Microsoft unveiled the newest Live service last night and I just a look at the introductory video of Mesh. The service is a combination of functionality: file synchronization on multiple devices, file sharing and collaboration, “news” updates on who has done what with shared docs, and remote computer access. I see it as a cross between several other current Microsoft offerings, namely SharePoint, FolderShare, Remote Desktop and Windows Messenger, just to name a few.One aspect I like already is that there’s support coming for mobile devices and the Mac. I think there’s an opportunity for Microsoft to keep a hold of folks that use both PCs and Macs, although I would have expected mobile device support right out of the gate. Still, it’s early yet, so let’s see how this shakes out. Users will get 5 GB of storage capacity to begin with, which for most consumers is probably enough. Folks like me that are heavy web-workers might be disappointed with 5GB but mainstream consumers should be OK with this. I also like the Live Desktop aspect which is like a mini-environment viewed in a browser. Your Live Desktop shows all of the files and folders in your Mesh; it’s a clean, OS-like look on the web.I’m curious if Mesh will replace or complement some of the other Microsoft Live services in the end. I don’t see why we need duplicate ways to keep devices in sync, for example. Could be a “wait and see how Mesh pans out” situation before decisions are made there. One thing’s for sure: the trend for mobile access and multiple devices continues to grow.
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