Online File Sharing Nibbles On EatLime

I'm always seeking out ways to share files and information with people online. I am a writer with clients all over the world, so the more accessible a solution I can find, the better it is for all concerned. Last October I was pointed in the direction of EatLime, an online file sharing site that gives you 1GB of sharing for free.

It took me a while to try it out. I wasn't entirely convinced it would do the job any better than existing sites like Box.net, which I had already tried and remained luke warm about. I'm glad I did though, if for no other reason than that the navigation of the site and its parameters is much more clear than that of Box.net and the others., and also easier on the eyes.

The one glaring error in EatLime's execution is its lack of Mac compatibility for its desktop portion of the experience. Mac users can still enjoy EatLime the way I have been, online, but Windows users are given a fully integrated offline experience as well that Mac users are left out of.

If you use Windows, though, you can download EatLime in a small application that will run on your desktop, allowing you to create offline links to our online files. These links allow you to access and share your data even faster, and give you new ways to interact with your information on the internet. I made a colleague help me out by testing the application, and he described it as easy to download install and use. He converted to EatLime exclusively from his formerly favorite file sharing site.

The site allows you to store up to 1 GB of data for free. If you are just using the data transfer features of the site, there is no size limit - you have unlimited free data transfers. You also have ways to transfer data over Email and IM, and to import your contacts for easier transfer of data.

Some of the features touted by the site as “unique” are anything but - like Email and IM data transfer. Most Email and IM programs already have this ability programmed into them. The one way EatLime is different is that it offers a way around some of the size limits set by email carriers like Comcast. As for the transfer in of contacts, allowing you to not have to type in their names… that is also something most existing programs offer. This makes it convenient, but certainly nothing new.

EatLime wins points with me for ease of use, the lack of size limits, and its attractive and easy to navigate interface. It loses points for not including Mac users in its offline product. It gets an overall thumbs up for a creative solution to an ongoing problem: the sharing and transfer of files between users on multiple platforms in multiple locations.