This week we’ll be looking at online office tools – web based applications that mirror the functions of Microsoft Office programs like Word, Excel and Powerpoint. The market leader in this kind of online software is Docs, a suite of applications developed by Google. To see Google Docs compared to other online office suites, click here. What you get with Google Docs is a set of simplified spreadsheet, word processing and presentation tools, which are all web based and therefore not reliant on using the same computer or the same computer based operating system (like Windows) to be able to access your documents. Like wikis, there is also a strong collaborative element to Docs – you can invite people to edit or view your documents, comment on each other’s edits and, as all versions are saved online, you can always revert back to a previous draft if you’re not happy. As the document owner, you can also be notified via email when any changes are made to your work.
Google Docs represents a free and easy way of working and collaborating online, without being tied to the same desktop PC. There are arguments about the safety and security of storing important documents online, as your saved work is reliant on Google’s servers staying up, but Google Docs have evidently given Microsoft something to worry about, as they’re about to roll out Office 2010, a free, lightweight online version of Office. Sound familiar?
If this grabs your interest, have a look at some of the other free online office style applications which are available:
Wordle - creates ‘word clouds’ that pick out the most used words in a piece of writing or set of data.
Jing – free screen capture technology – take screen shots or make videos of what’s on your computer screen.
Thinkmap and Many Eyes – for complex data visualisation
Slideshare – upload and share slide presentations
Open Office – another free office suite – word processing, spreadsheets etc
Google Calendar – does exactly what it says on the tin
