Will You Be Dumping Your Desktop For Google Apps?

[delivi 0]

With Google ferociously attacking the desktop of Microsoft, the larger question right now is how many existing Microsoft customers will change to using Google's web-based alternatives and how many new office productivity customers will never know Microsoft Office and will instead use Google's Writely (word processor), Google Spreadsheet and Google Gmail/Google Calendar. These three web-based Google apps are significant attacks on Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, respectively. Or, are they?
A few caveats need to be mentioned here. One: a Google customer must be online to use Google's web-based applications. There is, not yet, a way to access Google's apps without having an Internet connection. But hey, aren't we all connected at high-speed all the time these days? Most of us are, but the few times we may not be does not mean we don't need access to our precious data.

Two: the in-depth and enterprise-wide design of Microsoft's apps, all of which can reside on a central server, are absolutely required for many millions of enterprises. Google's apps, so far, cannot come close to matching the intricate needs of an enterprise when it comes to detailed spreadsheets and manageable email and calendaring. I say "yet" because I am sure Google will not rest on its laurels with the current condition of its web-based alternatives.

Source : Blogging Stocks

[rldowling03 0]

Well I enjoy the google web apps but as it said Most of us are on high speed internet, well im not I am stuck on Dial up, becuase my parents refuse to pay $5 less than they do now to get 10 times as much downloads with no carges for excess where as now we pay alot for excess. Well anyway i use Mocrosoft products, mostly Word, basically on a daily basis. I use Gmail nearly everyday and it much quicker and easier than Hotmail or any web based email for that matter. But one problem I face is as the programs Microsoft make (Office) the specs you need on your computer get more demanding, and I have a low spec computer, 128MB ram, ~333Mhz Intel processor, and as it is it is struggling to use most Office applications at their best but Word is fine. Well I most probably wont use Any of googles online based services, except the Google Reader (I think it;s what it's called, The RSS feed reader) and I use notepad for when I absolutely need to store some info that i write in large amounts. Well thats my 2 cents on this matter.

[Plenoptic 0]

Well you know I'm sure that Google will probably start taking over the desktops for many people. For myself though I don't really need all those applications. Usually I just use the search engine and I only use the others when needed. It isn't like everyday I'm going to look up a place to go, or translate something (although maybe I will when school starts). I am pretty satisfied with my Microsoft programs and don't really feel like I need to replace them with Google although when Google takes over the world I'll have to (J/K) Unless I really find something I need in Google Applications then I won't be using them personally but I'm sure so many people will be.

[Dragonfly 0]

Well right now things have not changed much. Since Microsoft is the most popular operating system around their default installation comes with many things and many users have no much choices except to have those applications. But I will definitely welcome if Google comes up with any operating system that will be competitive enough with Microsoft OS. So far Linux is good but not upto Microsoft. So, Microsoft continues to enjoy the ride for now. Things should change in another 7 to 10 years from now.

[Goth_Punk 0]

My internet way 2 slow 4 the google apps

[dontmaimyourself 0]

Currently no, the main things stopping me are (in order of importance) I don't really need to use a lot of Desktop applications of this nature i.e. Word/Writely, Excel/Google Spreadsheets, my current lack of broadband makes certain Google applications too slow (Maps mainly, again I have little need for that), I rarely need the collaboration aspects of said online office applications.The one glaring exception however has to be Gmail (imho the best Google application outside of its core search functionality) indeed if MS would let me forward my Windows Live Mail email to Gmail I would not use another applications for email (currently it's Gmail and Windows Live Mail Desktop Beta, occasionally Opera's built in mail client M2).However the cross platform and accessibility aspects (i.e. the files are accessible from anywhere) do appeal to me and if I did need to use these types of applications more often I would certainly look Google's way for a solution, plus given the way Google applications evolve what seem to be low powered applications today may one day grow into a full on Google Office that may rival Word. But currently if you are looking to dump Word the only alternative I can offer is Open Office.org 2.0 (well that and I'm still waiting on my Writely invitation)

[Alexius 0]

It seems more and more that Google is beginning to monopolize the industry.

[FLaKes 0]

Well, its just that google offers better and innovative services. I remember when gmail just came out and people were battling with their 2 mb hotmail accounts. Everybody was just fighting for an invitation. Their services are the best. They really dont have competition. Who else gave you a google earth back then? well free google earth. Who else gave you a 2 gb mail box back then? not to mention the other services they have and the other ones to come. And to think that it all started on just a search engine.