Microsoft gives users 500MB

OK, it is not much online storage probably enough for that novel you don't want to lose and your wedding snaps, but it is free.

Vole is experimenting with an early, "beta" version of the Web-based file storage system. It is available to 5,000 people in its latest effort to increase its online services and deal with challenges from Google. It will be released to more people later this summer.

Vole's service allows users to keep files private or share them with people they know or with anyone on the Web.

Vole has dubbed the service "Windows Live Folders" although it will probably have a more interesting name when it launches.

However the MB allowance is so piffling that it is unlikely that many will bother. AOL gives punters 5 gigabytes of free online storage.

Yahoo recently began offering unlimited storage for e-mail, and Google's Gmail offers nearly 3 GB. Even Vole gives 2GB for e-mail.

More here. µ