Cloud storing services are surely services of the future and they are enjoying an increased popularity.
The possibility of storing tens of GB of data on online servers, accessing it, organizing and sharing for personal or work use, is an advantage few dreamed about in the age of the modern internet.
At the beginning, the “cloud” word ( or cloud computing ) was only used by IT. While the Internet became faster and more accessible to people, cloud services started to spread and they became very popular within the ranks of mobile and desktop users.
Right now there are many cloud services providers, and Microsoft, with the SkyDrive service is one of the biggest players on the market. SkyDrive offers a few important advantages to those who are trying a service like this for the first time. But before we tell you why SkyDrive is a great service, here’s what you need to do in order to use it.
How to Access And Use SkyDrive
SkyDrive is part of the “Live” suite of services from Microsoft, along with Hotmail. There is also the Live Software part which includes the popular Live Messenger, Movie Maker, Writer and Photo Gallery services.
In this case, to use the SkyDrive services you have to own a Live account. Hotmail users can access SkyDrive using the same ID they use to access the email service. The platform offers direct access to other services too.
Now let’s take a look at what SkyDrive has to offer and why it’s worth using this cloud storing service from Microsoft.
1. Familiar Interface – very similar to Windows Explorer
Without a doubt, the familiarity of the interface is very important for newbie users. And the fact that Microsoft managed to make SkyDrive similar to Windows 7 Explorer makes it easier to use.
Basically, SkyDrive looks like simplified Windows Explorer.
To make it easier for us to locate content, SkyDrive offers five suggestive tabs: files, documents, photos, recent documents and shared documents. Shared documents are those files we share with at least one person.
2. Good File Manager
If the interface is familiar, you will also be familiar with the file management system. There are some small differences but the basic idea is the same. Left click to open or download documents, right click for the contextual menu.
3. 25 GB of Storage Space
Although for some this might not be enough, 25 GB of cloud storage space represents more than enough for documents, photos and movies.
Even if you have high dimensions photos, you can store them on SkyDrive without problems.
4. Support for Mobile Platforms and real time sync
As the mobile internet is a part of the lives of many people, you might want to access and share your content from any location. SkyDrive is integrated natively on Windows Phone smartphones, while iOS requires App Store installation. Other platforms can access SkyDrive only through the web browser at the moment.
The content you upload on SkyDrive can be accessed immediately from any other device that can use this service.
5. SkyDrive is Free
You can use the SkyDrive service for free. Once you created an account, you have 25 GB which you can use as you see fit.
What is missing ?
Cloud computing needs to grow to become as popular as the email is, for example.
Right now there are two important limitations:
- you can only upload files that do not exceed 100 MB in size
- audio and video files cannot be opened directly. They have to be downloaded locally so you can open them.