Windows 8: Further evidence of Online ID sync integration

By Tom Warren, on 28th Apr 11 9:06 am with 10 Comments

Windows 8 sync

Further evidence of Microsoft’s Online ID integration in Windows 8 has been revealed this week.

Microsoft is currently building cloud settings sync integration into the next generation of Windows. Earlier this week, details of a control panel item for “Roaming Options” were discovered under User Accounts. Windows8beta has posted further evidence of Microsoft’s Online ID integration. An out-of-box-experience (OOBE) dialog screen details the Windows account options setup screen that allows Windows 8 users to link their Online ID to the computer or simply create a local account.

The dialog box details the following:

  • Personalized settings for Windows
  • Personalized experiences for your programs
  • Automatic sign-in to your websites and programs
  • Easy online password recovery if you forget it

Microsoft is understood to be creating the ability to sync Windows settings into the cloud. The software giant will allow desktop wallpapers, language profiles, applications settings and more to sync to the cloud. Interestingly, the leaked screenshot does not reference Windows Live specifically so it’s possible that Microsoft may open the technology to third-party Cloud services such as Dropbox. This is pure speculation at this stage though.

Microsoft is currently working on various Windows 8 features and is expected to deliver an early copy to developers at its Windows Developer Conference (WDC) in September. Here’s a round-up of the latest Windows 8 news:

  • http://twitter.com/MichielPapp Michiel Papp

    How are ISP’s gonne react to the fact that more and more bandwith wil be used to transfer data to and from the cloud. I live in Belgium and we have stupid bandwith limitations here (5 months ago the max was 20gigs a month). You just know they are gonne charge us extra for all the cloud data comming trough.

    • http://twitter.com/oolong2 oolong2

      It’s about personal settings, configurations, bookmarks, etc. And it will take awhile for programs to be designed to take advantage of it. I’m sure Office and IE, Chrome, FireFox will be the first.

      Except for maybe the wallpaper Initially you’re probably looking at less bandwidth than it took to load this webpage…

      That said…. as with any new feature in Windows, if you don’t like or can’t use it, then don’t.

  • Insomniac

    Really? Only 20gig? What are you on, a wireless service?
    Europe is usually ahead with this kinda stuff.
    Here in Australia most of our ISP offer unlimited data plans, if not unlimited then usually 1TB a month.

    • http://twitter.com/MichielPapp Michiel Papp

      I was with one of the 2 big datacom operators. They have recently upped it to 100gig. We here in Belgium are getting scammed. It used to be 25 euros for 20 gig of bandwith and 5euro’s for 5 more gig. And when you went over the limit you got placed on smallband. Really crappy.

  • http://twitter.com/NoWorthWhile NoWorthWhile

    I tend to agree with Michiel, I live in Belgium as well, and my Provider (Telenet) offers for my internet service a 100GB cap, for 50€ a month.But, I don’t think that this “roaming” setting will take up a lot of bandwidth…

    IMHO, all it will take is a single .xml file with only text… I’m guessing 1MB (And that’s including the Desktop Background). But I could be wrong.

    • http://twitter.com/MichielPapp Michiel Papp

      I hope so to. But if it integrates a skydrive maybe MS want’s you to store your my documents on the cloud. Could be troublesome if you have some high rez holiday shot’s to transfer…….

      But i have faith in MS and their infinite problem solving skills. I hope they find a good way to balance all of this. Belgacom btw ;)

  • http://twitter.com/maciejbesler Maciej Besler

    And I thought Poles have it tough ;p We had tiered caps, depending on plan you’re paying for, for around 6 months, everyone was really pissed about it and pretty much all ISPs pulled it. Having limited broadband with VOD, Steam, GfWL and other HD temptations is just not an option anymore.

    I’ve been hoping this would come since Vista. It’s really the best thing they could’ve done – finally MSFT is beginning to realize their connected experience potential. If not for all these news I would’ve most certainly go the Android way. Probably the only thing that kept me with MS long enough (besides development) was this live mesh ad, where pic taken on WinMo would appear on xbox, laptop, pc and other winmo right after it was taken. Integrated experience. Ah.

  • Lumpy6

    Wow everytime I post a picture on mdl it ends up on here in a few hours. Fine with that though :)

  • http://twitter.com/TechDudeGeorge George S

    How would this work? All I’m guessing that if you have the setting on your computer, when logging in with a email account your computer will download a small temporary file from the cloud and adjust? If so, I like the idea. I’d make public computing nicer, just wish they did that in librarys and such instead of using their outdated Windows XP systems locked to their network.

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