HP Orbit

Users who own a Hewlett-Packard PC and are looking for a better way to transfer files and other content back and forth between their phone and their personal computer will find it with HP Orbit. This proprietary app designed by HP helps create a more streamlined ecosystem for mobile devices, laptops, and desktops, but that limits its value for users who don't happen to use an HP computer. And with more open source choices on the market, convincing users to invest in HP's specific software solution might be a hard sell.

What HP Orbit promises to do is make an environment where your HP computers and mobile devices can work seamlessly with one another, and it mostly succeeds at that task. With so many similar apps already on the market, developers have to make sure that their software has a high level of user accessibility to stay competitive, and HP Orbit gets high marks in that respect. All you have to do is connect your devices to the same WiFi network and coordinate them by entering a six digit pass code. From there, you can seamlessly move files between devices without having to make any other configurations. The interface for HP Orbit is cleanly designed and intuitive. All of the connected devices appear in the UI, and all you have to do is drag the files you're looking to move directly into the icon for the device. If you're using a decent WiFi network, the process is quick enough to be nearly instantaneous. All the common media you'd hope to transfer over to a device are supported, and you can set destination folders and directories to create a better sense of order. HP Orbit also allows you to share links across your various devices with the same simple interface.

The big sticking point here is that HP Orbit is part of a closed ecosystem. It only works with HP machines and more specifically only works with HP machines that happen to have Orbit built in from the start. That creates an incredibly limited market, and there are already a number of apps around that manage to accomplish much of what Orbit already does. With the wealth of free, easily accessible, and dedicated cloud sharing services on the market, HP Orbit sticks out like a sore thumb. The fact that you can simply drag and drop files from one device to another is convenient, but the necessity of keeping all associated devices on the same WiFi network limits that convenience significantly. It's a product that exists to solve a problem that no longer exists, and its limited options mean that few people are likely to see it as a viable alternative to services that are more popular.