Playing Catch Up 1

For years various pundits have been talking about how applications would be moving out onto the web and that the software suites we are used to will go the way of the Dodo. Well Google documents marks a move in that direction but, to me anyway, it doesn’t yet serve as a viable replacement for MS Office or even Open Office.

It does have some things to offer that or not available from competitors. For one I really like that I can access the files I am working on from any internet connected computer. I don’t have to carry anything with me at all. It also lends itself to collaboration since the files can be manipulated by anyone who has access. And of course it is free. This makes it an option for libraries who would like to save money on software as well as provide a way for users to work on files without opening the library network up.

Unfortunately, while providing a way to Google Docs is not nearly as robust as the suites you install on your computer. While Google Docs has some spell checking capability it lacks the grammar checking and thesaurus of MS. It also does not have nearly as many formatting options. Of course the question you have to ask yourself is whether the bells and whistles are worth the hundreds of dollars that Office will cost you.

All in all Google Docs is a nice tool for those on the go or those who do not want to pony up the cash for Office. In the library it comes in handy by allowing patrons to work on documents without have to save them on a flash drive (which always seem to be left behind).