An op for Microsoft to nail the low hanging fruit: Cloudify every app’s settings/config

I’ve got an idea for something totally feasible and doesn’t seem like a ton of work for Microsoft to offer for free without a lot of investment but would be loved by many consumers: cloudify application settings.

Many people use multiple computers. There are folks like I suspect most of my readers where you have one or more machines at home and one or more machines at work. Each application you use has different settings. Such as:

Windows customizations
Outlook’s signature files, reading pane config, category colors and so many other things in the Options section.
Visual Studio’s Tools > Options
Autocomplete options in Word
Office client ribbon customizations
And tons of other apps!

Wouldn’t it be nice if all these apps had a snap in to say “store my configuration/settings in the cloud” and stuff was stored in Mesh? Not talking about storing lots of data… most of these configurations are just text / XML files (or could be stored as such)… all secured with LiveID’s. Even offer up a free SDK to let 3rd party dev’s add hooks into their apps.

Each app could be then configured with “load settings from the cloud”. Now, no matter what machine I’m on my Visual Studio config is the same as is my Word autocomplete configurations.

One can wish I guess…

posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 4:36 PM

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# re: An op for Microsoft to nail the low hanging fruit: Cloudify every app’s settings/config 1/27/2010 7:07 PM Dan Holme

HALLELUJAH!!!

Note some apps (e.g. Outlook with its .NK2 and signature files; Office's Templates and Proof folders...) could actually be done today, with Live Mesh--just add the folder to your mesh.

# re: An op for Microsoft to nail the low hanging fruit: Cloudify every app’s settings/config 1/27/2010 8:37 PM andy

Well, there is HomeGroups, System.Net.PeerToPeer and "People Near Me" that can be used (none of which appear to work in server 2008 where many people do development).

Homer Server has a good feature where one can insert a hard drive and it asks what if I want to use it for. In otherwords it realises its the central source and allows one to add modularity. Taking that concept, there is no reason I shouldnt have a primary identity (point of presense) and be able to attach machines orapplications to that identity.

It doesnt have to be cloud'ified - just meshed would be good enough :)

But then, it would be easier just to use a shared/remote desktop for the application would it not?

# re: An op for Microsoft to nail the low hanging fruit: Cloudify every app’s settings/config 1/28/2010 4:29 AM John Vivian

I will join you in the wishing for this.
It would make our lives a lot easer, When ever we build a new vm, or just working on diffrent boxes.
Great Idea.

# re: An op for Microsoft to nail the low hanging fruit: Cloudify every app’s settings/config 1/28/2010 9:35 AM Landon

Sounds great to me, especially if they added the ability to cache settings to work offline. Maybe this will be the first step towards reducing the dependency on the Registry, and therefore reducing all the headaches that come with it...

# re: An op for Microsoft to nail the low hanging fruit: Cloudify every app’s settings/config 1/28/2010 2:17 PM John H. Selnæs

Great idea!

# re: An op for Microsoft to nail the low hanging fruit: Cloudify every app’s settings/config 1/28/2010 3:15 PM Mike

This app already exists, it is called google, and it really is cool.

Here is to hoping that MS follows the lead.

# re: An op for Microsoft to nail the low hanging fruit: Cloudify every app’s settings/config 1/28/2010 3:37 PM Alexander

Nice one! My Ribbon Hero configurations should be stored there, too :-D

# re: An op for Microsoft to nail the low hanging fruit: Cloudify every app’s settings/config 1/28/2010 4:43 PM mark

Windows Live Sync

# re: An op for Microsoft to nail the low hanging fruit: Cloudify every app’s settings/config 1/31/2010 12:08 PM Iain Wyatt

I have a memory of MS Office including something like this in 2003 or 2007 versions, but I can't see anything in the menus now. Would certainly make life easier. I have started created a list of the things to change as I do it so frequently...

# re: An op for Microsoft to nail the low hanging fruit: Cloudify every app’s settings/config 2/6/2010 5:30 AM Darren Neimke

Hear hear! I've been ranting on about this almost since Mesh was first released. Every 6 months or so when MS "genuinely ask for our feedback" it's top of my list.

Why they don't do this... I have no idea!

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