Live confusion/exasperation

RupertSodwind · 21 Oct 2010

Does anyone know of an adaquate explanation of all this Live stuff.
There's Live Mail/Hotmail/Outlook, Office Live Workspace/Windows Live Office, Skydrive/Live Mesh/Live Spaces blah, blah...
I'm finding it all very confusing.

Lets take Mail for starters. I got Outlook 2010, Live Mail and Hotmail accounts. Which integrates with which - do any of them?

Then we have Office Live Workspace and Windows Live Office. Do any of these integrate with Office 2010? Where does Skydrive and Live Spaces fit in or are they something to do with Live Mesh.
Grrrr! It seems such a confusing mess to me and if I can't find my way through it soon I'm afraid that for me Live will be Dead.

LiquidSnak · 21 Oct 2010

Windows Live Mail == Hotmail AFAIK. That's all I can expound on for you, since I stopped using them right about when they switched to all this "live" nonsense.

Barman58 · 21 Oct 2010

The Live Suite of programs (current version 2011), are a set of applications that are Microsoft's main foray into the cloud,(or internet based computing), and include such things as Live mail, Live Messenger, and Live Mesh, (to synchronise computers over the net connection), it also includes Live Movie maker and Live Gallery which are media applications with some web publishing functions.

These are versions of the programs that used to be shipped with windows but now to satisfy the requests of certain parties (mostly the EU) are optional free downloads

Windows Live on the web includes live spaces and skydrive which provide online storage for any user with a live ID, (25GB+). This is either a Live or hotmail email address., that is also needed for the live suite.

Microsoft office live is another free storage area but for users of Microsoft Office and Live office is online versions of the regular office apps.

I think that covers it all

RupertSodwind · 26 Oct 2010

OK, thanks for that.
So, to summarize

Outlook 2010 syncs with online Hotmail.
If you don't have Outlook 2010 then you can use PC based Live Mail which also syncs with online Hotmail.

Office Live:
An online version of Office 2010 but you need to have the PC based Office in order to use it? They don't sync.

Live Office:
An online version of Office 2010 with the need to have the PC based Office.

(Confusion begins here: Live Office or Office Live?)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Live Skydrive:
An online storage area (25GB storage)

Live Sync:
Online synchronization app.
It can sync folders on one PC and allow you to access them from another PC that has:
A. Live Sync installed
B. Is switched on.

Live Mesh:
A combination of Live Skydrive and Live Sync (5GB storage)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's not pretty and could have been made far simpler. For non-techies out there (most computer users) it will be very confusing. After all, it seems I've spent many years explaining to such people that Windows and Office are two separate entities and yet I still hear the comment from users with a new PC: "But where's Word and Excel?".
Trouble with MS is that they often are guilty of confusing people. Who's silly idea was it to call their browser Internet Explorer and their file system Explorer?

RupertSodwind · 26 Oct 2010

RupertSodwind said:

OK, thanks for that.
So, to summarize

Outlook 2010 syncs with online Hotmail.
If you don't have Outlook 2010 then you can use PC based Live Mail which also syncs with online Hotmail.

Office Live:
An online version of Office 2010 but you need to have the PC based Office in order to use it? They don't sync.

Live Office:
An online version of Office 2010 with the need to have the PC based Office.

(Confusion begins here: Live Office or Office Live?)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Live Skydrive:
An online storage area (25GB storage)

Live Sync:
Online synchronization app.
It can sync folders on one PC and allow you to access them from another PC that has:
A. Live Sync installed
B. Is switched on.

Live Mesh:
A combination of Live Skydrive and Live Sync (5GB storage)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's not pretty and could have been made far simpler. For non-techies out there (most computer users) it will be very confusing. After all, it seems I've spent many years explaining to such people that Windows and Office are two separate entities and yet I still hear the comment from users with a new PC: "But where's Word and Excel?".
Trouble with MS is that they often are guilty of confusing people. Who's silly idea was it to call their browser Internet Explorer and their file system Explorer?

Oh of course, there Live Spaces:
Kind of a social network thing for store of photos, music, videos etc plus a Blogging facility

Barman58 · 26 Oct 2010

The outlook connector allows two way sync between outlook 2007 & 2010 and your Live or hotmail account (or both) not sure but I believe that it also works with office 2003.

Office Live or Live office provide on-line cut down versions of the office apps to owners of office and there are plans to provide basic versions free for all users with a live ID, which will be ad supported as will the downloadable lite version. There is also some on-line storage space for office owners, though I understand that this will be migrating to skydrive
Live sync provide on-line and off-line (multiple PC), sync facilities and replaces live mesh.

The file storage in live spaces has been replaced with skydrive, and the blogging service will be migrating to wordpress over the next three months

RupertSodwind · 26 Oct 2010

Barman58 said:

Microsoft office live is another free storage area but for users of Microsoft Office and Live office is online versions of the regular office apps.

Barman58 said:

Office Live or Live office provide on-line cut down versions of the office apps to owners of office

Which or both?

Lets just hope that Google doesn't go down the same confusing route or we could end up with both Google Docs and Docs Google.

Barman58 said:

The file storage in live spaces has been replaced with skydrive, and the blogging service will be migrating to wordpress over the next three months

Mmm... Doesn't get better does it.

Thanks for trying anyway.

Best regards

RupertSodwind or SodwindRupert