Cloud Computing with Windows Live Mesh
Windows Live Mesh Beta is one of Microsoft's "cloud" computing services. When you sign up for Live Mesh a small client application is installed in the notification area of your computer's taskbar. You designate folders on your computer that you want to upload to the mesh and then whenever you modify files in those folders, the files in the cloud are refreshed.
Live Mesh gives you 5 gigabytes of free online storage. You can connect multiple computers to your Mesh and share your folders with all your connected computers. Whenever you connect a computer to the Mesh the files in your shared folders are updated to and from the computer.
Live Mesh also allows you to connect remotely to any computer that has an active connection to your mesh. What this means is that you can remotely control and explore any of your connected computers through Internet Explorer.
The Mobile Mesh
There are a couple of ways you can access the files in your Mesh from a mobile device:
- Live Mesh mobile website allows you to access your files from any device with a mobile browser.
- Live Mesh Mobile client: If you've got a Windows Mobile 6 or 6.1 device, you can install this software to it, add the device to your Mesh and then sync files and pictures to the Mesh from your mobile device.
To set up your Mesh, all you need is a Live ID. You'll sign into the Mesh with your Live ID and select a password. Then you'll add a computer to the Mesh and, at the time you will be prompted to download and install the Live Mesh client to the computer. All you need to do next is right click on the folders on your computer that you want to sync to the Mesh and you'll find a new option there, "Add folder to Live Mesh."
How I'm Using the Mesh
I'm Using the Mesh to keep my computers in sync . . .
I sync the folders that store the data for several third party applications between my desktop computer and my UMPC (as well as to maintain a backup of these files in the Mesh):
- Big Oven software stores all my recipes
- Media Man: I maintain an inventory of all my books
- Windows Live Writer: I compose blog posts with Live Writer, and I sync the Live Writer folder where draft articles are store to the Mesh. Then when I am out of the office, I can continue working on blog posts from my portable computer.
The Mesh simplifies setting up and/or restoring my Windows Mobile devices
I've saved the Favorites that I use regularly on my mobile devices as well as the CAB files for my favorite windows mobile applications to a "WinMo" folder that is synced to the Mesh.
Limitations of the Mesh
Documents that are stored in your Mesh are in the cloud, and you can't edit them directly from the cloud You have to download files to a connected device, edit them and then upload them back to the mesh....
The Live Mesh Mobile client is not compatible with SPB Shell, see this forum thread. I am hopeful that the next version of the Mobile client will address and resolve this issue.
I still carry a Windows Mobile 2003 Pocket PC and access my files in the mesh regularly through the Live Mesh Mobile website. When I download files to my Pocket PC, the name of the file is changed to some strange name and extension. I have to rename the file and give it a correct extension before I can open it on the Pocket PC.
Useful Links
Live Services blog: Introducing Live Mesh
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