Microsoft Live Mesh: A Closer Look in Pictures

Juggling spreadsheets, music, and reports between PCs may get a lot easier with a new Microsoft service called Live Mesh. The service, announced today, allows you to create a Web-based Live Desktop complete with Windows-like folders that can be shared with others and can be synched to multiple PCs, Microsoft says. Another key aspect of the service is software that runs on any PC linked to the Live Mesh service that allows for remote desktop access to Mesh-connected PCs.

Microsoft's future plans for Live Mesh include extending the service to Macs and cell phones. Microsoft Live Mesh is not currently available to the public. Microsoft is expected to officially unveil Live Mesh at the the Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco on Thursday. However, starting tomorrow 10,000 developers will be invited to tinker with the service.

Microsoft has not mentioned pricing or availability to the public.

Here is a link to the news story. What follows here are images that illustrate how the service works.

Microsoft Live Mesh in Pictures

Microsoft requires that you have a Microsoft Live ID to use Live Mesh.

This is called the Live Mesh Web Ring. With it you can navigate different devices that are linked to your Live Mesh account. (Click image for a closer look.)

To add a device to your Live Mesh Ring choose the plus icon which prompts you to download the Live Mesh application.

This is what the Live Mesh desktop looks like. Here you can manage the contents of your Live Mesh folders. Microsoft says there is a limit of 5GB of data that can be stored online. On the right you'll notice what Microsoft calls a Mesh Bar. There are several different types of Mesh Bars. This one is a News Bar which allows for multiple people to leave comments and tracks folder history when sharing one Mesh Folder.(Click image for a closer look.)

Here is another look at a Mesh Bar. This Mesh Bar allows you to manage devices; whether it be setting what Mesh folders sync with what devices or giving you quick access to a remote desktop session with a PC linked to your Live Mesh account. You can see from the Mesh Bar on the right you can also work offline. (Click image for a closer look.)

Here you can see how Live Mesh could be a useful way of sharing photos with others. In the Mesh Bar on the right the orange dots next to users indicate those users that are online and accessing the folder. To chat in real-time with a Mesh user who is online simply click on their user name found in the Mesh Bar. (Click image for a closer look.)

Live Mesh supports remote desktop access. Here is an early glimpse at how it will look in Live Mesh. (Click image for a closer look.)

Live Mesh requires a software download onto the PCs that connect to the Live Mesh service. Here is an image to what is called the Live Mesh Notifier that sits in your system tray. This expanded view of Mesh Notifier illustrates how you can gain quick access to Mesh folders and connect to Mesh devices.

To add existing Windows folders to your Live Mesh network simply right-click the folder and select the "Add folder to your Mesh Network." When a folder on a your PC becomes a Live Mesh folder it turn from yellow to blue in color.

Once you create a Live Mesh folder you are able to assign it rules such as when to sync with other PCs and who may access it.