Windows Live SkyDrive

It’s not often that I recommend Microsoft products, but here’s one at which you should definitely have a closer look. Windows Live SkyDrive allows you to store up to 5GB of files remotely. In this respect it’s similar to box.net, but the latter has only 1GB of storage and an individual filesize limit of 10MB. Windows Live SkyDrive on the other hand has a 50MB inidividual filesize limit which is much more realistic!

As stated on the Microsoft UK Schools blog:

Anybody can get a SkyDrive, as it’s free – just sign up for it using your Windows Live/Passport ID, and you too can have 5GB of file storage online, with file storage areas for private, shared and public files. Gone are the days of moving files between home and work with a USB drive (which inevitably got lost somewhere between the two places).

Given that one of my higher-ability Year 10 ICT pupils lost the entirity of their work yesterday because they hadn’t backed up their memory stick, it could be a great idea to get pupils used to using something like this. Not only can separate folders be created, but you can create ‘public folders’ accessible by anyone on the Internet.

Great stuff! 😀