Unfortunately, they do not offer Linux so I will not be using them. One thing they have definitely failed to learn from Dropbox's early success is that for services like this Linux support is very important.
File sending services are usually first adopted by tech savvy users. The service then becomes more popular as the tech savvy types recommend it to their less tech savvy friends. And Linux is actually quite popular among tech savvy users.
So here is some free advice for Kicksend -- create a Linux app asap.
I was able to try it out using the windows versions with adobe air on Ubuntu, but its terrible and don't suggest it. For anyone that wants this type of functionality, get s3 and create signed urls.
I like the premise of "dead simple" file sharing, but it seems to me that the minute you start charging for the service, the "dead simple" moniker goes away (my wife, for example, would rather grab the nearest nerd than pull out a credit card to sign up for a file sharing service).
I ask because I don't see any way forward other than charging for space after a certain point, since you actively advertise no size limits. What am I missing?
It's amazing that in 2011 the problem of simply transferring a file to somebody else remains such an inconvenience. Glad to see Kicksend is taking a stab at it.
Transferring a file is a long-since-solved problem. It's large files that are troublesome. The original Internet protocol designers weren't thinking about multi-GB HD video files.
What upsets me the most is that I've been annoyed by transferring large files for years, but never enough to do something about it. Good for these guys.
the funny thing is, thats its the same on s3. Create bucket, same analogy as a folder, upload and right click create link. Its just as simple, cheaper, and unlimited storage.
I used a dropbox shared folder to transfer a large file just last weekend. The sender (I was the recipient) didn't have a dropbox account. All I did was share the folder with his email address and he worked out the rest.
This sounds like a great product, but what's it do that Dropbox doesn't? Sharing files was a massive pain in the ass a few years ago, but Dropbox makes it dead simple now.
I actually had this problem, and tried to use Dropbox, but Dropbox does not fully solve this.
Last time I checked there were two options for transferring large files on Dropbox. (1) if the recipient has dropbox as well you can just share the file privately. (2) If the recipient does not have dropbox, then the only way to share the file is to put it in a public folder where it will become publicly accessible to anyone.
It is obvious that this does not solve things for all situations. In my case I had to send a copy of our software build to a potential client. I did not want to make our software build public. And it would be certainly considered rude to ask a potential client to sign up for dropbox just so they can test our software.
I think most HN readers kind of assume that everyone has dropbox by now, but this is not something you can rely on once you get out of the US tech sphere.
So yes a service like this would be pretty useful.
Dropbox seems to be more focused on teams of people working together. Dropbox is more focused on having a "shared folder". Kicksend seems to be more focused on individuals sending large files to other individuals. I could see Kicksend growing fast as the barrier-to-entry seems lower and particular use more focused, and in my experience, they are attacking a particularly more painful problem: sending large files to others.
From Drew's Dropbox YC application:
"# What's new about what you're doing? *
Most small teams..."
Also it's great how their desktop app acts more like an email-client for large files. It might not be as cool as having a shared folder in the cloud, but it seems like a superior path to adoption if the change to people's behavior builds on the way people do things today (attach files to emails).
Another quote from Drew's Dropbox YC application:
"# What are people forced to do now because what you plan to make doesn't exist yet? *
Email themselves attachments. Upload stuff to online storage sites or use online drives like Xdrive, which don't work on planes."
That was a great user experience after signing up. I was hooked on earning the extra 550MB. I rarely share when apps ask me to, but I couldn't help myself. I especially liked the 5 minute time limit.
I didn't want to lose out on 550MB...
Update: although now that I use the desktop app, I find it really creepy that I can search through all the users that have signed up for it.
Does anyone know how "private" the files are that I upload?
I am not sure what is new about this. There are multiple alternatives (similar) and ways of using other services like Dropbox to do this. Its a "marketing" and "user experience" game and will need a lot of luck too, in order to make it big. Having said that, I really like the UX of Kicksend and hope that they do well.
Congrats on the funding! Still.. I can't help but notice there are a lot of players in this space.
Wetransfer, Yousendit, Let's Crate, Sendoid, Ge.tt, etc.
My day job consists of working for a file sharing company. I can't help but wonder what other people find unique or more likely to grow in one new company versus another.
I use letscrate [dot com] for this. I like the fact that log in is not required and files can can be dragged/dropped. Their UI is a great hook and lure for potentially paying customers.
There is only one way to win in this space: unlimited file size. Unlimited. Desktop app, fancy drag and drop, etc... are just "putting lipstick on a pig".
File sending services are usually first adopted by tech savvy users. The service then becomes more popular as the tech savvy types recommend it to their less tech savvy friends. And Linux is actually quite popular among tech savvy users.
So here is some free advice for Kicksend -- create a Linux app asap.