Windows 8 Bible

Cloud Synchronization

With the likelihood that many people will have multiple Windows 8 devices, it’s no surprise that Windows 8 introduces some great cloud-synchronization features. For example, Windows 8 can integrate with your Windows account (formerly called Windows Live accounts) and SkyDrive to give you access to documents and photos from multiple devices. You can save, open, and view files from SkyDrive from a variety of devices, including a Mac or iPad, your Windows Phone, or your iPhone.

Many Windows 8 applications integrate with SkyDrive directly. For example, the Photos app not only lists the photos you have on your computer, but also those in SkyDrive (as well as Facebook and Flickr). If you have a domain account, you can associate your domain account with your Windows account and enjoy that same cloud experience.

Other applications also support SkyDrive. For example, you can get a free OneNote app for your Windows Phone, iPhone, or Android device that enables you to view OneNote notebooks that are synced to SkyDrive. So, if you create a note on your PC, it can automatically sync to SkyDrive, and from there it can be viewed from your mobile phone. This is a great feature for taking your work notes, shopping list, or other notes with you wherever you go.

Tip

Office Web Apps, introduced with SharePoint Server 2010, are included with SkyDrive, enabling you to view and edit Word, Excel, OneNote, and PowerPoint documents from a web browser without having Office installed ...