Paper is Dropbox's attempt to dethrone Google Docs

Dropbox Paper

Dropbox is getting into the online document editing game with a new product called Paper.

Going after the Google Drive and Office 356 crowd, paper is a web-only document editing app that lets you collaborate with multiple users. The new program is an expansion of the Notes sharing app the cloud-storage company began quietly testing earlier this year.

In an interview with Engadget, product manager Matteus Pan explained that Paper does a better job of bringing different types of content and files together.

For example, if you were to start typing program code into a document, Paper would automatically arrange it into the proper formatting. Beyond text, users can insert images, code, tables and even to-do lists complete with "@" mentions to identify who is in charge of completing a certain task.

Likewise, URLs pasted in documents transform into small previews, and same goes for Excel spreadsheets or PowerPoint presentations, as well as Google Doc files. Paper seems to be a bit more flexible then the strict delineation between files versus documents found in Google Drive, likely due to Dropbox's years of experience with storing hordes of digital content.

As with other collaborative programs, users will be able to comment you can comment anywhere in the document using text or custom stickers. Of course, users will also be able to create their own private documents and everything is rolled into an easy to search directory.

For now, Paper is still in a beta phase and Dropbox giving out access on a per-invite basis. The company's plan is to fine tune the Paper with a focus group consisting of thousands of individual users as well as business and teams before releasing a final version, which will also come with a smartphone app.

Dropbox Paper

Image credit: Engadget
Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee was a former computing reporter at TechRadar. Kevin is now the SEO Updates Editor at IGN based in New York. He handles all of the best of tech buying guides while also dipping his hand in the entertainment and games evergreen content. Kevin has over eight years of experience in the tech and games publications with previous bylines at Polygon, PC World, and more. Outside of work, Kevin is major movie buff of cult and bad films. He also regularly plays flight & space sim and racing games. IRL he's a fan of archery, axe throwing, and board games.