mesh Email from Microsoft to Mesh customers recommends non-Microsoft alternative

[GreatMarkO]

In an email just sent to all Windows Live Mesh users entitled "Important: The future of Windows Live Mesh", in which Microsoft announce the upcoming "death" of Mesh, which they plan to kill off in February they obviously encourage Mesh users to try their SkyDrive app instead. However, what's interesting is that they acknowledge that SkyDrive doesn't have the same features as Mesh, and therefore also recommend that Mesh users should also use a non-Microsoft product, LogMeIn Pro, (which isn't free either!) in conjunction with SkyDrive to acheive the same Remote Desktop functions that Mesh had!!

Here's Microsoft's email to Mesh users in full:

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Dear Mesh customer,

Recently we released the latest version of SkyDrive, which you can use to:

• Choose the files and folders on your SkyDrive that sync on each computer.
  
• Access your SkyDrive using a brand new app for Android v2.3 or the updated apps for Windows Phone, iPhone and iPad.
  
• Collaborate online with the new Office Web apps, including Excel forms, co-authoring in PowerPoint and embeddable Word documents.
  

Currently 40% of Mesh customers are actively using SkyDrive and based on the positive response and our increasing focus on improving personal cloud storage, it makes sense to merge SkyDrive and Mesh into a single product for access for files at any time and anywhere. As a result, we will retire Mesh on 13 February 2013. After this date, some Mesh functions, such as remote desktop and peer to peer sync, will no longer be available and any data on the Mesh cloud, called Mesh synced storage or SkyDrive synced storage, will be removed. The folders that you synced with Mesh will stop syncing, and you will not be able to connect to your computers remotely using Mesh.

We encourage you to try out the new SkyDrive to see how it can meet your needs. During the transition period, we suggest that, in addition to using Mesh, you sync your Mesh files using SkyDrive. This way, you can try out SkyDrive without changing your existing Mesh setup. For tips on transitioning to SkyDrive, see SkyDrive for Mesh users on the Windows website. If you have questions, you can post them in the SkyDrive forums.

Mesh customers have been influential and your feedback has helped shape our strategy for Mesh and SkyDrive. We would not be here without your support and hope you continue to give us feedback as you use SkyDrive.

Yours sincerely,

The Windows Live Mesh and SkyDrive teams

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is this happening?

Over the years, customers have asked us to bring many of the benefits of SkyDrive ? including mobile access and online collaboration ? to Windows Live Mesh. We've also received requests for some of the features of Mesh ? such as syncing and remote access ? to SkyDrive. Bringing together key features of both products into SkyDrive allows us to maintain a single product and deliver all of these benefits to customers. Moving forward, a single product also allows us to quickly deliver more new features to everyone.

What features are available on SkyDrive?

• Sync your entire SkyDrive or only select folders with your computer. With the SkyDrive desktop app for Windows or Mac, your files on SkyDrive are available online or offline ? and update automatically across your computers.
  
• More storage ? Every SkyDrive customer automatically receives 7 GB of free SkyDrive storage, two more than Mesh. If you need more, you can purchase up to an additional 100 GB to meet your needs. Just sign in to SkyDrive.com and click Manage storage in the lower left-hand corner.
  
• Great views ? SkyDrive has several features that Mesh didn't include. For example, with SkyDrive you can sort files, change file views, view photo slide shows and stream video.
  

What can I expect between now and the date when Windows Live Mesh is retired?

For now, Mesh will continue to work the same as always. We'll send you reminder emails as the retirement date for Mesh gets closer.

Where can I learn more?

For more information, see SkyDrive for Mesh users. You'll find details about how to make the switch to SkyDrive, as well as updates about the changes to Mesh.

Can I use SkyDrive to connect to a computer remotely and run apps on it?

No, with SkyDrive you can fetch files on a remote computer, but you can't connect to it remotely to work as if you were sitting in front of it. If you want to connect to a work computer, try Remote Desktop Connection in Windows. With Remote Desktop Connection, you can connect to computers that are running these editions of Windows:

• Windows 8 Pro, Windows 8 Enterprise
  
• Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 7 Ultimate
  
• Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Enterprise
  
• Windows XP Professional
  

To connect remotely to a Mac or other Windows operating systems not listed above, we recommend creating a LogMeIn account. LogMeIn Pro gives you fast, easy remote computer access from your devices over the web in HD. Transfer files, print remotely or keep machines up-to-date from any computer or your mobile device.

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You gotta wonder if there's some deal going on betweeen Microsoft & LogMeIn for Microsoft to be "recommending" this particular product, and no others!

Also, in Microsoft's response to comments on their blog post, they also recommend another LogMeIn program called "Cubby".

It's interesting that they're only recommending LogMeIn products - so only speculation here, but I wonder if Microsoft may be gearing up to buy out LogMeIn in the not too distant future?!

Still, it's a very sad time for Mesh users (myself included) - when it's withdrawn, we're going to be loosing on some features that made Mesh great:

1) The ability to sync any folder (not just those within your SkyDrive folder)

2) The ability to sync directly from Computer A to Computer B across a lan/network without having to go via the "cloud" (Computer A -> SkyDrive, SkyDrive -> Computer B)

3) Remote Desktop to any Mesh connected computer (even across NAT's/different networks, etc)

I really hope Microsoft can incorporate these features/funcationality into their SkyDrive app before Feb 13th!

[testman]

So? Who cares if they mention LogMeIn? It's hardly news!

[MS Bob 11]

MS think it's okay to replace something more functional with something less functional or having different features and call it version 2.0. They don't get it that to customers, it's NOT OKAY. Because of their monopoly and corporate muscle, they manage to pull off such crimes as Windows 8 or the replacement of Messenger with Skype or Mesh with SkyDrive. Little features, they used to be care about long back, now they just don't care. The Joe Average user doesn't care either, they just expect everyone else to "move on".

[the better twin]

Skydrive is useless until they allow you to sync a folder outside of the Skydrive one. Mesh was great as i just pointed it to a folder and every time i made a change it was automatically backed up. This let me keep my work file structure intact which is essential.

[rfirth]

Skydrive is useless until they allow you to sync a folder outside of the Skydrive one. Mesh was great as i just pointed it to a folder and every time i made a change it was automatically backed up. This let me keep my work file structure intact which is essential.

You can do that easily with symbolic links. That's precisely how I use SkyDrive.

[GreatMarkO]

So? Who cares if they mention LogMeIn? It's hardly news!

The news is two fold - firstly, that Microsoft doesn't think their SkyDrive app is a comparable replacement for Mesh, and secondly, rather than just telling Mesh users that "other software is available", or offering a number of alternatives (DropBox, Google Drive, etc), they are being very specific to only recommend LogMeIn products (LogMeInPro and Cubby) as alternatives to Mesh. Which makes you wonder if there's some deal/incentive going on between LogMeIn and Microsoft

[GreatMarkO]

You can do that easily with symbolic links. That's precisely how I use SkyDrive.

That's a nice little workaround! ...you'd think given this that it would be really easy for Microsoft to include such functionality as part of their SkyDrive app, so you didn't have to mess around with manually creating smybolic links via the command line youself!

[BajiRav]

Give me peer2peer sync in SkyDrive and I'll stop complaining about it:/