Dropbox rolled out an update Tuesday that makes it easier for users to collaborate on shared files with a new commenting feature that allows people to have conversations within individual documents.
Users can now start new conversations on any shared file from within Dropbox. When others make comments within a document you own, you'll receive notifications via email (these notifications can also be turned off with the unsubscribe feature). Comments are enabled on shared files by default -- so anyone with access to a file can make a comment -- but Dropbox notes the feature can be disabled from a file's option menu.
[seealso URL= "http://sale-online.click/2015/04/03/dropbox-project-composer-app/"]
The feature also uses @-mentions to let you flag specific people in comments, even if they aren't Dropbox users. When you type @ with an email address, that person will get an email notification, along with a link to the file.
The new feature is the latest in a series of productivity-focused updates, most notably its partnership with Microsoft, which makes it easier for Office users to go back and forth between Dropbox and their files. The service now supports Office Online, for example, which allows users to edit Microsoft Office files from within Dropbox.com in their browsers.
The commenting features are available now in files on Dropbox's website and the company says it will be adding the feature to its apps "soon."