Over the past year or so, several solutions have appeared that allow users to synchronize files between a central web site and several computers. I love having my data up-to-date in and instantly accessible on my home machine, work machine, and laptop, as well as having the ability to access everything via my iPhone. I’ve tried three different services, each of which has benefits and disadvantages.
Microsoft’s Windows Live Mesh is in beta, but is very usable today. Once installed, you can select any folder or file to add to the Mesh, and choose which accounts and machines can sync each one. There is no way to see syncing in-progress, and it is a bit mysterious when it decides to sync a file. However, I found no file contention issues and never lost data. The mesh.com web site has an amazing-looking Windows desktop-like UI, but it isn’t completely compatible with non-IE browsers. There is no iPhone web site, though m.mesh.com mostly works. Live Mesh even includes a Remote Desktop system that punches through firewalls and maintains the original desktop size. There are hints at future integration with Office Live and Skydrive, but no promises. The mesh API is supposed to be open and available soon (it is already based on the open FeedSync design), so it will be interesting to see what results of that. Available for Windows and Mac.
Syncplicity also lets you choose any file or directory and choose which machine gets what content. The sync status is easy to see, and the desktop app is small and fast. Files are synced instantly – so fast, in fact, that it might get synced while the file is in use, which can cause problems with some apps. You can access previous versions of files to revert changes, and deleted files are stored in the local computer’s trash bin. Syncplicity’s most unique feature is the ability to view and edit some files using web-based apps such as Zoho, Scribd, and Google Docs. This is really impressive, and I can’t wait to see more file types and web apps supported. The Syncplicity file management web site can be pretty slow, and appears to be all Flash-based. The iPhone-optimized site isn’t working right now, and though the generic mobile version m.syncp.com works fine, that site can also be slow. Available for Windows and Mac, with a Linux version in development.
Drop Box syncs just a single directory, but if you understand what a symlink is, you can add symlinks to any other directory on your system. This is not newbie-friendly, and you need to manually set this up on each machine, but for technically savvy users it’s not a big deal. Everything in the folder is synced to all machines, all or nothing. While this is a bit primitive compared to Live Mesh and Syncplicity, it works well, and is extremely fast. Drop Box checks for binary differential updates to files, and only syncs the bits that have changed. Like Syncplicity, you can access previous versions of files to revert changes. The web site is very fast, and works fine with all browsers. The iPhone site is a pleasure to use. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
I still need to give Sugarsync a try, as it too looks interesting. Sugarsync offers a native iPhone app.
All of the solutions offer at least 2GB of free data storage, with various pricing plans for more data. Live Mesh is still completely free while in beta, and post-launch pricing has not been announced.
Overall, each sync solution is quite good, and well worth checking out. I used Live Mesh exclusively until it stopped connecting on my machines at work. Beta issue? Firewall change? Syncplicity has the potential to be great if they can make their web site faster and resolve file contention issues. Until then, I’ll be a satisfied user of Drop Box.
