Google Apps: Still Second Banana to Microsoft Office

Why Google Apps usage lags

Google docs is nice, but there are so many things wrong with it, that I would never advise any organization that needs to get serious work done to make it the primary word processor. If a place is on a really tight budget, OpenOffice is free, and it works well for most things.

Some examples of the problems that G-Docs faces:

Font size - Google only allows you to choose font sizes from it's drop down list. If you need to choose a different size (for instance, you need to keep to a certain maximum number of pages, but want the font as big as possible in that context), you are out of luck. It happens often enough to potentially be an issue.

Pagination - While you can add a hard page break, you must do it through the menu. Far, far worse, is the fact that there is no indicator anywhere of what page you are on, how long the document is, and where page breaks are. It's a major pain and makes it hard to work. Page numbers are also extremely limited - there is no way to format how page numbers will show up, use page x of y type notations, or put the page number as part of a header or footer.

No automated spell check - Unless you are using Firefox that means that documents WILL be saved without a spell check - people just forget to run it.

Poor table handling - You can only set a column as a percentage of the whole table, and you can't set the overall table width in inches or centimeters - only pixels and a percentage of the page. And, you can't use the mouse to adjust, either.

All of these, and many other, document handling issues pale, before the collaboration and organizational issues that face an organization then needs to deal with shared files.

Unlike any server - or even Windows / Mac / Linux computer, you cannot set up shared folders. So, if I personally put a client proposal into a folder called "client proposals" it won't show up that way for anyone else, because the folders I create are only for me and no one else sees them. So the file becomes one of a long list of files that have to be looked at. Search does not quite replace the need for some basic structure. The other part is that while sharing documents is easy enough to do, it's far too manual. On a shared system, if I save something in a shared folder, then anyone who has access to that folder will have access to the file, and others won't. So, people don't have to go through a process to make sure that everyone who needs access gets it; just save in the right place. What makes it worse is that you cannot designate groups and then assign permission based on the group (eg access to all members of the proposal review team).

Open Office, like MS Office, has it flaws, but has the basic functionality needed to create the a variety of documents is there, and it is reasonably modern in it's features, functionality and how it handles text, formatting, etc. Things like print preview, treating tabs as TABS not as spaces. It also takes advantage of the file structure for organizing and managing access to files. Google is light years behind on that.

Hmm, let me think. 50

Hmm, let me think.
50 Dollars per user per year, or a 1000 plus per user per year with Microsoft Office + Exchange + Sharepoint + Communications Server?

Google charges pennies compared to Microsoft, which is why they don't make as much money, they don't take advantage of people.

If you were to look at growth in number of customers and not dollars, your article might be a bit different.

I'm not a fan of microsoft

I'm not a fan of microsoft or any other company. I actually hated the way software has become bloatware nowadays. Just bad design and programming. But honestly, Office is light years ahead for google to catch up. The ability to do programming in office using VBA is just remarkable that any big business cannot just do without if they have been using MS office. I just hope that google can do something like this and the key is ease of use and simplicity but powerful. If no nobody can do it then it's still MS office and the bad thing is ... it's still a monopoly.

It Took Microsoft 20 Years

It took Microsoft 20 years and no competition to reach its current market share, and the reason 18-26 years olds are using it, more then anything else, is because they were forced into it the entire life.

What people need to understand is that Google is making huge leaps forward in getting the EDU sector on board and that is the exact same route MS took so many years ago, with great success. If you get people to grow up on your product they tend to stick with it.

The only thing different in this day and age is that there are many products to choose from and every single one of them are vastly more cost effective then Microsoft Office. Not only that but many are just as good, if not better, depending on whether you intend to be locked into Windows for the rest of your life.

The most important thing to remember is that once Microsoft launches its online version of office it will NOT be a replacement for the Office Suite, nor will it be any more feature rich then any other online office suite. Mostly because it can not be. Microsoft must make money on its office suite or it will die. Asking Microsoft to stop selling office is like asking Google to stop charging for Absence, it just won't happen.

Ok, so what will happen?

Microsoft will see there online version do well enough that it will start to take away from the sale of there bread and butter office suite, at which point they will be forced to charge enough to compensate for the loss. It is this compensation that is forcing Microsoft to work so hard to get into the Advertising market. It is the only way to make enough money to allow them to compete with a Free Google Apps solution.

At this point you must ask yourself "why pay for Microsoft's online version when Google or Zoho does the same and/or more for free?" Why indeed!

I think Microsoft's online version is going to do a lot to push more people to Google Apps. The only thing stopping the masses from moving to an online office solution is that they either do not know about them or are convinced they need all the bells and whistles of a desktop office suite. (which some people do but most do not)

The point is that once some one is convinced to try something "new" they will always be willing to try the local free version and there is no doubt in my mind that what Google has in place now will out shine any 1st effort Microsoft will make.

Google has a 4-5 year head start and it will show.

NOTE:

I run my business JiffyTune.com on Google Apps and have been for years. I do not have any other office suite installed on my computer and have never once needed one.

Nice try Preston, but your not fooling anybody

Ahhhh Preston, Microsoft's trained paid publicist monkey, it's just you. Back at it again doing Steve Ballmer's dirty work spreading lies about good old Google again. Where's your Christmas spirit you old Scrooge. Haha, for a moment when I read the headlines I was given a fright but now I know its you...well your just like reading The Onion, good for a laugh. Nowadays I like many others read your articles especially negative Google positive Microsoft ones and just simply turn it around, in the opposite direction. Good try Preston, but you no longer pull the wool over anybody's eyes. What you should do is save your articles for a good Microsoft pep rally when all the delusional Microsoft employees are gathered together for their kumbaya and Ballmer the entertainer is jumping around on stage like a monkey. Oh, and do try to have a Merry Christmas. Since you've been such a bad boy for so long, I hope Santa Claus shows some mercy and doesn't stick a lump of coal in your stocking, or even worse, a Zune. Oh my.