Live Mesh Beta
Live Mesh Beta is a online file synchronization service based on Microsoft's Live platform. The service is comparable to other file synchronization services like Dropbox. In its current stage only computers running the Windows operating system are supported but Microsoft has announced plans to add Mac and mobile support at a later stage.
The other requirements are a Windows Live ID and Microsoft Internet Explorer to access the contents on the Internet. Users who might find those restrictions to strict are better off with Dropbox who is less restrictive in this regard.
Live Mesh works by adding computer devices to the Mesh. The Mesh are all devices that synchronize data. It basically works by adding devices to the Mesh in first place, e.g. a local computer running Windows XP. That computer is then added to the Mesh that the user has access to. The process finishes with the installation of the Live Mesh software on the local computer.
Live Mesh will create a system folder on the computer system containing all folders that have been selected for synchronization by the user. That's different from Dropbox which makes use of one static folder with the requirement that all synchronized folders are created in that folder. Some users have posted workarounds by using symbolic links but that's pretty advanced and not recommended for beginners or inexperienced computer users.
Folders can be added by right-clicking them and selecting "Add folder to Live Mesh" from the context menu. It takes a few seconds before the newly selected folder appears in the global system folder. Synchronization with the Live Mesh online service usually starts immediately afterwards.
Live Mesh is currently providing 5 Gigabytes of storage space to its users, 3 Gigabytes more than what Dropbox is currently offering.
Another interesting option is the ability to invite members. Inviting members will give them access to selected folders - and their files. That's interesting if documents need to be shared with several computer users regularly.
Live Mesh does have its shortcomings. The main being the concentration on the Windows platform and the Internet Explorer requirement for browsing the data online. While Internet Explorer will surely remain a requirement the prospect of being able to add mobile devices and Macs looks interesting. It remains to be seen though if mobile devices are limited to the Windows Mobile platform.
As of now Live Mesh provides a fast way of synchronizing data online for Windows users. It works intuitive, the performance is fine and the storage space is enough for a lots of data.
Advertisement
Mac and WM support is already available
It states, at least on my screen: Limited mac tech preview now available, mobile coming soon. While the files are displayed in other browsers the Connect button (on a remote device) did throw up an error in Firefox 3 telling me the browser did not have active x. Corrected the article to make it more clear.
err…i have tested live desktop in every browser in xp, vista and 7 and it works. i have also tested it in firefox in opensuse 11.1 and ubuntu I.I and it works.. i don’t know what you are talking about.
also as stated above it works right in the mac and in wm already..
Works perfectly fine in Firefox for me too. I’m just starting today and what I don’t yet understand is how you can know what is/isn’t syncing. I expected some kind of a meter telling me how much has sycned. I dropped a 3.5 Gig folder onto it and nothing happened for about 10 minutes, then the first level of folders showed up. I don’t know what percentage of files have synced though. I presume, but don’t know, that its still chugging away a couple hours later.
Also, I want to connect through it from my laptop to my desktop that has four screens. While the latest update is said to allow the remote computer to focus in on any of a remote PC’s screens, I still haven’t found how to do that. So I see all four of my screens on my laptop at once – all teensy weensy and unusable.
…Dale