SugarSync

SugarSync is a real mixed bag. On one hand the service as a whole has some really intuitive features that would probably make it my #1 choice for an online backup solution. However, on the other hand, the way its client app (ab)uses and (mis)manages network bandwidth, drive access and CPU usage is so poor that it ranks amongst one of the biggest resources hogs of recent times. To put it in terms, SugarSync is often so poorly responsive bog down a system as badly (if not worse!) than, for example, running Firefox with 3-4 dozen extensions and 50-100 tabs open or, say, Photoshop loaded up with heavy duty extensions and a dozen huge ultra-high res projects open at once.

The last straw (for me) was the fact that it CONSTANTLY is syncing. After two weeks of usage it still hadn't fully upload the ~4 GB of files I had hand-picked as my backup essentials. Even files that hadn't been modified since I began using SugarSync keep appearing in the upload queue as if they had changed and needed to be synced with the online backup. The impact was significant enough that I noticed a big slow down in web browsing (page load times, etc.) and, upon closer inspection, my ratios on private torrent trackers were plummeting because SugarSync's endless and rampant syncing was crowding out my bittorrent client no matter how I tweaked the upload bandwidth throttling.

It's a shame because after trying a variety of online backup solutions -- including DropBox, Mozy, SpiderOak, Wuala and SkyDrive -- I found that SugarSync was the all around best in terms of features. The overall service is just implemented poorly though. If the syncing/bandwidth issues were resolves, I'd definitely give SugarSync another shot.

SugarSync covers Evernote functions partly better for free than EverNote: Invited guests can edit notes in shared notebooks in web-interface ONLY in Evernote PREMIUM accounts, not in the Evernote Free account.
If you want to use this very useful feature for free (e.g. for a shopping list with MS Word *.doc files), then you can do this with SugarSync.
To all shared folders in the "Magic Briefcase" of SugarSync all the members of your family have synchronized editing and viewing access on all their computers and (only viewing) on "Windows Mobile" devices, and they all can use freely selectable file-types.
In Evernote for "Windows Mobile" you can edit and sync unformatted notes, with SugarSync mobile you can edit and sync all file types with all formatting features in the web-interface or on all Vista PCs, and read it in "Windows Mobile" devices, in SugarSync for "Windows Mobile" edited files will not be synced to Web-Storage and Vista folders, however.

Switched from paid Dropbox to paid SugarSync, and I'm not looking back :)

I was a die hard DropBox user before. But that only lasted until I tried the paid version of SugarSync. Lots of neat features that a DropBox user only could dream about. Everyone should give this piece of software a go. I cannot live without SugarSync nowadays.

I have been using SugarSync for over a year and recently renewed my annual subscription for a second year. I was very happy with it until about two weeks ago (early December 2009) when my files stopped syncing. I was recommending to my friends. When it works it is a great application and worth the price of an annul subscription. However, until they get their recent technical problems under control, it's not worth anything. I have had to fall back to Windows Live Sync for a few critical folders. SugarSync will not upload files from some of my folders and is making incomplete syncs. Unfortunately, technical support has been very slow and has not solve the problem preventing my files from syncing. I wonder if they have taken on new customers too quickly and don't have the infrastructure to provide the service under the heavier load.