Dropbox rejected nine-figure buyout offer from Apple in 2009

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 123
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gustav View Post


    I don't know about half-baked, but I think it was foolish to not support MacOS X 10.6.9 for mail, contacts, and calendars - especially since they're using industry standard protocols.



    I can't use iCloud anymore because my family owns some Macs that can not be upgraded to Lion (Core Duo). So now I can't share calendars or contacts with them using iCloud for at least a couple of years.



    I actually prefer dropbox for it's interoperability. I can share folders with colleagues that don't use Mac and it works just as wonderfully for them as it does for me on my Mac. I bet that's one reason why they didn't want to be rolled into Apple.



    One of the main drawbacks of being a part of such a huge corporation (like Apple) is the need to go through enlarged bureaucracy to implement your new features/ideas. I don't know how big Dropbox is, but I'm sure it's nice that they can roll out new features whenever the hey they feel like it.
  • Reply 42 of 123
    stelligentstelligent Posts: 2,680member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Skaag View Post


    I can't believe they refused. How stupid of them.



    Stupid? They are now valued at $4B, which is 16 times what Apple offered.
  • Reply 43 of 123
    steven n.steven n. Posts: 1,229member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by s4mb4 View Post


    i am disappointed with iCloud. great idea, but half baked to work only for cetain people.



    So far, Photostream is simply brilliant. Flawless implementation.
  • Reply 44 of 123
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by maccherry View Post


    You ain't lying brother!!! In this wild a** tech game and with competitors like Apple you better take the money and run. And I got goose bumps just imagining the conversation Jobs had with them fools. They said no to the LEGEND? Are you crazy!!!!

    9 figures? Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*********!!!!

    Cha Ching!



    It crossed my mind that the "9 figures" part is a bit of clever PR from DropBox to pump up their perceived value for potential future buyout, investors, or IPO. Apple keeps it's secrets, so they will never confirm or deny this claim.
  • Reply 45 of 123
    These guys are smart, they know how to stay independent and keep their secrets from other big companies. Nothing against Apple, but in general I would like to see more independent companies, that's good for the economy in general, and more people will be hired when there are more independent companies.
  • Reply 46 of 123
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Why even bring this up? Pretty embarrassing I'd have thought. Unless it's about to be revealed in Steve's Bio perhaps.
  • Reply 47 of 123
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by drobforever View Post


    These guys are smart, they know how to stay independent and keep their secrets from other big companies. Nothing against Apple, but in general I would like to see more independent companies, that's good for the economy in general, and more people will be hired when there are more independent companies.



    For 9 figures I'd be willing to give up most of my family let alone my company
  • Reply 48 of 123
    What many people seem not to understand is that it does NOT matter whether you call dropbox a feature or a product, whether other companies enter the market or not.

    What matters is who delivers seamless syncing. Apple, just as everybody else, has always sucked at syncing.

    Dropbox is iPhone of syncing. For the same reason people chose iPhone regardless how many features Samsung stucks into their phones, people chose Dropbox over iCloud or anything else for syncing.

    Nothing works as good, as simple, as painless, and worry free as Dropbox.

    Until this changes, Dropbox will only grow.
  • Reply 49 of 123
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by boeyc15 View Post


    I think that sums it up. I wonder if they were locked into certain investors so the offer was 'not enough'



    Believe me, if there was vc money in the venture they would have sold.
  • Reply 50 of 123
    dave k.dave k. Posts: 1,306member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Steven N. View Post


    So far, Photostream is simply brilliant. Flawless implementation.



    Except you can't delete photos... Kinda of an important missing feature...
  • Reply 51 of 123
    dacloodacloo Posts: 890member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by al_bundy View Post


    idiots



    icloud just has to be popular enough to steal enough customers to tank the business. and icloud will improve every year.



    this year is just the core features for most people. expect apple to add more free features every year



    Don't think so. It shows how much they believe in their own strategy.



    And I just purchased Dropbox BECAUSE of iCloud. I spent hours migrating to Dropbox....Because iCloud can't even provide me the flexibility of creating my own folder structure with my own custom filetypes. iCloud as it is now, is for nitwits who create Pages documents for birthday invitations.
  • Reply 52 of 123
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by The Mock Turtleneck View Post


    So glad they did. A lesser man would have taken up the offer and live the rest of their lives in luxury.



    A lesser man?



    Nobody's epitaph reads: "Gee, I wish I had spent more time at the office." Go ahead, smite me with a life of luxury. I'll try to manage.



    As Kurt Vonnegut said: "We are here on earth to fart around, and don't let anyone tell you any different."
  • Reply 53 of 123
    dacloodacloo Posts: 890member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stelligent View Post


    Stupid? They are now valued at $4B, which is 16 times what Apple offered.



    Amen. They have chosen wisely.
  • Reply 54 of 123
    stelligentstelligent Posts: 2,680member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ForceQuit View Post


    Believe me, if there was vc money in the venture they would have sold.



    The fact is that there was VC money. Dropbox was funded by Seqouia Capital in 2007, and completed another round in summer of 2009, before this Jobs meeting at the end of 2009.



    So you are kind of unbelievable.
  • Reply 55 of 123
    When Apple ask to buy you out at 9 figures you say YES!!!!!
  • Reply 56 of 123
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dacloo View Post


    Don't think so. It shows how much they believe in their own strategy.



    And I just purchased Dropbox BECAUSE of iCloud. I spent hours migrating to Dropbox....Because iCloud can't even provide me the flexibility of creating my own folder structure with my own custom filetypes. iCloud as it is now, is for nitwits who create Pages documents for birthday invitations.



    Do you not realize that Apple is moving away from the archaic and confusing user control folder structure. Most people simply don't want to deal with it. Just like with iOS App Store apps the data will be stored in the app or synced via iCloud to your other apps (and potentially certain types of data shared between apps) using iCloud APIs.



    That said, I see no reason why Dropbox, SugarSync, et al. won't be able to use the iCloud APIs to create a local app that shows a heiracrchia folder structure to those that wish to use them within an app. Just don't expect an iDisk for Mac OS or iOS with OS-level folder structure you can access in Finder.
  • Reply 57 of 123
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stelligent View Post


    The fact is that there was VC money. Dropbox was funded by Seqouia Capital in 2007, and completed another round in summer of 2009, before this Jobs meeting at the end of 2009.



    So you are kind of unbelievable.



    I stand corrected! Amazing though, these guys are normally looking for an exit strategy exactly like the Apple offer.
  • Reply 58 of 123
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cpsro View Post


    Set up your own iCal server. Keep your calendar private.



    Sounds like a good idea anyway if you have the technical resources to do it. I have read the iCloud and Apple privacy policies but I can't find any mention of them not using your personal data in the Calendars. I also wonder about Siri. Since it obviously remembers your name, your wife's name etc. Apple has admitted that it uses the information it collects to improve Siri but at what cost to your privacy. I think there are a lot of privacy issues about iCloud that have not been addressed. We tend to think our beloved Apple would never use our private information for their own purposes, as Google is accused of doing, but they don't make that clear anywhere in the privacy statements.
  • Reply 59 of 123
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ronster View Post


    There's also competition from box.net and their 50GB giveaway. And they are cross platform too.



    Plus, now there is Backify



    512 GB backup space, automatically and securely, plus stream music and movies to mobile devices.



    All free.



    Of course, all of these backup/sync services has their pros and cons.
  • Reply 60 of 123
    The world economy is circling the toilet.



    Not many have $800 Million to offer.
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