Microsoft has had a long break from the news department and now they are back with a bang (hopefully). Microsoft does not seem to have much in the way of cross-platform animosity any more. As mentioned Microsoftand the company’s SkyDrive team recently launched both a Windows Phone and iOS version of their SkyDrive online file storage application.So this seems like its just anothe cloud storage service probably aimed to complete with iCloud. But is Microsoft Skydrive more than meets the eye? I dont think so. It’s just another cloud service that is Windows and Xbox enabled and extra spacious.
SkyDrive is the latest in a line of Microsoft applications that have made an appearance on iOS, with others including the (rather nice) Xbox Live app and Kinectimals.
Aside from the obvious stylistic changes, the WP7 and iOS versions pack the same functionality. Setup is dead simple: if you have a Windows Live account, then you also have a SkyDrive account just waiting to be filled with documents and silly photos. All it takes is a quick log-in to be able to start storing and sharing your files online.
Users can upload files, organize them into folders, and share them with friends and colleagues. Navigating through SkyDrive is pretty straightforward too, so even the most stubborn file sharers should have an easy time getting into the swing of things.
SkyDrive is a pretty notable addition to the Windows Phone marketplace, as similar online file storage services like Dropbox and Box.net haven’t yet found their way to Microsoft’s mobile OS. The iOS version is a tougher sell considering all of the available alternatives, but it could be a great solution for certain use cases. If you’re constantly juggling multiple phones for example, having SkyDrive installed could be one of the quickest ways to get files from a Windows Phone to an iPhone.
Another surprising fact is that Microsoft hasn’t exteded its Skydrive to Android.. With Android being the largest app market ( Controversial indeed), I feel its unacceptable that Microsoft has conveniently fogged Android. That has led me to conclude that the Microsoft Skydrive is nothing but a contender to Apple’s iCloud.
