As a consultant, I make use of a wide variety of different computers… laptops, desktops, and netbooks. This leads to an issue with making sure you always have access to your critical files no matter which machine you have with you. My use of the EeePC also has made this critical because it has increased the general machines I run around with on customer locations.
I have made use of Foldershare for this in the past, and this allowed me to ensure all of my main files are available on whichever machine I had with me – or allowed me to access any other of my machines over the Internet to obtain the file that has not synchronised before going on the road. However Foldershare is limited to a maximum of 10,000 files per sync location (even though it gives you 10 sync locations). I am approaching this limit, and this limit has stopped me synchronising several of my important folders because I exceed this number of files. This has left me looking for an alternative.
I have been watching the development of Microsoft Mesh. Mesh is the lovechild of Foldershare and all the other Microsoft Live services, with massively increased 100,000 file limits and integral 5GB central storage. After a brief functional test which has been a success, I have now begun the move from Foldershare to Mesh. Also although it seems that you can use both at the same time, I have kept away from syncing the same files/folders with both tools. My impressions is that this gives you a very powerful method of syncing your files across a large number of devices in a secure and safe manner. Exactly what you want for the road warrior.
Mesh/Foldershare has ensured that with me on the road – all of my most important document are automatically synchronised whenever I am connected to the Internet, back to a central server in the office which is backed up both to external disks and also offsite into the Amazon S3 cloud using JungleDisk.
A very effective belt and braces mechanism for the consultant.
