How to sync pcs at home and at work

Posted on 23. Dec, 2008 by admin in Workplace productivity tips

Synchronising data seems to be a constant problem. So much of the focus on workplace productivity is about making sure you’ve got the right files with you at the right time.

As home lives and business lives begin to merge whether we like it or not, at least technology has become more accessible and virtually free, there really is no excuse now for getting organised!

For us, the hard bit is not the technology – it’s about working out which data you need where and also which of that data is important and timely and so will be in use a lot. Get that right on a piece of paper first and you won’t go too far wrong.

This post is about Windows Live Mesh, which has recently become available as a beta tech preview (whatever that means.) It was launched earlier in 2008 to a great fanfare essentially in competition to Google Apps.

It’s still very much a work in progress, however with 5GB of free space available to everyone, it shouldn’t be ignored and over time will almost certainly integrate into Windows Vista seamlessly, which will be where they will be able to steal a march over Google. I guess they have to start somewhere

If you go to the Windows Live Mesh site, login with a Passport linked email address on a Windows Vista PC and go andtake a look around. It’s serious intuitive.

The interface allows you to upload files to folders (no drag and drop as yet – it’s coming) and stores those documents in the ‘Cloud.’ If you then login from another Windows Vista pc, this time perhaps at home and connect that PC, you will then be able to see and connect to those files. Which is pretty convenient to say the least.

If you go to greater lengths and install the Live Mesh software on each PC you use, the service is improved once again – and verges on a seamless connection between PC and Cloud.

Mesh folders appear as normal Windows directory folders and so synchronisation is a breeze.

There is an automated posting system which tells users of your particular mesh what files / folders have been created which is a nice touch.

Go try it – it works.