Describe the types of people or skills required to support Copy.
1 – Copy is so incredibly simple to use that we don’t have in-house people to support Copy. Well, if you count me, there’s one. Copy has good online support (run on ZenDesk), including a forum that is actively monitored. This means that there are no budget expenditures needed to support this program (so it’s very affordable).
What are the 3-5 most important use cases for this product in your organization?
- HUGE amount of free space available right off the bat, with an amazingly generous amount of free space offered for referrals.
- EASY to use, meaning no internal support team is needed, keeping costs down.
- It WORKS. I’ve never had a problem with Copy getting out of sync, disconnecting without reconnecting or alerting me to a problem, or losing files. You can even access file history if you accidentally delete something.
- NO LIMITS on uploads. With lots of students creating content such as video, photos, etc., this is the one service we can count on to get our products off our mobile devices and onto the computer for editing and sharing. Even if the file size aren’t allowed by other services.
What are some unexpected or innovative ways that your organization has been able to use Copy?
- As I’ve noted previously, we use Copy when creating video or images for projects because it is easy to upload the files for use in other programs.
- I use Copy to share resources with my team of teachers. I can set it to view only so that they can’t edit my files (so I preserve them as I like them, while allowing them to download and edit them to create their own version).
- I use folder shortcuts to access larger files that are on my computer at home. I don’t need them stored online, but the folder shortcut lets me get to items I don’t need all the time. This is particularly useful since I do a lot of WordPress management, site development, and consulting on the side.
What are some additional ways that your organization might be able to use Copy in the future?
- Students could use Copy to share resources with other group members when working on projects, allowing for greater collaboration.
- There is a business option that allows businesses to have an account for their employees. This could be something that eventually is utilized by my business, again creating more opportunities for collaboration and becoming a way of backing up files without carrying around flash/USB drives.
- Copy could also be used to share folders with parents, giving them access to student work (like a portfolio).
- Teachers could use Copy shared folders as a place for students to submit work for grading or sharing with the class.
Usability
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate Copy’s overall usability? Why do you give it this rating?
10/10
Copy is so easy to use, it’s beautiful, and it just works well. Although finding my referral link could be easier, I’m constantly recommending it to others. I love that there are no restrictions on the size of file uploads, making it my favorite place to upload video files that are shot on my phone. I like that I can share files if I want. It’s a great service, and I don’t think anyone beats the amount of free space you start with.
This review10
What functions are particularly easy or elegant to perform using Copy?
- Set up is easy. Just follow the instructions. You can choose to sync the default folders, or none, or if you’ve already added folders to Copy online, you can choose to sync any/all/none of those folders.
- Accessing your files is a breeze. Online, the folder navigation system is elegant and easy to maneuver through. On your computer, it uses whatever folder system your system employs, making adding, deleting, and moving items a familiar task.
- Sharing files is also incredibly simple. Using the online version, you have options to make the link secure (requiring email verification) or provide a link to the folder or file using Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Email. You are also provided a short share link if you want to embed the link or share it that way.
What functions are particularly difficult or cumbersome to perform using Copy?
- It took me a little while to fully understand the beauty of being able to use shortcuts with Copy, but after some reading on their support I figured it out (to be honest, it’s probably obvious to many people, but I had a hard time understanding the finer points of it).
- When managing the settings on the computer, you will need to explore all the options if you want to adjust synced folders, whether usage is shared with Copy, etc. This is fairly typical of most services though.
- You can’t edit files from within Copy. You’ll need to open them using a different app or program. This is also the case with Dropbox (as far as I know), but it’s not the same as Google Drive or OneDrive where you can edit it from the service.
Does Copy provide a mobile interface? How well does the mobile interface work?
Yes – The mobile interface is simple and elegant, using flat, familiar icons to represent buttons for settings, files, folders, etc. From the mobile interface you can access your files, including files shared with you, and interact minimally with files (open, move, delete, share, and so on). You can also make some folders or files “favorites” for faster access using the main menu. The app also allows you to create a passcode to further secure your files.
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