14 DAY TRIAL // A new, updated SkyDrive website is now available for the over 100 million people who already gave the service a try, promising a faster experience, easier navigation, along with optimizations for today's modern browsers and HTML5. The new SkyDrive should have been already rolled out for all users, but, provided that not all users had access to its new features, an overview of the updated SkyDrive can be seen in the video embedded at the bottom.
One of the main focuses in the new SkyDrive was to ensure that it will offer a fast and fluid experience in today's modern browsers. Since SkyDrive was launched in 2007, a complete revamp was necessary to ensure that.
“While we have always focused on improving the performance of our websites, it was clear that we had reached a point where the kinds of performance gains we were hoping for would not come without an assessment of our entire experience from the ground up,” Omar Shahine, Group Program Manager, SkyDrive.com, explains.
Some of the improvements the new SkyDrive comes with include faster navigation when folders and photo albums are involved, HTML5 Video, CSS3, and client rendered experiences, as well as the removal of all elements that were slowing the site down.
On top of that, Windows 7 users browsing with Internet Explorer 9 have now the possibility to pin SkyDrive to the taskbar, which should ensure faster access to various files.
With the new version of the site, users will find it easier to navigate through content, without having to click too many times to get to specific files, as before.
Ads were removed to create more room for a pane of info on user's files, and the entire look and feel of the site is now consistent with Windows.
Recent documents can be easily accessed through clicking on the Quick views entry or on SkyDrive in the header.
Viewing of photos in SkyDrive was changed as well, delivering an immersive, fast experience in a clean, rich view that fills the browser.
“When you select an album, the new mosaic layout displays your pictures in a way that lets you see all your photos in their original aspect ratio. We create thumbnails that reflect the way you took the picture, whether it be a portrait, a landscape, or a panorama shot,” Omar Shahine explains.
Using CSS3 Transitions, the thumbnails are rearranged when the browser window size is modified. Support is already present in Firefox 4+, Chrome X+, and in IE 10+.
SkyDrive also offers infinite scrolling now, along with a HTML5-powered album viewer (which can deliver a great experience on browsers that feature accelerated graphics), and support for playback of H.264 videos (up to 100 MB). The new enhancements are available for SkyDrive groups as well.
“The SkyDrive team hopes you enjoy these improvements. This release represents the beginning of a lot of things we’re excited to bring you, and we’re looking forward to shedding more light on those features as they take shape,” Omar Shahine concludes.
