Getting Started with Windows Live Folders
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Today Microsoft took the wraps off a beta version of its online storage service Windows Live Folders. For now you can sign up and get started using a beta version of the service. But those considering trying out Windows Live Folders should keep in mind Microsoft is still in testing the service, and some features aren't working yet. In other words, you might not want to store things you really care about on the beta service.
I decided to try out the service. Here is what I found.
In a nutshell Windows Live Folders is part of Microsoft's Windows Live family of online offerings that are part of the company's overall effort to compete with Google and other "Web 2.0" online services. Windows Live Folder at this point is an island unto itself and doesn’t have any tentacles that marry the service with Hotmail, MSN Messenger, or blogging service Live Spaces. It is a very basic online storage offering and missing many of the bells and whistles you’ll find on competing offerings.
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There is a lot to love with Windows Live Folders, such as public and private folders that let you share just the files you want with anyone you choose on the Internet. There is also some things to loath, such as a 5 file at a time upload limit that makes uploading content to the service a drag. The beta version offers 500MB of free online storage and a 50MB limit in the size of the files you can upload.
The service is very straightforward offering three basic ways to store files remotely. You can store any type of file (Word, music, video, compressed .zip) you like to either a Private, Shared, or Public folder. Private folders are only accessible by you when you sign on to the service with your login name and password. Public folders can be viewed by anyone on the Internet.
Shared folders can be viewed by only people you invite. Invitees can either have restricted access to the folder or can be given Contributor status which gives them the ability to view, add, change, or delete things in the folder.
Here is where Microsoft really makes things hard for users. Invitees must already have a Microsoft username and password before they can access a Shared folder. That's fine if the person you invite already is a Hotmail or Windows Messenger user or has a MSN or Windows Live ID. They receive the invite via e-mail and log in with their user name and password. But if you try to invite someone outside the Microsoft family of recognized user names things get complicated. In fact I followed the Windows Live Folder directions offered by the service and got nowhere. I'm convinced that feature doesn't exist (or hasn't been added yet).
What Microsoft has excelled at is making online storage and sharing with at least the public drop dead simple. I found it much easier to use than say my XDrive account. However the XDrive service blows the doors off of Windows Live Folders in terms of features (like streaming audio files stored on the XDrive service).
Windows Live Folders needs a lot of work, for example offering thumbnails of photos stored in Public or photo folders. It might be nice also to offer a slideshow feature of photos for images stored in Public folders.
Windows Live Folders beta shows early signs of being great compliment to Microsoft's vast empire of online services. However as a standalone service Windows Live Folders is not so great. The potential for this service lies in Microsoft's ability to marry it with other Windows Live services and possibly open it up to work with non-Microsoft online services. I won't hold my breath for the latter.
Google is way ahead of Microsoft when it comes to offering tight integration between services for example Gmail and Google Docs and Spreadsheets. Microsoft, however, beats Google to the beta punch, debuting a solid online backup tool – albeit it's still in beta.
source pc world com
