Microsoft's SkyDrive online storage has been around for
years. It provided a generous 25GB of online disk space, but hardly anyone used
it seriously because it could only be accessed through a web browser. Microsoft
has reduced the space to 7GB for new users, but has improved the service, added
PC and Apple Mac software, and created mobile apps for the iPhone, iPad and
Windows Phone. However, there are some omissions and most serious is that
there's no software for Windows XP or Linux. There are third-party apps for XP
and Android, and Gnome 3.6 will apparently have SkyDrive support baked in, though.
SkyDrive
Install the software on a Windows 7 or Vista, or Mac with OS
X Lion and a SkyDrive folder is created on the disk drive. It then proceeds to
copy everything from SkyDrive into the folder. Once it's finished, anything you
add, delete or edit is automatically copied to your online SkyDrive and every
other computer you install SkyDrive on. A unique feature is the ability to
fetch a file from another PC running SkyDrive, provided it's switched on.
There's a great iPhone/iPad app that enables you to browse
the files on SkyDrive. A really nice feature is the way you can create a Word,
Excel or PowerPoint document on your PC, save it in the SkyDrive folder and
access it on the iPhone/iPad seconds later. Spreadsheets and documents display
perfectly, and PowerPoint slideshows run full screen, so you can create a
presentation on the PC and show it off on the iPad. Of course, Windows phones
are designed for SkyDrive too.
Another really useful feature is the way you can shoot or
select photos on your mobile phone and save them to SkyDrive. When you switch
on your PC, they'll appear on the hard disk seconds later. The iPhone app shows
photos stored on SkyDrive full screen and you simple swipe from one to the
next. Microsoft has really thought about the way we use mobile devices and
desktop computers and have made them work together in a simple and useful way
It beats rivals like Google Drive.
Clicking an Office document in the SkyDrive folder on your
PC opens it in Office, but clicks it in a browser when viewing SkyDrive online
and it opens in the web app. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote web apps can
be used for online editing in a similar way to Google Docs. Select the Pictures
folder and you don't see filenames. Instead there are photo tiles echoing the
Windows 8/Mobile Metro interface. Click a photo and it's viewed as a large
image in the browser with a thumbnail strip at the bottom. It's easy to flick
from photo to photo, run a slideshow, add captions, rearrange them, or order
prints. Files can be shared when accessing SkyDrive with a browser and they can
be emailed, posted to Facebook or you can get a link.
Microsoft has turned SkyDrive into an excellent service that
can be used for work or home use, online, on a PC or using a phone or tablet.
The app enables
auto-uploads of photos to SkyDrive online storage space, allowing users to
access them from anywhere
Details
Price: Free
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Website: skydrive.com
Required spec: Windows Vista or later / Mac OS X 10.7 or
later, 7GB HDD space
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