[Originally posted February 26, 2008]
Microsoft has upgraded Windows Live Skydrive, its service offering free online file storage. You now can store up to 5Gb of documents, pictures and other files, using an intuitive interface – even a convenient tool for dragging and dropping files from your computer into the online folders. Here’s the announcement of increased storage space in the new release.
At the moment there’s no option to get still more storage space but everyone expects a “premium” service soon offering more space for a subscription fee. There are three other minor issues:
- The maximum size of each uploaded file is 50Mb. No videos!
- You can’t drag and drop an entire folder with a single click. You can drop a group of individual files, but not folders and subfolders.
- Skydrive does not integrate with your mail program. You can send an e-mail link to files in your Skydrive folders but your mail program won’t automatically store a file attachment in an outgoing message on Skydrive like the YouSendIt plugin for Outlook does.
Like most of the new Microsoft services, Microsoft has built Skydrive on its Windows LiveID authentication system. Don’t be intimidated! It’s just an e-mail address and a password! You’ll need to sign in with a free Windows Live ID, and other people will need a Windows Live ID to retrieve a file that you share with them.
- If you’re using Windows Live OneCare, you have a Windows Live ID! It’s the e-mail address and password you used to purchase OneCare.
- Here’s the best place to check your existing Windows Live ID credentials or set up new credentials.
Here’s what I wrote about Skydrive when it started beta testing. The design is really compelling in its simplicity – I’ve come to prefer Skydrive over some of the other services I’ve tested.
