Share, Sync, and Back Up Files with Dropbox

Remember Dropbox, the service that lets you back up files, share them with others, and sync them with other PCs? It's no longer an invitation-only beta: Now anyone can sign up.

After installing the Dropbox client (available for Windows, Mac, and Linux), just drag and drop files and folders to the Dropbox window. Whatever lands in there gets synced to Dropbox's servers (effectively giving you an online backup) and to any other PCs with Dropbox installed. You can access synced files from any system (no client software required) and share files with non-Dropbox users.

A free account gives you 2GB of storage space, but starting next week you'll be able to buy a 50GB 'box for $9.99 per month (or $99.99 annually). It's worth noting that Microsoft's Windows Live FolderShare, a very similar service, provides 5GB of free storage -- but it's not a cross-platform solution like Dropbox. My advice: Use both and get 7GB of storage. Let's see, Dropbox for documents, FolderShare for photos...perfect. (And it's alliterative, too, so bonus!)