Microsoft Unveils Windows 7 File-Sharing Beta 230
nandemoari writes "Microsoft yesterday released a trial version of new file-sharing software intended for use with its upcoming and highly-anticipated operating system.
The new software allows PC users to swap files with the computers of friends, family, and trusted colleagues along safe, secure channels. Dubbed 'Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5,' the beta connects the Windows Live IDs of individual users with a Windows 7 account, essentially building a secure link between data stored on a hard drive and information accessible via Windows Live online."
Waiting for the penny to drop.... (Score:5, Insightful)
What DRM is built into this that prevents people from sharing copyrighted works with their friends, family, and trusted associates? Something tells me that this will reek of DRM excrement from the first double click.
Faster, easier way to infect friends and familysPC (Score:5, Insightful)
This just reeks of a way to "securely" send viruses through a new security hole! No way in hell I would enable this.
Re:They omitted something... (Score:4, Insightful)
Don't get me wrong, I've been with the Apple camp since before I can remember (20+ years) and I hate Microsoft, especially for their business practices; however that's quite a statement to make with nothing to back it up.
Re:Clever, actually (Score:3, Insightful)
Product naming, again (Score:5, Insightful)
Dubbed "Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5,"
Apple would've called it "iShare" or something else friendly and inviting. Who does MS hire to come up with those horrid, unwieldy names?
Warning - concealed terms of service (Score:5, Insightful)
The Microsoft announcement says "Use of the software is governed by the Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistance 6.5 Beta License Agreement accessible as a file in this download." So you can't read the terms of service without downloading (and installling?) the software.
For something that opens up remote access to local machines, with that access under the control of Microsoft, this matters. What responsibility does Microsoft take for the security of your stored data? Is the system HIPPA compliant? Would it meet the standards for confidentiality of legal work product? Those of the Industrial Security Manual for unclassified but sensitive information? Does Microsoft claim any ownership rights in your data (like Facebook just tried?) Can your stored data be used to target advertising (like Google does?) What cryptosystem is being used? Who has access to the keys?
Until all those questions have been answered and the answers reviewed by qualified third parties, using this system in a business environment might be construed as gross negligence.
TPB situation (Score:5, Insightful)
MS would be the pirate bay in concept.
it's a trap! (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm not sure I agree with the person that moderated the parent as Flame Bait. Microsoft is a big enough target that it doesn't want to get sued over copyright violations. That was why Vista and Windows 7 have all that DRM crap. Now Microsoft wants to build a secure utility to transparently share files between people over the internet.
Has anyone ever built a secure file sharing utility over the internet that hasn't been abused in some way? Ever?
Sometimes it is just too easy to guess peoples passwords. People will share the potentially embarrassing items, whether it is an embarrassing picture, or a copyrighted song. Microsoft will log all this information. One enterprising teen could make all of your dirty laundry public knowledge.
Re:Product naming, again (Score:3, Insightful)
Maybe the same guy who came up with "HP OpenView Configuration Management Application Self-Service Manager". It's so unwieldy, even making an acronym of it doesn't help: HPOVCMASSM.
(What it is? Kind of apt-get for Windows, done badly.)
Is this Live Mesh under another name? (Score:4, Insightful)
i've been a beta tester for while and it's not bad. from what i've seen they don't filter anything. very nice if you are on vacation.
i had it set up on my laptop and home PC. On vacation i would take pictures of my son and copy the files to the shared folder and automatically sync to my home PC. And it has integrated terminal services where you don't need to add a firewall rule on your home firewall. you can get into your home PC from anywhere on the internet.
Re:They omitted something... (Score:5, Insightful)
I believe that grandparent's point is not about stock value, but position in market. They've officially lost the battle for search engines, their phone OS is third best, their last desktop OS couldn't convince people to upgrade, office 2007 is controversial and their lock on text formats is crumbling, and aside from the video game division they've been wholly unable to get any momentum going in new markets.
Personally, I'm looking forward to desktop file sharing and synchronization, as it will mean I can stop running all these FTP servers everywhere. This move seems to imply that they're letting go of the idea of being a media company, and instead focusing on the actual revenue parts of their organization. Good for them.
Re:Warning - concealed terms of service (Score:3, Insightful)
Is the system HIPPA compliant? Would it meet the standards for confidentiality of legal work product? Those of the Industrial Security Manual for unclassified but sensitive information?
You forgot to ask if this software is UL listed, meets local building codes, and if it weighs less than a duck.
What cryptosystem is being used? Who has access to the keys?
That is the right question.
Re:Clever, actually (Score:4, Insightful)
What I like is when somebody installs the default LimeWire distro, allows it to share their entire My Document folder, and forgets that anyone in the world can now download My Passwords.doc...
Highly-anticipated? (Score:5, Insightful)
Okay, I realize there are Microsoft fanboys who, like Apple fanboys and Ubuntu fanboys, get all giggly whenever a new version of their favorite OS is about to be released. But it seems like any "anticipation" regarding Windows 7 has more to do with people wanting to get past the PR disaster that has been Vista.
Calling Windows 7 "highly-anticipated" is analogous to saying rabies vaccine is "highly-anticipated" by a person who's just been bitten by a rabid dog.
Re:They omitted something... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Waiting for the penny to drop.... (Score:3, Insightful)
DRM? You're being a little broad with that term, aren't you? Microsoft is just going to conduct periodic sweeps of its entire data store with the assistance of whatever RIAA, MPAA, etc. When it identifies files (by signature) that have been flagged as copyright infringing, Microsoft will issue you a take-down notice while unilaterally deleting the files at the same time.
"Legalistically, you may appeal to the Emperor, but you would get no hearing. The Emperor today is not the Emperor of an Entun dynasty, you know. Trantor, I'm afraid, is in the hands of the aristocratic families, members of which compose the Commission of Public Safety. This is a development which is well predicted by Psychohistory." -- Isaac Asimov, Foundation
Re:They omitted something... (Score:3, Insightful)
It doesn't need to be. Microsoft have been actively developing DRM to get into bed with the content companies and they have made statements to the effect that if they don't then they won't be allowed to come and play in their paddling pool. Do you really think they're going to do unrestricted Microsoft Bitorrent(tm)?
It's just another in a long line of copy-cats that is burned into Microsoft's nature. If there is something successful out there then Microsoft makes its own version and uses Windows to have as many bites of the cherry as they like, as sure as eggs is eggs. It doesn't matter that MSN, Hailstorm, Passport or Windows Live or whatever they call it now has been thrown back in their faces more times than you can count. They'll keep going until they succeed or the cash cow monopolies of Windows and Office stop providing the cash to allow them to do it.
Re:Product naming, again (Score:4, Insightful)
Microsoft has decided that labeling everything "Windows Live" is more important than having anybody understand what the hell you're talking about.
Re:Product naming, again (Score:1, Insightful)
Sorry, what? I agree, something like iShare is more friendly, but you really think "Windows Live ID Sign-In Assistant" is more descriptive?
Let's work this through.There's a Windows thing - OK, that's my O/S. And there's a live ID, whatever that is. And you have to Sign-In to use it, so it sounds like some kind of login. And the thing is an Assistant to the whole shebang, so it sounds pretty complicated, right? Something that assists me signing in with a live id on Windows! Got it!
So, err... what do I do with this? Oh, right! I share stuff! Shame that wasn't in the description. Damn you GedankenApple for your cryptic friendly names!