FluffyApp | CloudApp Goodness for Windows
Lately it seems like all the cool new apps are Mac only. After years of Windows having more programs than Macs, the tables are now turned. Thankfully, though, there are still some developers bringing some of the neatest new apps from OS X to Windows. We recently looked at windroplr, which brings Droplr’s goodness to Windows 7. Today we’re going to look at FluffyApp, a similar app that incorporates the popular CloudApp service into your Windows 7 taskbar beautifully.
What is CloudApp?
CloudApp is an increasingly popular tool for quick file sharing on Macs. You’ve likely seen http://cl.ly/something links on Twitter recently; CloudApp’s where they came from. It’s drop-dead simple to use: just drag and drop a file onto the cloud icon, and seconds later you’ll have a short URL to share your file with the world. The only problem is, CloudApp’s official app is only for Mac OS X.
![sshot-2011-01-20-[13]](http://techinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/sshot-2011-01-20-13.png "sshot-2011-01-20-[13]")
And then there’s FluffyApp…
FluffyApp is a great app for Windows that brings all of CloudApp’s features and makes it just as easy to upload files from your PC. Head over to FluffyApp’s site to download the app, the install it as normal.
![sshot-2011-01-20-[7]](http://techinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/sshot-2011-01-20-7.png "sshot-2011-01-20-[7]")
Once it’s installed, you’ll be prompted to sign in to your CloudApp account. If you’ve already used CloudApp on a Mac, then just sign in with the account you already have. Otherwise, click the link in the app to signup for a new account for free.
![sshot-2011-02-01-[1]](http://techinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/sshot-2011-02-01-1.png "sshot-2011-02-01-[1]")
Once you’ve activated your account, you’ll be ready to start uploading pictures or other small files to share online. CloudApp lets you upload up to 10 files per day that are each up to 25 Mb with a free account; if that ends up not being enough for your needs, you can upgrade your account for unlimited uploads from your online CloudApp account.
To upload a file, just drag and drop it to the cloud icon you’ll see in your system taskbar. If it’s not there, just click the arrow button to open the hidden icons and drag it to your taskbar. You’ll then see the upload progress as the cloud icon fills up with white.
![sshot-2011-02-01-[3]](http://techinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/sshot-2011-02-01-3.png "sshot-2011-02-01-[3]")
![sshot-2011-02-01-[2]](http://techinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/sshot-2011-02-01-2.png "sshot-2011-02-01-[2]")
Once the file is uploaded, you’ll see a notification in your taskbar and a short link to the file will automatically be added to your clipboard. Just paste it into your social network status updates to share files without taking up too many characters! Here’s an example CloudApp upload … the one uploaded in these screenshots: http://cl.ly/4Jke.
![sshot-2011-02-01-[5]](http://techinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/sshot-2011-02-01-5.png "sshot-2011-02-01-[5]")
CloudApp’s not only good for files. You can also use it to bookmark sites you don’t want to forget. When you visit a site that you want to bookmark, just select the address and drag it to your FluffyApp icon. Seconds later, it’ll be bookmarked so you’ll never lose it.
![sshot-2011-02-01-[7]](http://techinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/sshot-2011-02-01-7.png "sshot-2011-02-01-[7]")
You can always find your uploads, bookmarks, and more from your online CloudApp account, and can even upload files or shorten URLs directly from the webapp. No matter where you are, you’ll have an easy way to share the files and links you want.
![sshot-2011-02-01-[4]](http://techinch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/sshot-2011-02-01-4.png "sshot-2011-02-01-[4]")
CloudApp versus Droplr
Now that there’s two great ways to share files easily on Windows and Macs from your system tray, which one’s better? On Windows, I personally find CloudApp (or rather FluffyApp since that’s the Windows version) to be easier to use. That’s only because of one thing: I like having the icon only in the system tray. With windroplr, you have to have a drop target open to upload files, which makes your desktop a bit more cluttered. Additionally, CloudApp seems to have a more stable business plan with free and pro accounts, and it’s always nice to know that your favorite service is more likely to stay around.
That said, I overall like Droplr’s service better, and find their webapp to be more aesthetically pleasing. It also doesn’t have a daily upload limit, so you can share more pictures per day for free. Plus, Droplr’s iPhone app is great, so if you’re sharing files from an iOS device, that’s definitely an advantage. In the end, it comes down to your preference. They’re both free, so give them each a try and let us know what you think about them both in the comments!
Download FluffyApp – CloudApp for Windows
Learn more about windroplr – Droplr for Windows
Thoughts? @reply me on Twitter.