Day 20 – The Magic of SkyDrive and the Surface RT
30 Days with a Surface RT for Teachers
Teaching and Learning with a Windows 8 Tablet
Throughout this series I have occasionally mentioned SkyDrive. SkyDrive is the Microsoft cloud storage solution for end-users.
At present, you automatically get 7 GB of storage space when you sign-up for a free Microsoft Account. Of course you can purchase additional storage if necessary but for most users 7GB should be sufficient in getting started with SkyDrive.
I have been using SkyDrive for over five years now and this service has evolved considerably over the years. You may be familiar with similar services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud that offer cloud storage. There are others as well but Microsoft SkyDrive was an early pioneer.
Microsoft has recently been involved in a lawsuit with BSkyB over the “Sky” name and has agreed to a settlement to change the name of SkyDrive to something else. BSkyB has granted a reasonable period for Microsoft to make this name change. For now, I will continue to call it SkyDrive until a new name is announced.
SkyDrive is the Hub of Your Microsoft Account
Today, SkyDrive is becoming the hub for your Microsoft Account. There are many advantages to having files and settings stored in the cloud. Since I use the Surface RT as a companion device I often work on my main Desktop computer during the day and the RT at night. If I save selected files to SkyDrive they will be accessible on other devices I use when I login with the same Microsoft Account on a different device.
For example, if I save a file to SkyDrive at work it will be available to me at home when I login with the same Microsoft account on the Surface RT. I can work on the file at home and save it back to SkyDrive, the next morning I go to work, login, and the updated file is there waiting for me.
Cloud storage is relatively new and some organizations have policies about storing information outside a company firewall. I do not recommend storing confidential data to the cloud unless security protocols have been established but for my lesson plans and generic work it is fine for me. Be sure to follow your organizations computing policies.
Magical Account Syncing To Trusted Devices
The other huge benefit to having a Microsoft Account is that you can setup devices as “trusted devices” so that information can be synced across these trusted devices. When you update information on one trusted device, say a new photo, it is automatically synced and available to other devices via SkyDrive.
When I first received the Surface RT, brand new out of the box, I turned it on and after going through the initial setup and “trusting” the device ALL of my Microsoft Account information synced to the new RT.
This is magical!
All of my preferences, favorite websites, pictures, desktop wallpaper, pinned items on the task bar, and documents stored to SkyDrive were all immediately available to me. My new Surface RT became like my other device that I spent hours customizing just for me. ALL of this in about 20 minutes from logging in to a brand new device the first time!
After syncing, my “Live Tiles” on the Windows 8 Start Screen came to life with MY information.
The Photos Live Tile displayed my pictures, the SkyDrive Live Tile displayed the last documents I was working on, and the Weather Live Tile remembered my location. The customization offered by account syncing saves much time and takes some of the pain away when setting up a new Windows device.
The other benefit of SkyDrive is that you can access your files from anywhere there is an Internet connection. You do not even have to have an Office application installed on the computer you are using. This is another Microsoft “secret” that few know about.
You may have heard of Google Docs and how you only need a browser and Google account to access your files on Google Drive. Sound familiar?
Google is not the only one with free office-like apps, Microsoft has been busy creating “Office Web Apps” that only require a Microsoft Account and browser to use.
Office Web Apps include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. These web apps are a bit watered-down from their full-fledged big brother applications but when used with SkyDrive they become very handy to have access to anywhere an Internet connection is available.
Sharing
SkyDrive also allows you to easily share photos and documents with other individuals via a link or you can make a file public for sharing with others. You can give others read-only access to a particular file, or editing capability if trusted.
Windows Store Apps
Not all of my Windows Store apps were installed by default on my new RT. I had to go out and manually install some of the apps I wanted on the new RT from the Windows Store. All of my data was available but I did have to install certain apps.
I have heard rumors that the new Windows 8.1 update will give you the choice to “sync all of your apps” across multiple devices. What that would mean is if I installed the Kindle app on my Desktop and had “sync my apps” turned on for the RT, the Kindle app would automatically install on my Surface RT.
Magical!
Until next time...
Keep on Learning,
Keep on Learning,
Tom Grissom, PhD
Follow me on Twitter @tomgrissom
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