Thing #13

Google Docs is a free word processor available with a Google account. Through Google Docs, you can create word documents, spreadsheets, and even presentations. This seems to be the first step by Google to take on a territory traditionally dominated by Microsoft Office.

I have mixed feelings towards Google Docs. From my experience with the word processor, it seems like a good start; albeit a little less powerful and a little less refined than Microsoft Word. I felt the same way about the slideshow and spreadsheet applications - they were good, but their features were not up to the standards of MS Office. However, I have heard rumors of a major update in the works for Google Docs....only time will tell if it can match the features of MS Word.

On the other hand, there are many areas where Google Docs exceeds its desktop partner. For example, you can upload your documents and share them with others - this way, others can easily view and edit the document. It also saves the documents online - this means that there is no need to keep up with a flashdrive or hunt for it on your hard drive. Once you have created tons of documents, you can even search for them by keyword via a handy search function. Do these pros outweigh the cons? I think that online document creation is certainly the wave of the future. Once Google gets their features up to the standard of MS Office, I will certainly make the migration. Until then, I better keep up with my flashdrive...where did I put that thing???

What do you think? Have you migrated to Google Docs or Zoho yet? Do plan to? Do you think they reflect the wave of the future?