I had been looking into syncing options for the Mac, and Windows Live Sync seems to present a pretty picture. Of course, it’s a Microsoft product, but hey, we judge the product and not the company.
Live Sync is a very interesting service, as it allows you to access any of your files, anywhere in the world. You don’t need to remember IP addresses or complicated routines. All you need is your Windows Live ID and password, and the information is available wherever you go. Note that for this review I only used this service on the Mac. I don’t know how well it performs on a Windows machine.
The Client
You start with Live Sync by installing the client app. Using the wizard based install, the LiveSync client finally goes into your menubar. On launch, it asks for your Live ID, and after logging in it is ready for syncing.
Everything is managed from the cloud, as the client is basically a gateway for the Live service to access your computer. The Live Sync page shows three areas of access. Personal folders, Shared folders, and Remote access.
Personal Folders
To add a sync folder, you need to follow the link on the main page. It will show you a list of all your folders on your Mac (including your main Macintosh HD), from where you select which folder you want to sync. Once added, the Live Sync client will begin uploading that data to the web (as can be seen in the activity pane). Any changes you make on your computer will be carried across to the cloud.
Next, I want that same folder to show up on my MacBook. So after installing the client software, I open up the Live Sync homepage in Safari (yes, it works in Safari). Again, I followed the relatively simple instructions to make that folder I had synced to show up on my MacBook. The results are very good and I had no problems doing so even once.
One caveat however is that you cannot access any of the files in your personal folder on the web. It only lets you know that x number of files are synced, but you cannot see or download them from the web.
Shared folder
While personal folders are for your eyes only, Shared folders can be seen by everyone. Following a similar procedure I was able to share a folder and access it with a bunch of contacts, with different permission levels for each. The contacts of course need to have their own Live ID and then install the Live Sync client on their computer. This would work great for collaboration among a close group, but the fact that it requires a Live ID means that you cannot just share it with ‘anyone’.
Remote Access
This is one cool feature of Live Sync. Once you enable remote access in your System Preferences, you can potentially access (download only) any file, from anywhere. The thought is a little scary, so I’m glad that Microsoft has explicitely makes you turn on Remote Access instead of having it there by default.
The Verdict
I’m thoroughly impressed by what Microsoft has done with Live Sync. The user experience isn’t so great, but the functionality is extremely solid. I have been testing this for over two weeks now and it has yet to fail on me. Overall it’s a splendid service, and the fact that it is free for anyone to use is a huge bonus.
When it comes to competing with iDisk, I think both are on different planes. iDisk has a (much) better user interface, on the desktop as well as the web, is easier to set up, and allows you to download or upload files without any client software. Live Sync on the other hand is closely knit in the Live ID, and needs the client app to be installed on any machine you want access to, but offers you a free syncing option that is in many ways more powerful than Apple’s solution.
Let us know which one you choose and why.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been very pleased with Dropbox (https://www.getdropbox.com/) so far – runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux. One neat thing Dropbox does is maintain a history of files that get synchronized, so it’s sort of like Time Machine for synced files. Can anyone “compare and contrast” LiveSync with Dropbox?
I hear you Jeff. LiveSync vs DropBox would definitely be a good post. Okay, how about we make it even better than that? Just hang in there…
I had been using Live Sync but switched to DropBox. Not quite sure why, but I like it much more. DropBox allows you to download your files from their website, like if you’re on a computer that’s not connected to your DropBox but need access to your files. (I don’t actually use this much because I’m usually at home, but it’s nice to have it as a feature.)
“we judge the product and not the company”..lol…seriously? isn’t this a mac blog?..mac guys are not supposed to be like that.
either way..happy 2 hear that.
Im using live sync for quite some time now, and it wrks likes charm, also the skydrive…they all blend very well and haven’t run into any error so far..
but its MS, it crahes only when ur near a deadline…;)
I have downloaded Live Mesh from Microsoft for mac.. It gives 5 GB free space and keeps my files in cloud to access from web.. is live mesh different from live sync?
Actually that line was only to be diplomatic. I’m always waiting for an opportunity to bash the good ol’ M$
@Chendur: Well, that’s a question you should ask a Windows guru. My experience with the whole live thing is limited to Live Sync.
Now this sounds like a mac blog
we have the new OS ‘window 7′ for u..vista was a punch bag for Mac fans (and a torture for windows users)..would love to hear u guys abt 7, the smoking apple team.
mesh and sync have overlapping features
Windows Live SkyDrive
-manually upload documents
-25 GB of free storage space
-individual file cannot exceed 50 MB
-Each file or folder on SkyDrive has a unique Web address
Windows Live Sync
-synchronize up to 20 folders containing up to 20,000 files each.
-Individual files cannot be larger than 4 GB in size
Windows Live Mesh
-Windows Live Sync + cloud storage + remote desktop (with support for copy-paste)
-Live Mesh on mobile phones available
I am looking for a service like this and would love to see a table of the pros and cons of the various services. I had been considering live Mesh and Dropbox and I just heard of a new one that looks interesting Zumodrive.
I have a Mac and an iPhone. I want to add a netbook, but I am holding my breath for an apple version. Else I might go with an HP clutch,
I’ve had a terrible time with Windows Live Sync since it switched from FolderShare.
On my personal setup, iMac to MacBookPro, the iMac keeps telling me that I need teh newest version of Live Sync. I go to the site I’m directed to, download the new version.
It’s the same as the original version. After it’s installed it still tells me I have an out of date version.
Then sometimes, it will work just fine.
This never happens on the MBP.
Now, I’d say it was my iMac BUT another iMac, a brand new iMac on a different Live Sync account does the exact same thing when syncing with another, also brand new, unibody MacBook Pro.
On the other iMac it automatically created a new account for the computer and…
Ugh, it’s just been a big mess since it switched from FolderShare.
But when it does work, it’s great.
Now that you mention it, my iMac also shows the version as outdated, while the MacBook doesn’t have this problem. Didn’t interfere with the syncing though so I didn’t think I should mention it.
On my iMac, I just have to quite Live Sync and start it up again, sometimes I have to restart the computer and then it’s fine. Weird how it does this only on iMac huh?
One big problem for free services… you really can’t complain cause I mean, it’s free haha.
Quick question – I’ve used LiveSynch with my PC for years (used to be foldershare) and recently returned to my first love and got a Macbook Pro. I installed it and it was working really well – but since I’ve rebooted, it won’t restart and I can’t even find it in my applications folder – any ideas? Is this a simple MAC question that I’m overlooking? Where would the application have been installed?