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This article was published on November 26, 2010

Try This: ge.tt. Simply a better option for cloud-based file sharing.


Try This: ge.tt. Simply a better option for cloud-based file sharing.

ge.tt is, to put it plainly, an incredibly simple way to share files. While we have had services such as Rapidshare and the like for years, the interface alone is ugly to the point of revolting and its usefulness is limited because of how the money is made.

With ge.tt, all you have to do is head to the site, select what files you want to upload, then you’re given a link by which you can share those files. Interestingly, ge.tt adds a few more features as well and everything appears to be free, at least for now.

First off, you don’t need an account to use ge.tt. If you choose to create one, though, you’ll get some nifty features such as live statistics, the ability to add and remove files from a share and your files will stay alive until they’ve been inactive for 3 months.

So once you’ve uploaded, you’ll be taken to a page that looks like this:

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As you can see, I’ve shared multiple files (boring random images from PhotoBooth, if you care) and each of them can be viewed, downloaded or removed individually. This could be an extremely handy option for collaboration, to say the least. We also love the fact that, with a simple click of a button, you can share your url through Facebook, Twitter or email.

Another slick option about ge.tt is in how it shares files. As the co-founder puts it:

As a test to what we do, try sharing 30 random audio and video files. Then immediately open the Ge.tt link in another browser (or another computer). You can choose any file you want and start streaming or downloading the file. It does not need to be uploaded first. Also, does not need flash or java.

While our first blush of this “streaming” was that it would be over a peer-to-peer network, it actually works a bit differently. As a user selects a file, the site acts as a buffer and will begin streaming the content from the site itself, even as you’re uploading. There is no peer to peer process involved. While this clearly puts a small delay onto how quickly a file can be “streamed”, it does open the door for more people to access a file without killing your local bandwidth by trying to stream it to multiple clients.

What’s especially interesting is ge.tt’s priority system for uploading files. Say that you’re uploading 5 files. These are uploaded one by one, of course, but the priority of the upload can be changed. So if a colleague selects a file that’s not presently uploading, the upload priority will be change to allow it to start its upload and stream to the client who requested it.

For a service that, right now, is completely free, ge.tt is going to be hard to beat. Moving forward, we’d love to see a desktop application for it, and this is one way that ge.tt could make its money. Premium subscription options, of course, could open more doors.

While it might not overtake CloudApp for Mac users, it’s another service that’s going into our Bookmarks folder.

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