Dropbox Paper

Last updated

Dropbox Paper
Dropbox Paper logo with text.png
Type of site
 Word processor, collaborative software
Owner Dropbox
URL paper.dropbox.com
LaunchedOctober 15, 2015;8 years ago (2015-10-15)
Written in JavaScript

Dropbox Paper, or simply Paper, is a collaborative document-editing service developed by Dropbox. Originating from the company's acquisition of document collaboration company Hackpad in April 2014, Dropbox Paper was officially announced in October 2015, and launched in January 2017. It offers a web application, as well as mobile apps for Android and iOS.

Contents

Dropbox Paper was described in the official announcement post as "a flexible workspace that brings people and ideas together. With Paper, teams can create, review, revise, manage, and organize — all in shared documents". [1]

Reception of Dropbox Paper has been mixed. Critics praised collaboration functionality, including content available immediately, the ability to mention specific collaborators, assign tasks, write comments, as well as editing attribution, and revision history. It received particular praise for its support for rich media from a variety of sources, with one reviewer noting that the Paper's support for rich media exceeds the capabilities of most of its competitors. However, it was criticized for a lack of formatting options and editing features. While the user interface was liked for being minimal, reviewers cited the lack of a fixed formatting bar and missing features present in competitors' products as making Dropbox Paper seem like a "light" tool.

History

Dropbox acquired document collaboration company Hackpad in April 2014. [2] A year later, Dropbox launched a Dropbox Notes note-taking product in beta testing phase. [3] [4] Dropbox Paper was officially announced on October 15, 2015, [5] [6] [7] followed by an open beta and release of mobile Android and iOS apps in August 2016. [8] [9] [10] Dropbox Paper was officially released on January 30, 2017. [11] [12] [13]

Reception

In a comparison between Dropbox Paper and Evernote, PC World's Michael Ansaldo wrote that "With its emphasis on document creation, you might expect formatting to be front and center in Dropbox Paper. [14] That's not the case." Ansaldo noted the lack of a "fixed formatting toolbar as you'd find in Evernote or a word processor like Google Docs or Microsoft Word. Instead, the text editor appears as a floating ribbon only when you highlight selected text." The only formatting options available for emphasis were bolding, strikethrough, bulleted and numbered lists, and H1 and H2 tags. Users can also add links, convert text to checklists, and add comments. Ansaldo wrote that "Both Evernote and Dropbox Paper make it easy to add images to a document", but also noted that "Dropbox Paper doesn't support any image editing". Paper supports rich media, and users can "add rich content to your document just by pasting a link to the file. In addition to Dropbox, Paper supports media from a variety of popular services including YouTube, Spotify, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Facebook, and Google's productivity suite. Once the file appears, you can delete the link for a cleaner display." To start working with other people, Paper "allows you to invite people via email from within a document", with sharing options for who can view the link (anyone with the link or just the invited person), and action permissions (edit or only comment). Regarding collaboration, Ansaldo wrote that "Creative collaboration is Paper’s marquee feature, and it provides a variety of ways to work effectively with others in real time". Users can "make any content immediately visible and accessible to a specific collaborator with "@mentions"", and "You can also use @mentions to create and assign task lists within a document." Paper also "boasts essential collaboration tools including comments, editing attribution, and revision history." [15]

Writing for TechRadar , John Brandon wrote that Dropbox Paper "might be a 'light' tool for now without the extensive templates of Microsoft Office or the integration with other apps in the Zoho suite, but it does work well with the Dropbox storage service that's so popular with office workers these days." [16]

Kyle Wiggers of Digital Trends wrote that Paper is "all about minimizing distractions. Its interface is quite literally a big, blank canvas on which you tap out your agenda. You can organize notes by title and create to-do lists, but even basic formatting tools are obscured from view", noting Paper's "floating box above words and phrases highlighted by your cursor". Wiggers stated that "Paper is not a to-do organizer", but that it's "well suited to the purpose thanks to a bevy of labor-saving conveniences", highlighting that Paper "supports more media than most of its to-do and note-taking counterparts". He praised the collaboration tools, writing that they "are as extensive as you'd hope, and then some", citing its invitation system with permission controls, lists of changes and revision history, comment and chat support, and "perhaps best of all", the ability to assign tasks with a "@" mention. [17]

Business Insider's Alex Heath praised that "Paper's interface is spotless and friendly to write in. You don't feel overwhelmed with formatting options", but criticized the available features, writing that "Google Docs is much more full-featured in the formatting department, so Paper has some catching up to do if it wants to be on par with the competition". [18] Writing for The Verge , Casey Newton praised Paper's handling of rich media, complimenting it for being "great", and added that "I imagine that creative types who work on teams will appreciate having rich media embedded in the documents they're working on rather than in a series of infinite tabs". [19]

Related Research Articles

iWork Office suite of applications created by Apple Inc.

iWork is an office suite of applications created by Apple for its macOS, iPadOS, and iOS operating systems, and also available cross-platform through the iCloud website.

Evernote is a note-taking and task-management application developed by the Evernote Corporation. It is intended for archiving and creating notes with embedded photos, audio, and saved web content. Notes are stored in virtual "notebooks" and can be tagged, annotated, edited, searched, and exported.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TechCrunch</span> American technology news website

TechCrunch is an American global online newspaper focusing on high tech and startup companies. It was founded in June 2005 by Archimedes Ventures, led by partners Michael Arrington and Keith Teare.

Google Workspace is a collection of cloud computing, productivity and collaboration tools, software and products developed and marketed by Google. It consists of Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, Meet and Chat for communication; Currents for employee engagement; Drive for storage; and the Google Docs Editors suite for content creation. An Admin Panel is provided for managing users and services. Depending on edition Google Workspace may also include the digital interactive whiteboard Jamboard and an option to purchase add-ons such as the telephony service Voice. The education edition adds a learning platform Google Classroom and today has the name Workspace for Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OneDrive</span> File hosting and synchronization service operated by Microsoft

Microsoft OneDrive is a file hosting service operated by Microsoft. First released in August 2007, it allows registered users to store, share and sync their files. OneDrive also works as the storage backend of the web version of Microsoft 365 / Office. OneDrive offers 5 GB of storage space free of charge, with 100 GB, 1 TB, and 6 TB storage options available either separately or with Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

Dropbox is a file hosting service operated by the American company Dropbox, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, California, U.S. that offers cloud storage, file synchronization, personal cloud, and client software. Dropbox was founded in 2007 by MIT students Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi as a startup company, with initial funding from seed accelerator Y Combinator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Etherpad</span> Open-source web-based collaborative real-time editor

Etherpad is an open-source, web-based collaborative real-time editor, allowing authors to simultaneously edit a text document, and see all of the participants' edits in real-time, with the ability to display each author's text in their own color. There is also a chat box in the sidebar to allow meta communication.

OnlyOffice, stylized as ONLYOFFICE, is a free software office suite and ecosystem of collaborative applications developed by Ascensio System SIA. It features online document editors, platform for document management, corporate communication, mail and project management tools.

Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service developed by Google. Launched on April 24, 2012, Google Drive allows users to store files in the cloud, synchronize files across devices, and share files. In addition to a web interface, Google Drive offers apps with offline capabilities for Windows and macOS computers, and Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. Google Drive encompasses Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides, which are a part of the Google Docs Editors office suite that permits collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, forms, and more. Files created and edited through the Google Docs suite are saved in Google Drive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notes (Apple)</span> Software application for Apple platforms

Notes is a notetaking app developed by Apple Inc. It is provided on their iOS, iPadOS and macOS operating systems, the latter starting with OS X Mountain Lion. It functions as a service for making short text notes, which can be synchronized between devices using Apple's iCloud service. The application uses a similar interface on iOS and macOS, with a non-textured paper background for notes and light yellow icons, suggesting pencil or crayon. Until 2013, both applications used a strongly skeuomorphic interface, with a lined, textured paper design; the Mountain Lion version placed this inside a leather folder. This design was replaced in OS X Mavericks and iOS 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Keep</span> Note-taking service developed by Google

Google Keep is a note-taking service included as part of the free, web-based Google Docs Editors suite offered by Google. The service also includes: Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Drawings, Google Forms and Google Sites. Google Keep is available as a web application as well as mobile app for Android and iOS. The app offers a variety of tools for taking notes, including texts, lists, images, and audio. Text from images can be extracted using optical character recognition and voice recordings can be transcribed. The interface allows for a single-column view or a multi-column view. Notes can be color-coded and labels can be applied to notes to categorize them. Later updates have added functionality to pin notes and to collaborate on notes with other Keep users in real-time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Slides</span> Cloud-based presentation software

Google Slides is a presentation program included as part of the free, web-based Google Docs suite offered by Google. Google Slides is available as a web application, mobile app for: Android, iOS, and as a desktop application on Google's ChromeOS. The app is compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint file formats. The app allows users to create and edit files online while collaborating with other users in real-time. Edits are tracked by a user with a revision history presenting changes. An editor's position is highlighted with an editor-specific color and cursor and a permissions system regulates what users can do. Updates have introduced features using machine learning, including "Explore", offering and "tasks to other users.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newton (software)</span> Cross-platform e-mail application

Newton is an email management application for iOS, Android, MacOS, Windows and ChromeOS developed by CloudMagic, Inc. The application is known for its searching capabilities, cross-platform abilities and user interface. It has been referred to as an email client better than Gmail's native app. As from September 15, 2016, CloudMagic has been renamed to Newton Mail with premium services, adding a host of new features and functions.

Google Classroom is a free blended learning platform developed by Google for educational institutions that aims to simplify creating, distributing, and grading assignments. The primary purpose of Google Classroom is to streamline the process of sharing files between teachers and students. As of 2021, approximately 150 million users use Google Classroom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Sheets</span> Cloud-based spreadsheet software

Google Sheets is a spreadsheet application included as part of the free, web-based Google Docs Editors suite offered by Google. Google Sheets is available as a web application; a mobile app for: Android, iOS, and as a desktop application on Google's ChromeOS. The app is compatible with Microsoft Excel file formats. The app allows users to create and edit files online while collaborating with other users in real-time. Edits are tracked by which user made them, along with a revision history. Where an editor is making changes is highlighted with an editor-specific color and cursor. A permissions system regulates what users can do. Updates have introduced features that use machine learning, including "Explore", which offers answers based on natural language questions in the spreadsheet. Sheets is one of the services provided by Google that also includes Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Drawings, Google Forms, Google Sites and Google Keep.

Hackpad is a web-based collaborative real-time text editor forked from Etherpad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Docs</span> Cloud-based word processing software

Google Docs is an online word processor included as part of the free, web-based Google Docs Editors suite offered by Google, which also includes Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Drawings, Google Forms, Google Sites and Google Keep. Google Docs is accessible via an internet browser as a web-based application and is also available as a mobile app on Android and iOS and as a desktop application on Google's ChromeOS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Photos</span> Photo storage service

Google Photos is a photo sharing and storage service developed by Google. It was announced in May 2015 and spun off from Google+, the company's former social network.

This is a timeline of online file storage and collaboration service Dropbox.

Skiff is an end-to-end encrypted email service and collaboration tool. It launched in 2021 and was developed in San Francisco, California.

References

  1. ↑ "Dropbox Paper Desktop App for Mac and PC". WebCatalog. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  2. ↑ Perez, Sarah (April 17, 2014). "Dropbox Acquires Cloud Photos Startup Loom And Document Collaboration Service Hackpad". TechCrunch . AOL. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  3. ↑ Perez, Sarah (April 23, 2015). "Dropbox's Collaborative Note-Taking Service, Dropbox Notes, Heads Into Beta Testing". TechCrunch . AOL. Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  4. ↑ Ingraham, Nathan (April 23, 2015). "Dropbox is getting ready to launch a collaborative notes service". The Verge . Vox Media. Archived from the original on April 24, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  5. ↑ Newton, Casey (October 15, 2015). "Dropbox announces Paper, its take on collaborative document editing". The Verge . Vox Media. Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  6. ↑ Ingraham, Nathan (October 15, 2015). "Paper is Dropbox's new vision for how teams can work together". Engadget . AOL. Archived from the original on January 11, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  7. ↑ Dillet, Romain (October 15, 2015). "Dropbox Announces Paper, A Google Docs Competitor". TechCrunch . AOL. Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  8. ↑ Cacioppo, Christina (August 3, 2016). "Get started with Dropbox Paper - now in open beta". Dropbox Blog. Dropbox. Archived from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  9. ↑ Noyes, Katherine (August 3, 2016). "Dropbox Paper, now in open beta, lets teams collaborate in the cloud". PC World . International Data Group. Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  10. ↑ Novet, Jordan (August 3, 2016). "Dropbox launches Paper note-taking app in open beta, releases Android and iOS apps". VentureBeat . Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  11. ↑ Jackson, Todd (January 30, 2017). "Transforming how teams collaborate". Dropbox Blog. Dropbox. Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  12. ↑ Statt, Nick (January 30, 2017). "Dropbox finally brings its Google Docs competitor out of beta". The Verge . Vox Media. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  13. ↑ Lynley, Matthew (January 30, 2017). "Dropbox's note-taking app Paper launches globally in 21 languages". TechCrunch . AOL. Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Dropbox Paper vs. Evernote: 5 productivity features compared".
  15. ↑ Ansaldo, Michael (January 19, 2017). "Dropbox Paper vs. Evernote: 5 productivity features compared". PC World . International Data Group. Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  16. ↑ Brandon, John (May 26, 2016). "5 good alternatives to Google Docs". TechRadar . Future plc. Archived from the original on December 2, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  17. ↑ Wiggers, Kyle (August 4, 2016). "The 9 best note-taking and productivity apps compared: OneNote, Zoho, and more". Digital Trends . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  18. ↑ Heath, Alex (October 18, 2015). "We tried Dropbox's unreleased document editor, and it's like a prettier version of Google Docs". Business Insider . Axel Springer SE. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  19. ↑ Newton, Casey (October 15, 2015). "Hands on with Paper, Dropbox's answer to Google Docs". The Verge . Vox Media. Archived from the original on April 1, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.