Windows Live Mesh and Dropbox

I'm sure some of you have already made this discovery, but it didn't occur to me until today that Windows Live Mesh is not some poorly made version of Dropbox with more GB space. Though, that's in fact how I have been using it. Live Mesh gives you 5GB instead of Dropbox's 2GB. The interface, while simple, is difficult to understand. Dropbox is extremely intuitive and easy to use. But, that's the wrong reason to use Live Mesh.



Huh?



If you use Live Mesh by itself (without the Sky Drive), you can just use it to sync several machines together. So? The BFD is that there's no space limitation.



I am syncing 300GB of data right now. This is cloud, without the cloud. And if you're paranoid about privacy, this is even better.

EDIT: 300GB is too much for the app to handle. At least it's too much for one folder. It would probably work spread out across multiple sync folders.



You all probably use Dropbox, so let's start there. With Dropbox, you create, move a file in your Dropbox. That file then gets copied onto a Dropbox cloud server. Your DB folder and the cloud folder are the same. After you are synced, you turn off this machine (#1). Then you turn on machine #2, which also has a DB. The cloud server will tell machine #2 that it needs new info. Machine #2 pulls down the changed info and is synced.



Live Mesh is different because there's no cloud server (unless you use Sky Drive).



So, if you have a desktop machine at home that is always on, it is the same thing as having your own, private Dropbox cloud server. The only difference, though, is that there's no space limitation and it's free. And oh yeah, you don't have to name your folder "Dropbox," and you can have as many folders as you like.



The other downside is that Live Mesh doesn't sync to iPads/iPods/iPhones/iSteve. But it does work between Mac OS X and Windows. And for all your mobile gadgets, you can use Dropbox. And all free 2GB can just go to mobile use. How sweet is that? So, basically Live Mesh is used for creating a faux cloud environment between servers, desktops and laptops. Dropbox is useful for cloud on mobile devices, like manga PDFs on iPads and what not.



If this was Captain Obvious, I'm sorry. If it sounds like a good idea, I'll take questions.

Reply 1 : Windows Live Mesh and Dropbox

Thanks. That part about using Live Mesh is very informative. I'll need to explore that a bit.



This is probably how I could save my bookmarks in IE9, which is something that I have not done (to my regret).

Reply 2 : Windows Live Mesh and Dropbox

Quote:

Originally Posted by lineS of flight This is probably how I could save my bookmarks in IE9, which is something that I have not done (to my regret).

Good point. You'd get syncing that actually works. Unlike Xmarks, Chrome Sync, Firefox Sync which are all total failures rated between F- to F+.

Reply 3 : Windows Live Mesh and Dropbox

are you kidding me? you're saying firefox sync is a 'failure'.



i'm going to request that you backup that claim.

Reply 4 : Windows Live Mesh and Dropbox

Quote:

Originally Posted by Generic User #2 are you kidding me? you're saying firefox sync is a 'failure'. i'm going to request that you backup that claim.

Okay, let me try and clarify. I want the feature called, "Firefox Sync" to keep, manage and organize my bookmarks in an identical manner on two machines (or more). Whenever I change the layout or add/remove bookmarks on one machine, those changes should be reflected on the other machine.



I believe that Mozilla says that Firefox Sync is supposed to work this way. I would be quite happy if it did. It does not.



Firefox on both machines? Check.

Sync on both machines? Sometimes.



If they had named it Firefox Sometimes, I wouldn't call that a failure. I'd call that delivering as promised.

"Firefox Sync," however, is a .



XMARKS also likes to engage in failure.

Reply 5 : Windows Live Mesh and Dropbox

Chromes sync works perfectly fine between my 2 laptops.... anyways that's the issue with live mesh.. you have to have one machine always on to get "unlimited space" With dropbox I can have my files synced between 2 laptops without the laptop on and I can get to my files from my android devices... plus with 8gb I have never had the issue of running out of room

Reply 6 : Windows Live Mesh and Dropbox

Quote:

Originally Posted by sugarkang Okay, let me try and clarify. I want the feature called, "Firefox Sync" to keep, manage and organize my bookmarks in an identical manner on two machines (or more). Whenever I change the layout or add/remove bookmarks on one machine, those changes should be reflected on the other machine. I believe that Mozilla says that Firefox Sync is supposed to work this way. I would be quite happy if it did. It does not. Firefox on both machines? Check. Sync on both machines? Sometimes. If they had named it Firefox Sometimes, I wouldn't call that a failure. I'd call that delivering as promised. "Firefox Sync," however, is a . XMARKS also likes to engage in failure.

alright, your sync issues....are they NOT syncing sometimes? or are they just not syncing automatically?



i noticed that sync didn't always sync by itself in firefox 3.6(or w/e it was initially released). however, in ff4, its been quite flawless with 2 computers + iphone app.

Reply 7 : Windows Live Mesh and Dropbox

Quote:

Originally Posted by Generic User #2 alright, your sync issues....are they NOT syncing sometimes? or are they just not syncing automatically?

Both. Only one company does sync correctly in my experience. Dropbox.

Reply 8 : Windows Live Mesh and Dropbox

Hmm. Looks like I got moved to Windows forum. Live Mesh works cross platform if anyone's listening.

Reply 9 : Windows Live Mesh and Dropbox

Quote:

Originally Posted by sugarkang Hmm. Looks like I got moved to Windows forum. Live Mesh works cross platform if anyone's listening.

so wheres the OSX version client?