Earlier this week, TechCrunch, Mashable, iPhone Atlas, and others wrote about an intriguing iPhone app called DataCase from Veiosoft. DataCase effectively provides a file server on your iPhone. You can copy files to and from your computers over WiFi (much slicker than using it as a USB drive). You can create multiple folders, and set permissions on them, so you can have a place for your private documents, and also a place to trade files with people. What’s more, DataCase allows you to view a variety of file types right on your iPhone, including Microsoft Office files, PDF, text, various image formats, HTML, Audio and Video. Not bad for $6.99.
Given all the attention that DataCase attracted, I figured it was the only game in town. Not so! There are at least two alternatives. Files & Mobile Finder.
Files, from Olive Toast has been out for a week or more and has seen an update. It’s featureset is very similar to DataCase’s. You can transfer files to and from your phone from Mac or Windows & you can open a variety of file types. You can also password protect your files, but it isn’t clear whether you can have different folders with different permissions the way you can with DataCase. Files is available for $7.99.
Mobile Finder, from Pixiotec is the least expensive of the bunch, at $1.99. For that price you get a very full featureset, in addition to being able to transfer files to and from your iPhone from your Mac or Windows machine, you can open a wide variety of file types and save & edit text files. The developer promises to keep adding features, in fact, they’ve already added WebDAV support, and are just waiting for Apple to approve their update.
I just found TouchFS, which is very similar, but currently priced at $14.99. It looks like it is also a WebDAV server.
Mobile Finder is the cheapest of the bunch, but most of the other apps are only ~$5 more, which will hardly break the bank. All of them use WiFi. They all let you view a variety of file types, using, I believe, the built in file viewer that Apple includes for viewing email attachements. So, what sets them apart from one another?
DataCase:
- Shows up automatically in the Finder on Macs.
- Separate permissions/passwords for up to 10 different folders provides flexibility.
- Supports AFP (for Macs) and FTP for everyone else.
Files:
- Client machines supporting Bonjour (Macs, Windows machines with iTunes or Safari) can connect tot he iPhone by a name, rather than an IP#.
- Only supports WebDAV protocol.
- Private and public folders, but not as flexible as DataCase.
- Search file names on iPhone.
Mobile Finder:
- Almost too inexpensive not to try.
- Allows editing of text files.
- Supports WebDAV and FTP.
- Not clear whether it has password protection.
I think all these apps in their current state might prove a little chalenging for less sophisticated or confident users, particularly on Windows. In reading reviews in the Appstore, DataCase seems like it is the most polished, but I expect we’ll see the feature set of all three to improve in the coming weeks. At least one allready has an update with new features awaiting Apple’s approval. I’m mindful that whatever option I choose, I only have an 8GB iPhone and less than 100MB free. I’ll have an update once I have time to put them through their paces.
September 3, 2008 at 10:55 pm
As soon as Apple accepts our Air Sharing app, there will be another file sharing app in the mix. I think people will find Air Sharing much more polished and reliable than the other contenders.
Air Sharing is the same price as Files and DataCase, but for the first two weeks on the App Store, it will be FREE. So if you’re frustrated by all of the crashing and restarting involved with the other file sharing apps, you should invest the zero dollars and give Air Sharing a whirl!
Of course, I might be biased….
Dave Howell
Avatron Software