Google Docs gets an overhaul
I just visited Google Docs, and it looks like they had a make-over only a few hours ago. TechCrunch picked up on this and blogged about it.
It certainly was a surprise to see the changes at first. I used Google Docs back in the day, when it was still Writely (and I conversed with the team fairly regularly, giving suggestions, some which were implemented and still are.) So, I was used to the old view.
This new look incorporates folders, which are new, as well as tags, which existed before. Does this mean that tags aren’t working out as well as Google had hoped? TechCrunch poses the question to Gmail to see if they will also implement folders. I personally much prefer Google’s ‘labels’, as they call it, which are essentially just tags. I like these because they give me all the flexibility in the world, and I’m sure most of you who have worked with tags before know what I’m talking about.
It’s nice to see that Google still gives care to these products. I’m waiting for the day when I can finally ditch MS Office for good and move completely to Google Docs. They implemented graphs in Google Spreadsheets not too long ago, and that was one major step forward, but without the powerful features that Microsoft Excel has, Google Docs & Spreadsheets still has some ways to go before being more than a convenience for me.
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Cool, I noticed the favicon had changed last night when I was checking a document but it must have been just before they put the changes in place. When viewing a document their doesn’t seem to be any difference from before. They just acquired a start-up called Zenter which is like the Google Docs for presentations (online Power-Point), so they may be adding presentation capability in the near future.
Although google docs is super useful, I disagree with people who say it is a threat to Microsoft office. Browser-based applications will never be as powerful as desktop applications. The good news is that 90% of the time, online apps are as powerful as you need, but you still need a desktop office product for when this is the case.
Folders, in this case, are more akin to tags or [Gmail] labels as opposed to the traditional pc folder because a file can reside in more than one folder at any time which makes it more dynamic. Google simply changed the name from tags to folders which is a smart move on their part in terms of achieving greater adoption [of "Google Office"]. People are used to and comfortable with the folder based directory structure where as tags are less familiar. It’s more of a marketing thing rather than a new feature.
I do however like the new interface and the new sorting options.
Paul, I think your addressing two different issues.
I disagree with you when you say web apps will never be as powerful as desktop apps. With the release of GoogleGears, the problem of no connectivity is solved. I’m sure Google is working hard to produce a Gears addon to all their online apps including docs&spreadsheets which will surely include a syncing feature. It’s only a matter of time until web technology catches up to the desktop to allow for the development of apps and features that are just as powerful.
The issue of whether Docs&Spreadsheets will be a threat to Office has less to do with features than it does to do with adoption and Microsoft’s hold on its customers. If Google can assure security and create a more valuable offering for that market, then I think they could break Microsoft’s hold. I’m not sure how strong their relationship with customers are for their search technology but it wouldn’t surprise me to see them extend beyond that and sell a “complete enterprise solution” in the next 5 to 10 years.
The problem is that Google can only make a web-based solution as powerful as web browsers will allow it to be. Both IE and FireFox allow HTML editing features, which Google Docs takes advantage of. But print documents require a different feature set than web pages, so the advanced features (for example, reverse text) simply won’t work for a web-based solution because you are limited to the browser’s rendering system which is not very powerful.) Sure these features may be added to the browser over time (I believe SVG supports reverse text, and it works in FF and Opera), but Microsoft has no motivation to improve their own browser – they already own the market and every Windows PC comes with IE installed. If Google wants to take docs to the same level as MS Office (which I have heard they don’t), they will need to cross over to the desktop at some point.
The interface is an interesting one for Google – it looks far different then the spartan one of Gmail, and looks more similar to Yahoo’s Mail client in that it more closely resembles a desktop application. Could this indicate the Gmail might one day look different?
Certainly that would be a big change for its users, so I’d be surprised it they did it anytime soon. (I would assume more people use Gmail than use Docs)
I’m not sure if the move to making web-apps more “desktop like” is a good thing or a bad one, but one thing is for sure – it’ll make the transition from one to the other more seamless for users.