Josh from Windows Connected had received his CES 2007 guide book today and scanned this picture of a Microsoft ad placed inside. I did my best to enhance it as much as I could, but everything’s pretty clear already.
Josh and Robert McLaws speculated this is referring to Windows Live Drive, a rumor that’s been silent for quite some time when concepts like GDrive and limitless online storage were still hot on the heads of “Google OS” rumormongers.
“What matters most” is quite a subjective topic that could mean many different things to people with different backgrounds, interests and hobbies. For example, to a music-lover it could be MP3s. To an artist, it could be pictures. To an executive, it could be tax fraud documents. For a family, it could be photos or home movies. For FSF members, it could be anti-Microsoft propaganda.
If “what matters most” is everything, then it can only be Live Drive. A centralized file storage system with the ability to share files as well as protect them, that is accessible from any parts of the world with internet access, could open up so many possibilities. Not only would this benefit web applications like Google Docs for synchronization and collaboration, but also desktop applications like iTunes. Imagine having access to your entire music library anywhere, anytime. But of course, neither of this are Microsoft applications, so I couldn’t see them adopting or be allowed to adopt this model.
On the other hand, if “what matters most” is limited to only media, then it could be just Windows Home Server, another silent rumor that Todd Bishops mentioned today. Windows Home Server was believed to be a home-oriented server primarily used to store, control and distribute content on a home network. If this is what the ad is referring to, then to “store” would refer to the ability to store documents in a centralized location, to “share” content around the home network to X360s, Media Centers and other devices (ex. SideShow), and “protect” meaning either limiting access to files or providing security to the network.
Live Drive seems more definite, but Windows Home Server wouldn’t be too far off either.
What matters most is, this will soon all be revealed at CES.
Note: Windows Live Drive and Windows Server Home logos are mockups. They are not representative of any real applications or services at the time of writing.
Comments for "What matters most"
ikyouCrow
Live Drive? sounds like a re-branded My Web Documents.
try this trick:
point your browser to the following URL (slightly modified of course):
http://groups.msn.com/youraddress@hotmailormsn.com (doesn’t seem to work in FF2.0 on Tiger).
i have 30MB of storage. how much do you have?
Matt Sharpe
both of these would be fantastic!!
David Burela
I hope it is livedrive
been hanging out for that since june
Praveen
Live drive would be a nice addition to Live service. But it has to be made restriction free like what youtube did. Thats what is gonna make people use it everywhere.
Karl
Although I am sceptical as to Windows OS announcements, this seems strangely WinFS-like:
“All Together Now”
WinFS is a unified storage system. It takes the concept of file formats and moves them to the filesystem level. That means all applications can access the information. Instead of having a contact stored in Windows Mail, and then one in some other format for another application, you can unify them in to one WinFS contact object - and all apps can access it because the concept of a file format doesn’t exist as high up as the application level.
see: http://blogs.msdn.com/winfs/archive/2005/10/24/484380.aspx
“Announcing a new way to share, protect, and store what matters most”
Well yea, your personal data is what matters most to you. Online storage isn’t new, but WinFS on the client side certainly is.
TBH, it’s just the “all together now” catchphrase that throws me. Microsoft love to give these things subtle meanings, and a unified store is the only alternate meaning. But on the other hand, announcing client stuff at the CES isn’t typical for Microsoft. Especially this soon after Vista RTM.
Adam
“To an executive, it could be tax fraud documents.”
Haha.
PocketKocurek
Yeah.. Live Drive and next, Web browser based WinOS and apps ;/. Buy subscription and use them. Can u be more controlled by coroporation?
“We dont looks into ur data, we ‘just’ index.” Thats “Tomorrow End”.
Blah, sorry for my english, but Im sure its much better than your polish guys
:>
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MSBLOG Exclusive: Windows Server “Home” and Windows Live Drive at CES 2007 » MSBLOG
[...] This has got some bloggers and some hopeful’s rather confused. A few people have asked me “what does this mean?” and I’m here to explain. Kip from LiveSide wrote this, Long Zheng from istartedsomething.com wrote this (with some interesting theories), Robert McLaws from Windows-Now wrote this, and good ol’ Josh from Windows Connected wrote this. Unfortunately, rumours on the Internet are just as bad as the rumours about the most popular girl in school making out with someone behind the bikesheds after school… Let’s clear this up shall we? [...]
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