Google Online Office Suite Gets Closer

[Slimy]

Google took one step closer to launching an oft-rumored online Office suite Wednesday by combining its Writely word processor with Google Spreadhseets to form Google Docs & Spreadsheets - a new offering that analysts say is only a start.

In order to make the Web applications easier to use, Google has reworked both Writely and Spreadsheets to use a single login and a unified listing of documents. Docs & Spreadsheets requires no download and works within a Web browser, with the ability to export documents into a number of offline formats.

"The combination of documents and spreadsheets is a natural one. I think of documents as right-brain (a blank canvas for free-form writing) and spreadsheets as left-brain (a structured framework for lists and data)," wrote product manager Jen Mazzon on the new D&S blog.

"Different people use one or the other for the same thing. For example, if you were compiling a shopping list, would you prefer to do it in a document or a spreadsheet? I'd use a document ... you might use a spreadsheet."

Perhaps most importantly, the service is completely free of charge. This, says Jupiter Research senior analyst Joe Wilcox, is what should concern Microsoft, even if Google is unlikely to affect sales of the company's ubiquitous Office suite anytime soon.

"The bundle offers features that are fairly commoditized anyway. I see definite appeal for some consumers and even some small businesses. But I also would contend those potential Google Docs & Spreadsheet users probably wouldn't buy Office anyway," explained Wilcox.

"Google is just playing with Microsoft's (hive) mind. Scaring the troops. Sleight-of-handing the managers," remarked fellow Jupiter analyst David Card. "Consumers don't use spreadsheets. No thinking IT manager would sign off on replacing Excel with a Web-based spreadsheet."

But Wilcox contends that Google is unlikely to stop with just word processing and spreadsheets, and its arsenal of consumer services could be pulled together to form a compelling productivity suite.

"I absolutely see the makings of a consumer Web-based productivity suite with Google products Calendar, Docs, Gmail, Picasa and Spreadsheets. Picasa would be the equivalent of PowerPoint, as I presume that the presentations most consumers make are photo slideshows for family, friends and some other folks. I know of small businesses that have swapped out Outlook for Google Calendar and Gmail."

That doesn't mean, however, that Microsoft should attempt to compete with its own online productivity tools, Wilcox says. "If there is Google competition here, for now, it's more the fear Google might have or will have an Office competitor...Microsoft should worry more about Microsoft and less about Google."

Source

[guruparan]

Do anyone knew..how much KB of information is uploaded & downloaded when we use online Web2 applications!...It sucks...Cost of the Bandwidth can be used to buy a new office 2007, which is FAR more better than the Google online apps..

Do any one think, how well can google compared to ATLEAST office 97, thousands of macro, api's where inbuilt..

In our company we use excel for its flexibility, which none of other apps (like staroffice or openoffice doesnt give support too!)...

[Ambroos]

It is full of bugs!

Try this one (in IE7):

Type some text

Set the size to 36pt

insert any image below it (on the line below the text)

watch your image to hide the lower part of your text :)

About Microsoft Office: There are people who don't like it, but i used every single version since 97 and all the 2007 beta's, and i need to say i never found a bug! (Even not in the dogfood office 12 build)

[guruparan]

It is full of bugs!

Hmm....googlers check it...it is FULL of bugs..!

I will stick to my office 2003 (& 2007 after RTM!)

[jordan.]

Ok, so this may be no replacement to your regular office software (i.e. MS Office, OpenOffice etc.), but I don't think that is what it was meant for anyway. I think the target user of this project is simply people who want to do collaborative work quickly and easily. Or at least thats what it should be.

[sundayx Veteran]

dont forget theres always room for improvements

[Nashy]

While its a good idea at heart, I don't think anything will ever compete with MS Office, its just too complete.

[RootWind]

This is what I want:

A normal software solution, that can connect to a central server (that you also own). The server also hosts a web-based access to the data so you can also work when you are away.

Like how Exchange server works with Outlook and Outlook Web Access.

[Ambroos]

I use UltraVNC to connect at school to my pc :) (Just because the stupid old school pc's have Office 97 and i can't work with that!

[psyko_x]

Good effort but you know what would kill this thing in 1 second? If MS added their own version with basic Office functionality. Actually they should add that to their collection of live services. Even if there's very little demand for that kind of thing it would totally negate Google's efforts simply because it is THE industry standard and everyone knows MS office.

I think Google's acquisition of youtube could end up being an excellent business decision, but they need to start thinking outside the box again. The company's growing so fast and has so much cash it doesn't know what to do with it. They really should expand beyond web services. Besides their search engine, none of their products really overshadow the competition in any way. MS's live services should be a formidable challenge to Google's offerings when they get out of beta.

Edited October 12, 2006 by psyko_x

[eilegz]

well its only for emergency uses i mean in a place where no office and its hard to dl open office.

Well lest hope that microsoft make microsoft works into live!

[Pallab]

I regularly use writely for writing my blog posts.

[Lare2]

dont forget theres always room for improvements

:yes: specially with google, this will be in beta for around 18 years that's for sure, so they'll have enough time for improvements :rofl: