Google Introduces Spreadsheet Software
Why is a search company introducing a spreadsheet program? Because you can place ads in the software, that's why.
Today Google will announce it is introducing a new spreadsheet application. Analysts believe the software will provide the search giant with additional locations in which to publish paid advertising.
The move, of course, will place Google squarely in competition with Microsoft. The two rivals have often danced around one another's businesses, but Google's debuting a new spreadsheet tool is more than a shot across the bow; it's a calculated missile launched straight at the middle of Microsoft's behemoth Office freighter.
My question is why would anyone use Google's spreadsheet program when OpenOffice.org's Calc offers such a potent Excel alternative with no advertising? Calc, of course, is distributed free and is very well developed and maintained by the open source community.
Is Calc too unwieldy? Is it too difficult to download and install? Or is its footprint (size on the hard drive) too great?
Maybe folks will turn to Google's spreadsheet application simply because it's from Google and there's a sense among many that Google's cool and trendy. I don't know. I guess I'd be more excited if the new spreadsheet application were being released by 37signals, whose free (or low-cost) Ta-Da List, Writeboard, Backpack and other applications are truly innovative (and ad-free).
Today Google will announce it is introducing a new spreadsheet application. Analysts believe the software will provide the search giant with additional locations in which to publish paid advertising.
The move, of course, will place Google squarely in competition with Microsoft. The two rivals have often danced around one another's businesses, but Google's debuting a new spreadsheet tool is more than a shot across the bow; it's a calculated missile launched straight at the middle of Microsoft's behemoth Office freighter.
My question is why would anyone use Google's spreadsheet program when OpenOffice.org's Calc offers such a potent Excel alternative with no advertising? Calc, of course, is distributed free and is very well developed and maintained by the open source community.
Is Calc too unwieldy? Is it too difficult to download and install? Or is its footprint (size on the hard drive) too great?
Maybe folks will turn to Google's spreadsheet application simply because it's from Google and there's a sense among many that Google's cool and trendy. I don't know. I guess I'd be more excited if the new spreadsheet application were being released by 37signals, whose free (or low-cost) Ta-Da List, Writeboard, Backpack and other applications are truly innovative (and ad-free).
posted by Erik Eckel at 10:11 AM
2 Comments:
Maybe because you can - if you trust them, and I'll let others dwell on the privacy aspects - host your spreadsheet on the web so can access it anywhere, from any machine.
One other reason I'm using it is simplicity. This is an application that threatens databases not just Microsoft. Why develop a web-database application when a simple google spreadsheet will do the job more quickly and easily? Especially if you're familiar with Excel or Calc, but don't want to start coding PHP and mySQL.
Nick,
Those are great points! Thanks for sharing your opinion. It appears well thought-out.
For basic spreadsheet uses, Google's tool may work fine. But with OpenOffice ported to numerous operating systems, it remains my preference.
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