Windows Live Mesh goes mobile; Mac version soon

Late last week Microsoft quietly released an update to its Live Mesh product to support mobile access. From your phone's Web browser you can access the service via m.mesh.com. If you're on a Windows Mobile device, or any other phone that supports file system access you can upload files over the Web to your Live Mesh storage--something that's helpful for things like photos taken from your phone's digital camera.

In addition to the file browser, the mobile version of Mesh includes the same news feed functionality that lets you track all the changes to stored files. Missing is an installable client, which is on the horizon and will provide real-time file changes and deeper system integration on supported handsets.

Mesh opened up to everyone late last week. Microsoft's vision of creating a syncing tool for anyone echos Apple's latest online subscription service, MobileMe. The key difference is in price and device support with Apple's solution costing $99 a year and offering deep integration with the iPhone. Incidentally, earlier on Monday, blog LiveSide also got their hands on a pre-beta version of the upcoming Mac client of Live Mesh which has Finder integration but no remote desktop support unlike its Windows cousin.

Microsoft's solution may not be as developed as Apple's (yet), but it will be far more open with eventual support for a multitude of devices with no cost for the end user. Microsoft is expected to unveil a development platform later this year that should let application creators tie in their services for file access and notifications.

Grab files from Mesh on any mobile device, including the iPhone. But sending them to your cloud storage requires a Windows Mobile or Symbian handset.

(Credit: CNET Networks / Josh Lowensohn)

[xxdesmusxx]

This is really exciting stuff. If Microsoft wanted to shock the geek world they'd release a native iPhone app that connects with Live Mesh seamlessly to allow uploading/downloading. I think we're going to see some exciting things based off of Live Mesh in the next year or so. It has far more potential than does MobileMe.

[chrisaroz]

Doesn't the Windows Home Server provide much of the same funcionality of "The Mesh"?

[xxdesmusxx]

Not quite.

Live Mesh would enable you to sync data across several computers, mobile phones, and in theory any other internet connected platform. WHS is more geared toward backing up, sharing data, and centralizing data in your home. Live Mesh would enable you to sync that contact across any of your devices. It *could* be used as a form of backup, but the intention is that your data would be available on any of your devices where ever you want it to be.

A practical example, I take pictures on my new fancy camera. I come home, download the pictures to my computer into my "my pictures" folder, and Live Mesh notices these new files and instantly starts to upload those same images to my laptop, my cell phone, my wife's (I'm not married) cell phone, and my parents digital photo frame (on the other side of the country). All without me even having to lift a finger once I downloaded the pictures off the camera.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a poster boy for Microsoft, but I can *huge* potential with Live Mesh. I think Microsoft has just been doing a ****-poor job of marketing the platform to so far. Granted, the target user base right now is still developers so perhaps once they feel the platform is ready you'll see a huge consumer push (think Apple's MobileMe advertisements). The problem being that by the time Microsoft is ready MobileMe will likely be in it's 2nd or 3rd generation, and consumers will think Microsoft is simply playing catch up yet again.

[kwdog]

I am not sure why I care about this. MS needs to figure out what "Live" means, then tell everyone.