Basic Info| App Name | ZumoDrive |
| App URL | http://www.zumodrive.com |
| App Version Reviewed | 0.987 |
| Test System Specs | Windows XP/iPhone 3GS |
| Supported OSes | Windows (XP/Vista/7), iPhone, Mac, Linux, Android, WebOS |
| Support Methods | Forum, Knowledge Base |
| Pricing Scheme | Free version (1GB + 1GB for completing tutorial) - Free. 10GB - $2.99/month, 25GB - $6.99/month, 50GB - $9.99/month, 100GB - $19.99/month, 200GB - $37.99/month. 500GB - 79.99/month. |
| Tour URL | https://www.zumodrive.com/tour/ |
| App Name | Jungle Disk (Personal Desktop Edition) |
| App URL | http://www.jungledisk.com |
| App Version Reviewed | 3.0.6 |
| Test System Specs | Windows XP/iPhone 3GS |
| Supported OSes | Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, Windows Server 2003/2008, iPhone, Mac OSX 10.5 or Later, Linux x86 with KDE or GNOME desktop (GTK2 libraries) |
| Support Methods | Forum, Knowledge Base, Ticket System |
| Pricing Scheme | $3/month + storage fees (see note below) |
| Other Notes | Also has a portable edition for all three desktop platforms |
For a variety of reasons, I’m looking for a Cloud Storage Service. At one time I was sure I would need two to satisfy my needs, as I need a service that syncs a local folder (preferably several) across machines. I also need a online storage space for offsite backups- the ability to access it by WebDav is also a nice to have feature, so I can use my own backup software if I want.
Previously, for my first need,
I evaluated SugarSync and Dropbox. In the end, SugarSync was not recommended, as there are
very bad issues with the product. This was going to be a review of an online storage space that looked promising- ZumoDrive. Then I remembered that I had a licensed copy of JungleDisk that I never used before, and realised that it satisfied both needs. ZumoDrive comes close to satisfying both needs, but doesn’t quite do it.
ZumoDrive Configuration ScreensZumoDrive Web Interface
ZumoDrive Mobile ScreensThe GoodZumoDrive has a very functional interface, such as it is. The configuration screens are well laid out and provide a lot of information, while never seeming overcrowded. The mapped drives clearly show the information on a per-computer basis, so you can tell where the information that you're accessing is from. The ability to change transfer speed is very welcome, and if you have space for it, the ease at which it integrates into your itunes library and your music in general is very welcome. The web interface is simple, but allows you access to all of your files, and the sharing functionality is on par with the other options (it was actually better than DropBox for a while until the recent update which allows you to share files). The iPhone interface looks familiar- I think that all of the options that I reviewed use a similar package for their iphone app. Their
dojo- the training area to the service- is actually quite well done also.
The BadThe app seems to use an inordinate amount of memory; after having it open for a while, the usage was well over 100M, which seems a lot. There were also a few hiccups in the beginning with the client being non-responsive, or duplicate clients being opened. That is now fixed. The integration with explorer is a bit misleading also- when I copied to the shared drive, the copy finished, but the files were not actually on the drive yet, and didn't show up on the web interface. It appears that they are cached locally to be transferred, but when I went to look for them immediately, there was no indication of this until I looked in the transfer portion of the configuration dialog. Also, for my purposes, the link folders bit was useless; it doesn't sync between machines, but instead syncs your local machine to the cloud.
Who is this app forIf you're not looking to sync your machines, but instead are looking for storage space in the cloud that is synced up to your various computers and can be shared, then this app will work for you.
JungleDisk Desktop ScreensJungleDisk Web ScreenJungleDisk Mobile ScreensThe GoodJungleDisk is simple in it's approach, but very powerful. It has many options for use, including syncing (to the desktop and other computers - a la DropBox), mapping drives (using your cloud drive like a local drive), and scheduled backups to the cloud. Getting them setup is very easy, and the interfaces are pretty bare bones at their root, making them easy to navigate. The pricing is dirt cheap for as much as you want to store, and it has the option of using your own Amazon S3 account, so you have full control over your data. It's also one of the only services I've found as reliable as DropBox- I worry less and less as I use it about losing data, and actually have items exclusively on their service (cloud-wise) rather than redundantly backed up on DropBox as I've done with the others. It also gives a lot of feedback as it has errors, but then re-tries until everything is fine, so the feedback it gives you thankfully don't have to use. It also lets you effectively partition the amount of space you have for different uses, having the concept of drives, and then backing up things based on computer. You can also sync arbitrary locations, which is a big plus. Again, the iPhone interface looks familiar- I think that all of the options that I reviewed use a similar package for their iphone app.
The BadJungleDisk is definitely a geek's service- from setup to even billing. The amount of options can get overwhelming if you want to change from the options set up in the wizard. Even when not on advanced, the options that it gives you aren't for the faint of heart. For long processes, the speed doesn't seem as fast as other options, though entirely useable. The pricing is what initially threw me off from using it, and that trepidation still stands. They charge you for reads, writes, uploads, downloads, storage... then you get charged by JungleDisk and by S3. Add to that the fact that the web interface is an add-on, so you pay an additional $1 per month for it, and your invoices can get pretty involved. Then again, even after using it for a while, I'm paying less than $3 a month, so those considerations fade in comparison to that. Also, note that there are no sharing options with JungleDisk- it's your data, and only you can see it.
PricingSince the pricing of JungleDisk is so dissimilar to other offerings, I put it in its own separate area. The basic price of JungleDisk is $3/month. If you want web access, you add an additional $1/month. On top of that, you pay a price for storage.
On Amazon, that price is as follows:
Amazon S3 US - only $0.15 per GB-Month of storage used
First 5 GB Storage FREE
Data Transfer
FREE data uploaded until June 30, 2010! $0.10 per GB of data uploaded thereafter
$0.15 per GB of data downloaded
Data Request
$0.01 per 1000 upload requests
$0.01 per 10,000 download requests
An example invoice is below:
Note: This invoice does not include the $3/month because I bought JungleDisk way back when you could get it for a set price for unlimited use.
Who is this app forIf you like the cloud syncing/cloud back up services, but have too much data for their plans- JungleDisk is for you. Even if you don't have a lot of data- JungleDisk will still work for you. Only if you need to actually share that data will it not work for you.
ConclusionsZumoDrive is slick, and has a lot of polish to the presentation. However, if you need syncing abilities, know that they aren't there. JungleDisk is cheap, reliable, and just works, with a lot of options for use to boot. However, if you need to share your data, know that there are no options for that.
For my personal use, I'm going with a combination of DropBox, and JungleDisk.
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