Sunday, July 17, 2011

Windows SkyDrive and Sync Storage

Now Microsoft has introduced an upgraded version of Live SkyDrive, a free online file storage service, that looks like a perfect choice at the moment for several reasons.

  • You get 25 GB of free online storage space for your documents, photos, and all other files - the previous limit was 5 GB. Now you have 5GB sync storage and you can use it as a replacement to Dropbox and keep all your file in sync across your computers using Live Mesh.
  • You have the option to download an entire folder on SkyDrive as a local zip file - huge time saver.
  • You can upload files to SkyDrive through Windows Explorer itself through Gladinet - it's just like mapping a folder on the network drive.
  • SkyDrive is like a social network for files. You can see files that your friends have shared on SkyDrive through your own Live Profile page (similar to Friend updates in Facebook).
  • SkyDrive is Microsoft service and an integral part of their larger Windows Live strategy so you really don't have to worry about its future existence.
  • Microsoft will soon offer an Online Office suite (like Google Docs) and it's a no brainer that documents uploaded to SkyDrive will be accessible from Online Office and vice-versa. Thus you indirectly get more storage space for documents.
  • SkyDrive has no real competition. Google and Yahoo do not have a presence in the online file storage market while services like DropBox, Mozy, Box.net, etc. offer only limited space (couple of gigs.) to free users.

So, over all it’s the best cloud storage as of now, as good as Google Docs, Microsoft is trying his best to come back again in the battle on the clouds.

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