Windows Live SkyDrive is RTW.

How would you like some free file storage space up on the Internet?  That's what the new Windows Live service called "Windows Live SkyDrive" is all about. 

SkyDrive has been in beta for several months, and just the other day it was announced that it is RTW, or Released-To-Web.  And better than the 1 GB you got during the beta, you now get 5 GB of space available for you to do whatever you please with it. 

"What's it cost?"

NOTE: Microsoft Salespeople - please stop reading at this point.  

Okay.. are they gone?  Good.  They hate it when I use this four-letter word:  F R E E.  Yep.  No cost.  Just use it. 

I like the idea of using this as a place to put bigger files that you need to share with someone.  If it's too big to e-mail, you just put up on your hosted location, and grant access.  I'll probably use it to start sharing my photos, though eventually I'll use Windows Home Server to host those.  Or, someday hopefully, Flickr.  (Still hopeful)

You can go here for more information.  And here is the SkyDrive Team Blog.

"Sweet! Any downsides, Kevin?"

The only thing I wish were different is that there is a limit on the file size you can upload.  Files have to be smaller than 50MB.  That isn't enough, in my opinion. 

Have you tried it? What do you think?