Friday, June 13, 2008

First document in Google Docs

This is my first document in Google Docs. It's pretty cool. I wonder how it handles spelling errors? Oh, it has a nice "Tools" menu with spell checker. I'm sure to use that plenty!

I wonder how they created this thing? I bet it has a shit load of JavaScript in it. I've also heard that Google likes to use Flash. While I don't see anything that looks like Flash, it would not surprise me if there was some Flash in this bugger.

Look, it says "BETA." BETA stands for "if this application does not work, it's not our fault. It's a beta. It's suppose to break. So don't get pissed at us."

You know what I can't get out of my mind? Why would I spend $250 for Microsoft Office, when this thing is free? To be honest, I think Office is in trouble.

Well that's about it. I'm pretty impressed with Google Docs. I'm going to give it a try next time I use a Word Processor.

Oh, one more thing. I'm automatically publishing this to my Blog using the "Publish" option in Google Docs. Pretty cool!

5 comments:

bosshart said...

Good post. My sister works in Marketing/PR for a software outfit in Austin, TX. They have a branded google solution for email, calendars, documents, and presentations. Its pretty sweet. Yes, MS is in deep shit.

Mac Noland said...

Cool! What's the company name?

Do you use Google Docs? What are your thoughts on the "offline" feature? Does that work well?

Scooter said...

Do google docs integrate with some sort of process/workflow/approval system as well? I don't think the value behind Office 2007 is in the basic functionality any more - that is becoming standardized. I think the value proposition is in the integration capabilities (project, sharepoint, etc). Those might be superceded somewhere down the road as well, and they don't apply to the casual user - but I don't think the casual user is MS's market anymore except in as much as those casual users use Office at home because they use it at work.

bosshart said...

Sorry, I forgot about this.

My sister works for Versata (http://www.versata.com/), she is the head, and sole member of, their Marketing/PR department. ITs a cool company, check it:
- they took all their employees and their families to Disney World this year for their company retreat.
- they have a kitchen stocked weekly with food (organic if your into that sort of thing) and beer, free.
- she works from home 50% of the time.

Down side is that they work your ass off.

Good point Scooter, she uses their google solution for her work but my guess is that that their Project Managers can't use it. Although the casual user may not be a MS Office target market anymore, but its not because MS gave them up, its because MS was complacent in what it thought was an impenetrable market and then Google came along and ate their lunch. I think google is well positioned to continue to erode the MS Office market and have a good shot at the corporate market too.

Mac Noland said...

I agree with Bosshart, Google will eat MS's lunch in the Office product world.

If I was starting a company today, which I'm not by the way, I'd take a good long look at Google Docs.