Live Mesh and MobileMe

re: Live Mesh and MobileMe

someone — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:01:23 GMT

MS has always built "platforms" and Apple always direct consumer products/services. Probably, why the drain is towards Mac OS X. MS used to build products direct to consumers in the 90s. But of course, Live Mesh appears better than Mobile Me, unless it goes free.

re: Live Mesh and MobileMe

Anthony — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:20:12 GMT

So when is Microsoft going to build MicroMe on Mesh?

re: Live Mesh and MobileMe

Sean Gerety — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:03:45 GMT

Mesh to me is more of a dev platform and experimental offering while, MobileMe is a cloud storage and sync system with some application integration (well picked app's at that) that will most likely be the selling point for all of those folks with iPhones. I think that Apple has created an easy entry point for people to adopt this technology.

I would love to see this kind of app integration in Mesh and realize that it's just to early. After all Ray just announced it at MIX08. They both have great potential (Mesh probably has a broader playing field, enterprise, consumer and as a development integration point).

re: Live Mesh and MobileMe

Project — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:37:26 GMT

What do you mean by platform? And thereby infering that .Mac/Mobile Me isn't?

Because developers have been able to build on .Mac for a long time now and take advantage of the syncing capabilities so that their apps become synced across devices. A 3rd party application like OmniFocus for instance lets you send your data on the desktop app to the cloud and the iPhone app picks up that data and vice versa so its two way.

I honestly think the differences to the end user between the two aren't as big as you'd think. I mean, I have two Macs and using .Mac I have the following synced and identical across them:

- bookmarks

- keychain (passwords and login details)

- dock (what apps are in it and in what position)

- about 6 third party apps

- my documents folder (id have more but there is 20GB limit now)

- system preferences (colour scheme, resolution etc)

- Dashboard widgets

- calendars, contacts, mail

and then there is the other .Mac offerings like Back To My Mac for remote access to my computer and iDisk.

Now I know there are fairly large differences on the back end in respect to implementation of both services. But to the end users I don't think the differences will be that profound. .Mac is at the point now where my machines are pretty much identical from a file and personalisation standpoint.

re: Live Mesh and MobileMe

steve clayton — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:34:12 GMT

by platform I mean something that has developers tools (maybe very simple ones) that third parties can build on top of and make money from. Windows is an obvious example of a platform of course.

from what you have explained there may well be more similarities than I had thought. love to know where I can learn more about this

thanks for the insight - precisely what I was lacking

re: Live Mesh and MobileMe

steve clayton — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:35:00 GMT

anthony - can you explain more what you mean by MicroMe?

re: Live Mesh and MobileMe

Project — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:03:09 GMT

Steve, read this:

http://developer.apple.com/macosx/syncservices.html

re: Live Mesh and MobileMe

steve clayton — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:00:11 GMT

thanks Project - off to read.

this part concerns me a little in terms of a platform

"You can build a sync client"

ideally the platform should provide all this plumbing ans the app just deals with high level stuff. anyway, on the edge of my knowledge here so will go try to learn and explain.

thanks again

Steve