Cinch for Mac-Quick Thoughts

So we all love the snap windows from Windows 7, but did you know you can get them on OS X as well? There is a great, small program called Cinch that has the same functionality. You drag the windows to the left or right side, and they fill the half of the screen. If you drag the window to the top, it will maximize to the entire screen, a feature that OS X surprisingly doesn't have yet.

Settings for Cinch.

Cinch snapping to the left side.

When you drag the window to a part of the screen that Cinch recognizes, it will bring up a dashed line to indicate that you can let go.

Cinch is available from Irradiated Software at http://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/cinch/
The full version costs $7, but there is an unlimited free trial. It needs OS X 10.5 or newer to run, which I assume everyone who has a Mac has by now.

Google Drive and Dropbox Comparison

Everyone has used Dropbox, and it is great. Dropbox is online storage, or cloud storage. You can sign up for an account, and they give you free storage that you can access on any computer. I loved Dropbox and used it for years, but I switched over to Google Drive when it was released, and haven't looked back. Here's why:

• More space. Drive offers 5GB where Dropbox starts at only 2GB.
• Better integration with Android and Google services. This is a given, seeing that Drive is made by Google, but Drive fits in perfect on Android, and I love that I use my Google login.
• Easier to share folders. In Drive, you can share folders with people, or just certain files in these folders. You could let them just view it, or you could allow them to edit it too.
• Google Docs. Drive has Google Docs built in, so you could open a preview immediately if using  the web app. 

This is the Web Interface for Google Drive.

Cons:

• Not available on Linux (yet).

Both Dropbox and Drive are easy to use and have great interfaces, but some prefer one over the other. I use Drive to store all of my important documents and school items, and can keep them organized very easily. Drive has applications available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. I have the Android and Mac versions. On the Android version, I love being able to open a PowerPoint, Excel, or Word file right on my phone from the Drive app. Both Dropbox and Drive can install and run in your taskbar on Windows or Mac, and Dropbox can do the same on a Linux computer. Both fit in perfect and act like system folders on Windows and Mac.

This is the Desktop Interface for Google Drive on a Mac.

One advantage that Dropbox has is its option to earn more space. Dropbox regularly has promotions where you can gain more space easily, and for free, and you can also earn more space just for inviting a friend to join. Many people can get from 8-10 GB using a free account by doing these things.

The browser interface for Dropbox.