Google Spreadsheets: A First Look is a good overview of
Google Spreadsheets from ZDNet UK. Note that Google Spreadsheets is a
Limited Test from Google, so there are limited spaces on a first-come, first-served basis.
This is (IMHO) an interesting development - we all knew it was coming, but not in what form. I like the fact that they don't seem to be aiming for Microsoft Excel, but I am definitely in their target user base.
Let me explain: I use MS Office at work, on Windows, mainly because it's there (I know, I know, I should use
OpenOffice.org, and I do at home). I am not a power user in any sense; I create documents with basic formatting (titles, headers, footers, tables etc.) and the odd embedded image. I also create spreadsheets for basic data tabulation and simple calculations. I don't use SharePoint services or Outlook, and use no advanced collaboration facilities at all.
Very occasionally, I'll create a PowerPoint presentation that is a simple slideshow. That's it.
Now, at home, I use OpenOffice on Linux and
iWork or
NeoOffice on the Mac. Including MS Office, that's three office suites for one basic user (me). Even worse, I need to pay for MS Office or iWork for every machine on which I install them.
If I were a heavyweight user of Office suites, then it might be worthwhile me paying hundreds or thousands of pounds to have MS Office on every machine I use, but I'm not. OpenOffice is really good, but in the main is still overkill for my lightweight use at home, which basically consists of writing the odd letter and doing the occasional home finances spreadsheet.
Google Spreadsheets is therefore potentially a killer app for me: it has a zero-byte install footprint, is automatically available on any machine I use and keeps my data stored for me online, so I can pick up where I left off no matter where I log in.
This is the crunch; I don't
need much more power than this in a spreadsheet program; it's free and it's ultimately portable. Seriously; why would someone like me pay upwards of £200 to Microsoft to be able to do simple spreadsheets and documents on one machine, when I will soon be able to do them on any machine for free with Google tools? (Google will no doubt be doing something tasty with
writely soon to cover the word-processing angle). Then, for the odd occasion when I might be concerned about data privacy/security or need a more powerful tool, there's OpenOffice or NeoOffice on whichever machines I choose.
Gmail has already become a facet of my daily work environment, pretty much by the back door. I started using it as a secondary mail address to see what the fuss was about, but after getting used to it it became clear that it was by far the best webmail system available (and free, and with massive storage). I now use it as a mail client to which a number of my addresses forward all mail, and routinely use it on multiple platforms. In fact, I
only use Gmail from some of the computers I routinely use. I can see Google Spreadsheets and Writely going the same way, and then users like me really won't need MS Office any more.
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digg storyOh, and one other interesting tidbit is that Google have released
Picasa for Linux, apparently using WINE to run the Windows version.
