Rating: 9 /10
Microsofts “Windows Live” programs have come a long way since i’ve last used them. (2008). I have spent some time beta testing them. Its a blend of cloud computing mixed in with the traditional desktop computing. I’ve compiled a list of features that make these applications worth using.
1. Social Network Integration
2. Email alerts on the spot
3. Facebook picture uploads (Via Windows Live Photo Gallery)
4. Ability to comment on friends status updates, pictures and more (Via Windows Live Messenger)
5. Direct video uploads to Youtube ( Via Windows Live Movie Maker)
6. 25gb of free storage space (Via Skydrive)
7. Keeps your files and folders in sync on each PC (Via Live Mesh)
Windows Live services offer complete simplicity. Its a breeze learning the programs. Integration with Mirosoft Office is excellent. As a matter of fact, Microsoft Office integration is Probably the best thing Microsoft has going for them. Creating documents, spreadsheets, and slideshows online with Office web apps workout excellent and if you need more editing options, you can just click Open in Word, Excel, or Powerpoint and it will launch the full featured application on your computer. Once you click save, the document is stored in the cloud and available to access from any computer. It even keeps the formatting!!
I’ve been a Google User since 2007 and I havent been to impressed, but satisfied. I only used Gmail and calendar. Google Docs wasnt worth it due to no full integration with Microsoft Office. Google Docs is also taking forever to evolve. I really dont like having to offload pictures to my desktop, launch a web browser and then upload them to facebook or Picasa. Perhaps, if Google offered a way to do this, all through their online services suite, I would have been more happy but that also would have been a security and privacy risk. However, I do have a Sony Xperia X10 which runs Android and the syncing with my Gmail Calendar and Gmail is automatic and a breeze so I cant make an entire switch to Microsofts services just yet. That may change if I decide to get a Windows Phone 7 smartphone.
Microsofts online suite of Cloud computing services is 10x better than Googles. Microsoft just needs to do a better job of marketing…
