Is logging in to DropBox negligible CPU overhead in 2023?

[James Steele]

I think the answer to my question is yes. For years, I didn't like having my DAW computer automatically logging in to DropBox, but I have enough clerical type files like spreadsheets (equipment inventory, etc.) and Typinator macros that I want to keep synchronized across all my systems, so thinking of getting this set up again so everything is current across all my Macs.

Thoughts? It should be fine. I guess if I'm bothered I could just log out of DropBox on my DAW Mac before I start any real work, but I'm thinking with Apple Silicon and modern processors I'm being totally silly even worrying about it.

[mikehalloran]

Since Monterey 12.3 all cloud files are stored in the cloud. Period. If you have enough space on your System drive, you can make them available on your Mac (if you don't have enough space, only aliases are shared). Working on the local version will sync with the cloud version whenever the internet is robust enough.

With this change, Apple apps (Logic, FCPx etc.) can only be shared over iCloud.

Dropbox now shows up under locations on the sidebar. Any files successfully shared to your local drive will have a green check. The folder is located /Users/(user)/Library/Cloudstorage/Dropbox

There are only a few hundred threads on MacRumors, Facebook, Apple Support etc. about how awful this all is—most written by those who've not tried it. It actually works quite well and I can now share DP and PL files with other Mac users.

The only downsides I have seen: Two people cannot work on the same file in real time. You may need more DB storage than the free account allows (there's a workaround for that but I don't have time right now to explain it). A free account only allows you to access with three devices; paid accounts allow unlimited.

[James Steele]

Thanks, Mike. It's funny... I have a very basic need for this. I have a few documents like an Excel spreadsheet that is my business and studio equipment inventory where I list all my gear with typical info like date of purchase, price paid, serial number, etc. and I like to be able to access and update this information from either my office Mac or my studio Mac and I want to know when it's updated via one Mac, it's reflected on the other.

Same with certain other documents like diagrams I've done in an app called Swift Publisher for the audio and MIDI routing of my live guitar rig as well as my patch bay routing, etc.

Also I have a macro app called Typinator that can use DropBox to keep my list of macros sync'd up across all my Macs.

I thin I'm going to spend a little time today and turn this back on. And yep... I was aware of the green check marks on the folders and how it works. I actually use that under a different Drop Box account for my business to make cloud backups for certain crucial files on my Windows laptops. Should anything go wrong, it's reassuring to know I have a copy in the cloud that I can access.

[mikehalloran]

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Should anything go wrong, it's reassuring to know I have a copy in the cloud that I can access.

My point is that the one in the cloud is not the copy. The ones on your Macs are and they sync automatically whenever your internet connection is robust enough.

This is what is new and causing all the fuss. It’s based on an old SUN UNIX protocol, NFS, that I was working with 27 years ago. My thought is that it’s about damned time. Scott McNealy’s vision was that local fie storage would never be necessary because the internet would be perfect and bla, bla, bla… and now Oracle owns SUN.

One of the advantages that Scott never considered is that the locally stored copies are backed up to Time Machine, BackBlaze etc. while the cloud storage is not. Another is that the internet and Wi-Fi are not perfect. Being able to work on some shared projects in remote places knowing that everything will update as soon as wireless is back is quite nice.