How AirDrop makes file-sharing simple

#1 Macworld

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Posted 16 August 2011 - 06:01 AM

Post your comments for How AirDrop makes file-sharing simple here

#2 fitz

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Posted 16 August 2011 - 06:11 AM

My MacBook Pro works with AirDrop, but my Mac Pro (3,1) does not. I ordered a compatible Airport card for the Mac Pro and had it working in a matter of minutes. As it turns out, I'm not too impressed. I like DropCopy better since 1) it works with older Macs that don't support AirDrop and 2) I can transfer files to another computer on my network without having to accept it at the other end.

#3 PaulRoblesr6pa

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Posted 16 August 2011 - 06:13 AM

I have a 2007 Mac Pro that wasn't Aip Drop friendly--purchased a compatible wifi card on eBay for around $19, including shipping, and now I have Air Drop that works flawlessly!

#4 AndrewRodney

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Posted 16 August 2011 - 06:25 AM

This article makes the free and wonderful DropBox (and perhaps keeping Snow Leopard) more attractive all the time.

Andrew Rodney
Author “Color Management for Photographers”
http://digitaldog.net/

#5 gtd101

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Posted 16 August 2011 - 07:03 AM

Not working on the majority of Macs (since most people keep their computers for at least 2 or 3 years) was a let down. I agree with what others mentioned in that AirDrop's inabilities make other programs such as DropCopy, Dropbox, etc., etc. look like the best overall solutions.

But the HUGE loss of "Spaces" features and controls is a bigger disappointment to me than Airdrop's shortcomings. Spaces took a step backward with Lion and its integration into the new "Mission Control" feature. At least Airdrop was something I didn't have, so I don't miss.

Glenn - How about an article on Spaces / Mission Control?

Maybe you can help get some of the features and controls back in the next Lion update.

-1

#6 kiwigm

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Posted 16 August 2011 - 07:59 AM

Thanks for that - I had wondered what the underlying technology was. Unfortunately it confirmed my suspicion that my laptop isn't compatible.

#7 Glenn_Fleishman

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Posted 16 August 2011 - 08:02 AM

PaulRoblesr6pa, on 16 August 2011 - 06:13 AM, said:

I have a 2007 Mac Pro that wasn't Aip Drop friendly--purchased a compatible wifi card on eBay for around $19, including shipping, and now I have Air Drop that works flawlessly!

Very clever. I would never have thought that would work! What model of card did you get? I may have to do some research.

#8 mretondo

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Posted 16 August 2011 - 08:28 AM

Apple really made a half baked solution with AirDrop. It never should've only worked over wireless. It should've worked over a local Ethernet LAN as well and been called FileCopy or something like that. My wife doesn't understand why she can drag a file onto my sons MacBook Pro from her iMac but can't copy a file to my iMac. She is right to be confuse of course, just because our iMacs are connected Ethernet to a router shouldn't make any difference. So we need two methods to do file coping, how stupid is that. So instead we just keep on using DropCopy like before which works over Ethernet or wireless.

#9 JScott

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Posted 16 August 2011 - 12:43 PM

I've tried AirDrop on several newer Macs and have yet been able to get it to work properly. Seems like a typical half-baked technology.

#10 thinkman

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Posted 16 August 2011 - 08:13 PM

I have been using DROP BOX on all my OSX and iDevices since it came out. It runs flawlessly on all machines!

-1

#11 davidlfoster

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Posted 17 August 2011 - 04:12 AM

AirDrop is essentially a non-feature, like many of the other highly debatable improvements introduced in Mac OS X Lion. If you've been a Mac user for any real length of time, you'll almost certainly have one or more computers that won't work with it. What good is that? As other readers note, technologies like DropCopy and Dropbox are superior technologies. Dropbox enables easy file transfers from any computer, anywhere (at least anywhere you have access to the web) and it provides many other features like file sharing.

If Apple can't innovate better file transfer capabilities than AirDrop, it should just use its vast cache of cash to acquire and assimilate these other technologies into Lion 10.7.2.

#12 bettercitizens

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Posted 18 August 2011 - 09:37 AM

Early 2008 MacBook Pro at home, no AirDrop due to not upgrading it to Lion. I use DropBox, etc. I have updated our Office 2010 MacBook Pro to Lion, mainly due to whole disk encryption.

Lion is definitely requires one to "Think Different". Lion is a mixed bag, some good, some bad, some neutral. Reverse (aka natural) scrolling - no thanks for us. Also I wish Appleacula had not sucked all of the color out of Lion. I will be looking for some third party software to Un-Appleacula my Lion. Overall I think that Lion is good, but different.

I hope that with CoreStorage that Apple is on their way to a new modern robust file system in Mac OS X. Time will tell...

#13 michaelwells40505

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Posted 22 August 2011 - 03:07 PM

Ok, 3 Macs; only works on two, and the main one I want it to work on, it doesn't. Is this something that Apple can actually fix with a Software Update for the affected units? Lion is making me madder and madder each day. The much slower boot times and weird shutdown screen are just a few annoyances.