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Another Google App, Another Google Yawn.
An intereting read over at eWeek on Google’s announcment this week about the release of their web based spreadsheet app. I’ll be up front and say I haven’t used it though will go check it out if my application to test is successful and give my views back here. From the eWeek article though, it’s good to hear what I think is a fairer comparison – web productivity apps vs. Microsoft Works. To compare it to Microsoft Office really doesn’t do Office any justice nor is it fair on Google, or indeed OfficeLive. Different audience with different feature requirements I woudl say. Office is a suite that has been developed over the last 15 years in to something that is an incredibly functional product – almost too functional you could argue and though web development if moving apace with technologies like AJAX neither our own developments here or other productivity apps are really going to be in the same league as rich client apps – and I’m including Open Office which does a pretty decent job. Maybe I’ll be proved wrong but right now the gap is about to get even wider as Office 2007 brings what some would argue is the competitive advantage of web apps – simplicity. With the ribbon technology in Office 2007 the thousands of features that you never knew were there get exposed with more context to what you are doing. It takes some getting used to but it’s very cool IMHO.
More of this is coming soon with a PTS-TV entry from Steve Marsh.