Looking for a fast way to share files with people nearby? With AirDrop, you can send files to anyone around you wirelessly — no Wi-Fi network required.

Ok, this is cool, but how often is this the case? If you’re working in an office with a bunch of people, or at home trying to share stuff with your family, you’re probably on the same network. If you’re at a friends house, once again, you’re probably on the same network. 

And no complicated setup or special settings. Just click the AirDrop icon in the Finder sidebar, and your Mac automatically discovers other AirDrop users within about 30 feet of you.

This is the problem.

You have to ask the person you’re trying to share stuff with to open AirDrop.

In the past, I had always used the Bonjour List in iChat to share files with people in my office (it’s all the people that have iChat open that are on the same network as you).

With iChat, I can just drag a file onto someone’s name, at which point they’ll be prompted to accept or decline the file. There’s no need for any previous communication about it.

With AirDrop, you’d have to either:

• ping them on iChat (or another messaging client) and ask them to go on AirDrop
• yell out loud “Go on AirDrop!!!”
• fly a paper plane or carrier pigeon their way with the same message

AirDrop adds an unnecessary step to the file-sharing process that could be eliminated if people within 30 feet of you just showed up without needing AirDrop open.

I’m not sure if both people needing AirDrop open at the same time is a security thing, but if it’s not I hope they change this in an OS update.