At first glance, using Microsoft's Windows Live Mesh service on an iPhone seems a bit counter-intuitive. Apple has MobileMe to compete with Live Mesh's cloud-based storage and synchronization service. And, let's not forget that using an Apple iPhone running Mac OS with a Windows Live service arguably aimed at Windows and Windows Mobile devices is sort of blasphemous (regardless of which camp, Windows Mobile or Mac, you consider yourself aligned with).
But, with Apple continuing to muddle their MobileMe brand with a botched launch and ongoing billing and push email stumbles, Microsoft's Windows Live Mesh is starting to look all that much more attractive.
As such, it's a treat to see Live Mesh up and running on an iPhone. Kevin Tofel from jkOnTheRun managed to snap some screenshots of the Live Mesh service's mobile-portal, intended for Windows Mobile devices, working on the iPhone. The Live Mesh team recently rolled out mobile access features for Live Mesh, and Tofel took a decidedly different tack on the service and gave the Live Mesh mobile portal a whirl on his iPhone.
For now, Live Mesh on the iPhone allows you to view your Live Mesh Desktop (the cloud) where all files are stored and synchronized. Unfortunately, there's no option to upload files from the iPhone - but file uploads are possible with a Windows Mobile device (of course).
If MobileMe fails to deliver on its promise of seamless push-data services, Microsoft may find themselves in a position to offer iPhone owners a true data synchronization service. Even if it was intended for Windows Mobile devices…
