There doesn't appear to be any simple way to have it monitor the folder(s) of my choice and update them in the background.

Like others have noted, it is slow - very, very slow.

I'm excited about the unlimited storage for $60/year, but being forced to use this app to take advantage of it is painful. Otherwise, just use the Amazon Cloud Drive web site-there's nothing you can do with the app that you can't do with the site, and lots you can do with the site that you can't with the app. If you have the earlier app, I recommend you continue using it until an OS update permanently breaks it (assuming you are satisfied with the service and will continue using it). Even if you are someone who finds Amazon's new Cloud Drive pricing scheme suitable and appropriate (and I am not such a person), there is no value to be had in installing and using this app. Note that this is not a review of the Cloud Drive service itself that has its own set of issues. The current app is little more than an interface to the Cloud Drive web site-with fewer features and capabilities than the web page itself. That app has not been distributed or supported by Amazon for over a year.

The old app was a menu bar app that allowed automatic synchronization of a folder to your Cloud Drive, as Dropbox does. The distinction is subtle, but significant. This is not the same app as the old 'Amazon Cloud Drive.app'.

Amazon app for mac desktop