This is what I did:
1. Opened WM5Storage on the device, Activated as Removable Class DSK1: /SD Memory Card
2. Connected to computer running XP
3. In XP, navigated to the new removable storage (Drive G
and created a new briefcase.
4. Using click and drag, copied multiple network files and one folder with enclosed files into the briefcase.
5. Disconnected the device and Deactivated WM5Storage
6. Made changes to files on both the device and the network.
7. Activated WM5Storage and connected the device.
8. In XP, navigated to the briefcase, clicked "Update All", and implemented the changes.
Benefits:
1. This allows relatively simple "synchronization" of multiple files and folders that may exist at several different locations on your computer network, not just in the "synchronized files" folder on the local computer, to which ActiveSync is limited.
2. Because the files are saved to the storage card rather to Main Memory, you can carry more and larger files without cramping your limited device storage.
Limitations:
1. At least for MS Office files, this works best for one-way syncing only - that is updating files on the device that have been modified on the network. I've never been real happy going the other way around - except for fairly simple documents and spreadsheets, the pocket office applications just truncate too much.
2. Unlike Activesync, the briefcase updating does not convert the files to pocket versions, so this process won't work for applications that rely on that conversion. (I don't know of any apps that do. I tested unconverted Word and Excel files as well as pdfs and jpgs, and they opened fine on the device. In fact, I like how Office Mobile allows you to edit the unconverted documents and warns you of the file incompatibility when you close them, allowing you to cancel or save-as.)
3. To create files on the device and have them automatically updated to the network, you need to make sure they are included in a synchronized folder inside the briefcase.
Besides a few business-critical files, I might experiment with how this works with music files, since I've never trusted activesync with media.