Apple Silicon (M1) Desktop Sync Compatibility

Almost a year after the introduction of Apple Silicon Macs, Dropbox remains one of the very few major software suppliers on my MacMini M1 that doesn't have an Apple Silicon Native or Universal install. It is still Intel based, using Rosetta to function. It does work, but as a result is now my biggest CPU hog. Adobe CS, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome... But also many many smaller software vendors have a native install. So what are you waiting for, Dropbox? Thanks!

I'd like to extend this request to discontinue using deprecated kernel extensions and instead base the new version on Apple’s new File Provider framework for MacOS:

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/fileprovider 

Microsoft recently announced a similar move for OneDrive:

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-onedrive-blog/microsoft-works-to-ensure-a-great-onedrive-experience-on-apple/ba-p/2400803

Update:

Hi everyone,

We’re testing native Apple Silicon support with a limited number of users and plan to open the Beta to all users by the end of the month.

Needs more votes to at least be considered?

That is strange... is Dropbox going to wait until it just does not work anymore on MacOS (like they did last year). I cannot possibly believe the development-team is living in a cave and denying the architecture change from Apple 😆. Do they even know that Rosetta 2, which is used as a temporary compatibility layer is just that: "a temporary compatibility layer" provided by Apple to give developers some time to port over to the new architecture, user should not need to vote to get this in the developers agenda!

Agreed, while Dropbox does operate under Rosetta without bugs, the power and ram resources required are silly. With dropbox running I cannot get anywhere near the expected battery life with casual use. Quit Dropbox and we get back to some semblance of normalcy.

Come on now, I pay for this service, it's not freeware done by one dude at home, this should have been ready for M1 long ago.

> This idea is going to need a bit more support before we share your suggestion with our team.

This attitude concerns me. I understand the need to prioritize work based on customer demand, and that Apple has cushioned the transition to the M1 chip, but the underlying reality is that Apple's entire MacBook lineup is now running on the M1 chip, meaning that any Mac app not running on that architecture is running on borrowed time. Engineers and power users will bring it up first (e.g. this "suggestion" and similar forum posts) and start making recommendations to their bosses and clients. Apple will make more OS changes to support their new File Provider API. But by the time an Enterprise client brings it up, it will be because the 5000 Macs they are upgrading won't run Dropbox any more, leaving them scrambling to find a solution and Dropbox scrambling to fix something with so much technical debt that they won't be able to fast enough. But, more likely, the aforementioned engineers and power users will take preemptive measures to avoid that embarrassing situation and keep a cautious eye out for a change in Dropbox or for other file storage/sync solutions that support current hardware.

Grant6 

They're disconnected from reality. This comment really nailed it for me:

> This idea is going to need a bit more support before we share your suggestion with our team.

Dropbox has jumped the shark a long time ago. Because of their blatant disregard for Apple Silicon users, I've stopped paying: I'm keeping my terabytes of data as a free read-only storage, and I've already started migrating to a different solution.
Interestingly, many of my personal and business contacts have jumped ship already, so I'm not even hampered in my efforts, as literally nobody is asking me to share via Dropbox anymore.

I'm sure there are excellent engineers stuck in a job where they have to satisfy the requirements of a totally derailed management which is more interested in the appropriate colors for their corporate image, than listening to what users are asking.

This is how ships sink.

"As for your H1 22 roadmap, as a person said on Twitter, put out an article on the challenges of going to silicon to gain empathy from your customers."

LOLNO. 

Given that vendors with equivalent or even more intense demands have *already* released M1-native builds of their tools, the time for empathy is long past. Dropbox will look increasingly foolish and out of touch every day between now and when they ultimately release a proper M1 client. 

I will say this... I will be purchasing a new Macbook in 1st-quarter 2022.  As a loyal Dropbox user for 10 years, this is the first time I'm considering jettisoning Dropbox if they don't provide native support for Apple Silicon.

Get your app updated and away from kernel extensions.  Considering the size of your company, I find it disturbing that so little resources are allocated to keeping your software current.  This is the kind of thinking usually applied to failing companies.

This seems finally out on the latest beta build:

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-desktop-client-builds/Beta-Build-140-3-1852/td-p/568174