Someone on Quora asked why Dropbox - a folder-syncing application - is so popular. The answer is perfect: because it does what people wanted done. All the window-dressing is irrelevant.
Well, let's take a step back and think about the sync problem and what the ideal solution for it would do:
- There would be a folder.
- You'd put your stuff in it.
- It would sync.
They built that.
Why didn't anyone else build that? I have no idea.
"But," you may ask, "so much more you could do! What about task management, calendaring, customized dashboards, virtual white boarding. More than just folders and files!"
No, shut up. People don't use that crap. They just want a folder. A folder that syncs.
It's like YAGNI applied to applications. As a dropbox user myself, I have to say it kinda rocks.