This is *very* true in corporate environments – where it’s just too easy to test something or put something in “pilot” without the usual funding & approval processes.
While this comes as a surprise to nobody, I just want to challenge Microsoft to build a browser that I want to switch *back* to. IE7 was not it, and I know they can do it.
While some will look at the numbers and say “failure”. The reality is that the numbers indicate that online apps have an astounding opportunity for growth. With Google, Zoho, THinkfree and others racing to provide quality products.
Hey there, ho there – with the current mini-meme of online office app’s getting a bit more attention, I thought I’d give ’em another go. That is, I have used all the major ones in the past year and a half, but have mostly come back to Microsoft Office.
Of course, I truly need MS Office Pro – my clients need documents in Word, drawings in Visio, sheets in Excel, projects in Project, you get the point. So I can’t get rid of Office anytime soon.
However, I can move my needs to the web. This is nothing new as I’ve done thisbefore, and will continue to look at both online & offline solutions for the tasks at hand. What’s interesting is that, most of my existing data is already online. Either in Zoho or Google Docs, I’ve already migrated my “old” data to either one of these services.
Now, some of these posts today talk about the numbers of users, and how these must be an example of the lack of interest by the user community. While it may be true in many instances, my belief is that the applications are just now becoming really comparable to desktop-based solutions. I do think that there is a big future for online app’s, and as more tools like Adobe AIR and Microsoft Silverlight are incorporated, there is very little limit to the things that can be done as a service.
The pieces are already in place, I’m switching back to online app’s instead of Office for my personal use. With the advent of things like Zoho Notebook – even my need of Microsoft OneNote can be addressed.
How about you? Do you use online app’s on a regular basis, just dabble, or avoid these like the plague?
Other people talking about online office app’s & suites today:
I’ll admit my original interest in having a Facebook profile was part of the fad. Going along with all the other cool kids at the time, racing towards that socially-connected future that promises so much.
Along the way, I’ve been duped by nearly every cockamamie “app” that’s been launched on Facebook. Or at least it seems that way. Very few have been of any real use. Most were a large waste of my time.
So I just wanted to let my Facebook “friends” know I’m stripping out all the useless Facebook apps from my profile. My intention is not to insult anyone who’s invited me to use an app. My plan is simply to trim down the mess, clutter, and useless apps so I can actually make sense of my Facebook page again. And no, I won’t be accepting new apps that don’t add real value.
Are all those apps really bringing you any value beyond entertainment?
It’s perfectly natural, and something that we’ve wanted for some time. Using the Google login for their online properties was the first step (and not finished mind you), but integrating the GMail address book, and adding basic sharing options is a huge step.
When we talk about social networks connecting people, we rarely take a close look at the tools in question. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Pownce, Jaiku, LinkedIn, Plaxo… these are all tools – and so are the Google services. Having some best-of-breed, and some adequate online tools be able to provide sharing capabilities is a huge improvement. It’s much better to add sharing tools to these apps rather than try to build new one’s in someone else’s sandbox.
For me, using Google apps (and Yahoo and MSN/Live apps) every day, I’m looking forward to finding ways to enhance communication and productivity because of these new features. In my opinion, it’s this type of evolution of “social networking” that will become more useful to businesses as well as individuals.
As business-relevant social networking tools become incorporated into the software that businesses use, that’s when you’ll see perceptions of social networking change.
