Dropbox has made its Web site simpler to use with easier sorting capabilities, an improved presentation layer for photos and a similar drag and drop experience as it provides on the desktop.

Action Bar

Dropbox designers used the Web update to provide easier access to files and folders. An action bar at the top of the page allows you to sort your files by name, date, size and type. As noted on the blog, if you select a file or folder, the bar will change to let you perform a variety of actions on your selection.

Better Photo Presentation

A new lightbox feature allows for full screen viewing of photos and videos. Dropbox has also added a thumbnail feature for photos and videos.

Drag and Drop

Dropbox is working to give the same experience for its website as it is for the desktop. A big part of the website’s constraints lie in its lack of speed. It is the Web so it won’t be as fast as working natively on the desktop. But it goes a long way toward giving better functionality in a Web environment and puts it closer to being as seamless on the client as online.

Services Angle

A debate opened up a few weeks ago with my colleague Ben Kepes about Dropbox and its viability in competing if Google does actually launch its long rumored G Drive service. Dropbox’s beauty and elegance is in the type of attention it puts into the user experience. It demonstrates an efficiency and striving to automate the experience so the user doesn’t even have to think about how to use the service in itself. You have a folder, you put stuff into it and it syncs. Simple.

I just don’t see Google offering this sort of experience. GMail is great for its search but how do you like its user interface? That to me is the difference. Dropbox will never be “killed” by Google as long as it maintains  its simplicity. Its success is really that simple.