ownCloud for Mac

OwnCloud is now on version 2.2.4. Installation of the server was easily done using the Softaculous software installer on my host. I installed the client software from the ownCloud page. So far it's as transparent as Dropbox, and because I have an unlimited package with my hosting provider, I don't have the space limits of Dropbox. I'll try to remember to file a proper review with a star rating once I've had a chance to use it for a while.

Better than DropBox.

Please note: OwnCloud SERVER software should not be installed on Macs - you must either run it on a Windows or Linux machine. OwnCloud has seriously flawed code relating to the way it deals with file name encodings - it does not follow recommended practices - and the code falls apart on the Mac. Although the Mac community has repeatedly offered time and resources - test machines, programming, etc. - since version 6, the developers have not shown sufficient interest in fixing the needed bugs, officially (some users have already provided bug fixes, but these remain untested and unverified by the developers, and the Mac continues to be an unsupported platform for the Server). As a consequence, if your OwnCould Server is a Windows/Linux machine, your OwnClient Client will function nicely. If your OwnCloud Server is a Mac, and you have a mixture of clients (Win/Mac/Linux) accessing your Server, you *will* lose files. OwnCloud has a nice interface, and nice features, but until the developers take up the offers in the community to implement *proper* Mac support for both client AND SERVER, Mac users should proceed with caution.

No review yet? What a shame. I canceled my dropbox account for security reasons and I was looking for a replacement. I found own cloud does all I need: - Securely store and sync files across my macs - Share files with others - Calendar and contact server (incl. shared calendars and contacts) If you are a computer geek, there are even more things you can do like cloud based subscriptions, ... Yes, it isn't as easy to set up as dropbox but once you have configured your installation, you will get a secure and easy to use cloud storage system. There are still some minor things missing like copy public links from the Finder (you can use Automator to create such an action) but the app and server is in constant development and I am sure this will be implemented in future versions. Another drawback is that owncloud isn't as widely supported as dropbox by other apps and I hope other developers will include owncloud as an alternative to dropbox. So said: if you are looking for a secure, encrypted dropbox replacement and you have some computer tech knowledge, give own cloud a try.