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Diino
Price: Free

Features
Performance
Ease of use
Value for money
Overall

Reviewed By: Andy Shaw

This review updated: 02/03/2006
Featured in magazine:
Issue 130
Manufacturer Contacts:
Supplier: Bytek Systems
Tel: 0772 5875437
Web Address: www.diino.co.uk


There are lots of places where you can temporarily store files online but Diino is a bit different. Like having a My Documents folder on the internet, you can use it to share your stuff between different computers (like home and work), or give friends and family access to files such as photos, music or documents. The basic service is free but you can pay to increase your storage space if you find yourself running short.

Features
Unlike most online storage facilities, Diino uses a small (2MB) piece of software to connect the PC you're working on to its servers. This gives the service a bit more power and it can be run from a USB memory device, so you can use it anywhere – even on computers that you can't install software onto. This enables a range of extra features including an Explorer-like interface complete with drag-and-drop, the ability to work on documents straight off the server (no need to download them first), and you can even stream music and video for sharing without the need to download.

Performance
This isn't just a depositary for files, it's a powerful tool. Anyone who already carries a USB memory device around, for sharing files between computers, will see an instant benefit. Because your files are on the internet it makes it easy for you to share them with others – just right-click on a folder and you send an email to your chosen person with a special password they can use to log into the specific folder. If the shared folder has music in it, you can also choose whether to let them download or stream it, as if they were listening to your own private radio station.

Ease of use
The software works just like a My Documents folder, so anyone familiar with Windows will find little to get confused about. The ability to drag-and-drop to and from your computer keeps life simple, and you can view things like photos as thumbnails as well as a list of files. It's not quite as powerful as a Windows folder, but it's not far off.

Value for money
If you can get by with less than 20MB of storage then the service is free, and you can't say fairer than that. Start getting greedy for space and you'll have to start paying, depending on how much you need. To rival your average USB memory device of 1GB you'll have to pay £2.99 a month, though you can go up to 100GB for £39.99 a month. Perhaps the best value option is an annual 10GB account, more than enough for most purposes, which you can get for less than £50 for a whole year.

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