Document sharing site DocStoc has launched DocShots, a free service that allows publishers to convert any document on a website into a hoverable link that provides an instant online document preview. DocShots’ technology cuts long downloading times while also giving readers an easy way to preview documents in a pop-up window.
DocShots allows website and blog owners to easily add a custom DocShots code (by literally just copying and pasting) into the html code of the site, rendering any posted documents (Word, Powerpoint, PDF, and Excel) as DocShots links. The publisher can even specify the exact size of the pop-up window. When users scroll over the links, they can instantly preview files in the pop-up viewer. DocShots is similar in theory to Snap’s Snap Shots application (whose technology we feature on TechCrunch), where a user can hover over a link to a site and see a small visual preview of what is on the site.
Issuu revealed a similar application late last year. Issue’s feature, SmartLook, appears to be equally as simple (and free) for publishers and readers to use, but provides a slightly different interface. And DocStoc claims its implementation is faster. DocShots includes tabs where the reader can click on related documents and see additional documents posted by the publisher. DocShots is easy for publishers to integrate into their code, and cuts out annoying download times for readers. And it’s free. What’s not to love?
style is so dynamic!
Now here’s something I could really use. I polluting my computer with more downloaded files.
I would love to see what this could do for my website. which will features pages of short stories. I wonder if the pop-ups can keep the documents from being shared. I.e. via copy and paste.
This is great idea… does the document have to get stored with DocStoc or could we continue hosting the file solely on our own servers?
Perfect timing I was just looking for something to display some files on a client’s site, this looks to fit the bill perfectly
Just tried it and it works great.
DocStoc requires that you register with them to download any file on their system.
Crappy hoarders like that make sense of the existence of BugMeNot and their siblings.
Interesting feature.. If I understood correctly, documents will be stored at DocStoc, and we can expose these documents as links in our website, where visitors can preview documents without downloading the files to their machines. Is it correct?
Even if they’re not downloading the document to their machines, there will still be the delay associating with accessing and displaying the document directly from DocStoc, correct?
I have to test the service and calculate how long it takes for the whole process to take place. It’s a useful feature though.
Thanks for the post.
Cool.
This is a fantastic idea. I hate clicking on links that take forever to load and then once it has been downloaded, I have no use for it. This is a nice way for people to preview the information before having to click on the link.
Doesn’t Scribd already do this, but with a more established platform?
Works fairly well. I’m really liking the preview idea here. This is what will seperate DocStoc from every other service out there.
http://tr.im/gk8j
this is such a great idea….nice work docstoc team…your site such a fabulous resource
cooliris @FF already does this regardless?
Yeah it does!
Love Docstoc It has made my website so much easier and also sending info to clients I can send them there instead of sending them pages to download.
Amazing
Thanks you Docstoc
Thats pretty nice… javascript I’m guessing?
Would maybe be nice for mp3/videos also?
Faster is nice but…better is better. Smartlook seems prettier and cleaner. Great start on this feature Docstoc…Keep it up!
Way to Go Nazar and the whole DS team:)
What’s not to love is the fact it can be really annoying to be browsing a page and having this box poping up all the time. Like Snap, that shows a preview of the target page of each link? It usually makes me want to shoot myself…
Wow nice idea
Very cool stuff. PDF downloads (and even Word downloads) stink because they take so long to process sometimes. And on my older desktop, it’s an even more royal pain.
This sounds like a very useful feature. Good work, Docstoc!
I like it. It’s cool. It could be very useful to get a first view on the document. I guess I would download the file when I want to read it full.
Hi all,
Jason is a great guy and this is a cool implementation.
@jay: Apture might be the platform you’re thinking of that’s used on large sites like the Washington Post. Apture enhances existing pdf links on your site, but it also enhances existing Wikipedia article links, Video links from sites like YouTube, Google Video, etc, Flickr links, and let’s you add a lot of other content as well. If you’re interested, here’s an example of our PDF links on a Washington Post story:
http://www.wash...9020701189.html
Disclaimer: I’m an Apture Co-Founder.
Tristan
Looks nice ,preview and downlaod of documents made really ease with this very helpful for bloggers.
this is a great site
I like Issuu more than DocShots, though both of them are great, free and easy to install.
thank you all, Issue, and DocShots.