“Live Mesh is a Software Plus Service application that can be used to sync files between PCs and store files in a Microsoft ‘Cloud’ server. The Mac version will be able to sync files between Macs, PCs and Windows Mobile devices (although it will not be able to sync files with the iPhone),” Hattersley reports.
MacDailyNews Take: Fail.
Hattersley continues, “The announcement was made at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) and Microsoft’s Ian Moulster, Windows Live Commercial Lead explained to Macworld how it works: ‘At mesh.com you have the Live Desktop which is a Web based storage space containing folders. On your computer, you can right-click on a file and select ‘add to my mesh.’ After a few seconds the folder will turn blue to signify that it’s been added to your Mesh.’ From here it is pushed out to all the other computers on the Mesh network. In that sense Live Mesh is like iDisk, but rather having the single iDisk folder it works throughout your Mac and PC’s file system, syncing up multiple folders and containing your information online.”
“Unlike MobileMe, Live Mesh for Mac is not designed specifically to sync data from Apple’s applications (Mail, Address Book) between computers. Instead, it is designed to share the files in The Finder, so it is possible to Sync up the files that support applications (such as Address Book’s),” Hattersley reports. “One aspect about Live Mesh that is sure to appeal to Mac users is the price, which is free. This stands in stark contrast to Apple’s £55 per year contract for MobileMe. We enquired what the business plan was, but Microsoft remained reticent on details: ‘We’re not able to say much about the business plan, partly because we haven’t figured it out yet.'”
More info in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Over 13 million iPhone users plus untold millions more iPod touch users (and both groups are rapidly increasing) ignored by Microsoft as if they don’t even exist.
Shouldn’t that spelling be “mess” and not mesh !
OMG, can’t these guys do anything original? They must have all sat in school copying from the kids next to them. And let’s see, they haven’t figured out the business plan yet, meaning it is either vaporware or that it will include advertising every time you access your folders.
all that syncing is crazy..I predict a meshy meshy mess
“One aspect about Live Mesh that is sure to appeal to Mac users is the price, which is free”.
Well, I guess you get what you pay for.
I’m not worried. I think Microsoft is right on target and should move full steam ahead.
It will no doubt fail as most M$ things do and add a few more nails into the coffin lid along the way…
Yea Ballmer!!!
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so, you can MANUALLY sync the address data files, or the mail files. Sounds so CONVENIENT!
Kudos to Microsoft! Folks — this is excellent news. We should be glad that Apple’s MobileMe has some real competition out there. Hopefully, because of Live Mesh, MobileMe will become less of a MobileMess than it currently is.
This is weird. Are they hoping to create MicroSwitchers?
MDN: Over 13 million iPhone users plus untold millions more iPod touch users (and both groups are rapidly increasing) ignored by Microsoft as if they don’t even exist.
More likely Apple rejected the app from their store. Let’s be clear: Microsoft’s protocols don’t work with Apple products largely because APPLE prohibits it, not because MS doesn’t want to. See iPod+anyDRMexceptFairPlay, ActiveSync (until very recently), etc.
MS isn’t ignoring anyone — Apple’s keeping its users locked up tight.
scoodog –
Agreed. Apple’s products are *good* but they have a lot of flaws and no incentive to improve them (read: competition). Here’s hoping this provides some.
Competition is nearly always a good thing.
IMO, MobileMe is overpriced for what you get as evidenced by the quasi secondary market where you can buy activation codes for 50% of the retail price.
Priced at $50 for individual and $99 for Families along with adding the ability to host blog software like WordPress and Apple would have a very strong offering.
That said, I’d personally offer it for free to anyone buying their first Mac because MobileMe doesn’t provide a whole lot of value unless you have at least two Apple products…seems a good way to nudge folks to that second Mac or an iPhone.
Yeah right…Mac users will just flock to this mess and trust Microsoft with their data …
you gotta be kidding!
As a .Mac member from day one I can say that I am happy this is going to happen. MobileMe syncs things like bookmarks and contacts, whereas this thing doesn’t, but the syncing of bookmarks and contacts is pretty much where the MobileMe service stops dead in it’s tracks.
The iDisk functionality in particular is archaic, poorly integrated and slow as molasses. The email hardly works at all and screws up regularly.
Perhaps after more than three years, the competition will make Apple step up and get something done about the mess.
How can you say this is fail?? Cross platform file sharing for FREE. Yes there are other services but why what *could* be *another* file syncing service already fail? MDN today *you’re* full of fail.
Heaven help me, they have to start somewhere! Yes it prob won’t expand to iPhones, ever. So I get to sync all my files anywhere but not on my iPhone. Gee wiz I’m so troubled.
About the “I guess what you get what you pay for” comment from bjh. Well Firefox is free, and so is Gimp. Flash plugin is free and you prob watch Youtube videos. Wait, Youtube is free too. SQL Server Express is free and it pummels MySQL like a red headed step child. Free is wonderful and can be full of win and doesn’t necessarily make something bad, even if it’s from Microsoft.
To the Amazin1 comment, original? You kidding? cross platform file syncing is something everyone has talked about but very few companies are actually *doing* it. MobileMe isn’t original and Apple (@#$#@ up the first release. Now it’s better, freaking awesome I would say. It’s a totally unoriginal idea but they did it better than everyone else. Apple you copy cats how I love you so.
Quit the bias, MS software can suck but it can also kick ass. That doesn’t mean it will but dumping on it before it’s released is just plain stupid.
Forgot to add:
MDN is being stupid by talking it up about how MS is “leaving out all the iPhones.”
APPLE “leaves out the iPhones” when it comes to document sync even locally, let alone with the cloud.
How can you call MS out for something that Apple is worse at?
@ Ouate de Phoque:
I think it is suppose to be “mess” just spoken in a Sean Connery voice.
Jeremy — good point. MobileMe has no file sync whatsoever.
MAYBE a consideration if it could sync with the Touch or iPhone. As it stands now as announced… this is a still born service.
The Dude abides.
I’ve been using Apple’s product since it was called iTool and have continued using the product up through MobileMe. The product was great when it was free and has been just OK since it went I $99 a year. Nobody will stop using MobileMe for Live Mesh, but I think a lot of MobileMe users will try it… hell, it’s free. But hopefully this will light a fire under Steve Job’s ass to finally improve the service and make it worth $99. Or at the very least cause them to re-think the price.
Windows XP syncing doesn’t work amongst our XP users linking through to our corporate headquarters Exchange server now, so why should I think it will work with M’Mess? (slow, constant transfer drops, Exchange errors, can’t delete/rename folders, etc.)
Plus next year MS might put more features in the Vista version and not the Mac/XP, or require Vista for continuation of the service. Apple does this too – requiring the latest OS, but at least Apple gives Mac/Win apps feature parity.
In these hard economic times I hope we will put the few $s we have into open source solutions and greater choice in provider.
isn’t mesh full of holes? “Mesh, from microsoft. It’s holy!”
“Microsoft’s protocols don’t work with Apple products largely because APPLE prohibits it”
The iPhone/iTouch works REALLY well with Exchange for me! Can’t wait for Exchange support in Snow Leopard! Don’t see any Apple discrimination here…
Good luck to them. I hope they can provide an attractive service.
Don’t even try and defend MobileMe.
You can’t defend a company with $25 million in the bank offering up such a disappointment as that! So don’t even try!
Free is good
So many people talk about how the price of MobileMe is too expensive for an email address and contacts/bookmark syncing. Unless something big changes, I will always use/pay for it based on 20GB of online storage, website hosting (ad-free), push, shared online folders, and ad-free online email.
Maybe Apple could offer a free version for just the file sync without the other options.