Mon 5th Nov, 2007 - Becoming a Google Addict
Wow, it’s been a while since my last post. Anyways, I’ve been using Google Apps like crazy. Docs, Calendar, Gmail, Reader, Picasa, heck I should move this bolg over to blogger. Today I want to focus on Google Docs and Calendar.
Google Docs
Google Docs is amazing, I don’t have to worry about “did I copy that document to my usb?” or “is that file stored in my desktop or laptop, which one is the latest edit?” I edit directly, plus I can export to many different program formats (word, openoffice, pdf, rtf, txt) I would’ve never imagined an online app could replace a program running locally. I was recently editing a spreadsheet and I decided to give Docs a go. The webapp behaves exactly like it’s Windows counterpart, at least according to my needs which are pretty basic. With Documents, it takes a little getting used to. Not everything is available in the menu bar and since I include a lot of images in my documents, uploading them takes just a bit more effort. The thing is all of that all theses webapps are free. How does Google do it?? I have not tried presentation but that is next on my list and pretty sure I won’t be disappointed.
Calendar
Another piece of amazing programming. I’m a person who tries to remember dates by hard or I jot them down in the nearest piece of paper I can find. Calendar has reformed my ways. How you ask?? Simplicity. I have my Gmail / Reader window open 90% of the time I’m browsing, in either window I have quick access to Calender, I just click, write in my event, get on with life. Plus I can set it so I get an email reminder of the event in Gmail, the only thing I look at regularly. Yes my friends, it’s that Google mentality of making things simple that has won me over (also the free part.)
gOS
An operating system based on Ubuntu called gOS included in some computers sold by ****mart. It includes a direct link to most Google apps and it’s geared toward that Web 2.0 integration. Now imagine if Google were to release an operating system…they already did, the only thing is it came in software web 2.0 based bundles…
Last I checked (and it was a while ago) Zoho Writer was a bit more robust but not system-heavy. I know Google did some improvements so I’ll try it. Actually, I’m trying it right now. Me like. Except that when Firefox tells me I misspelled a word and I right-click on it I get the Google Docs context menu and not the Firefox one.
Presentations is awesome. Nothing special compared to Zoho, but you can do live presentations online. I imported a presentation from Powerpoint and it displayed perfectly. Then it made a link you can send to people you want to present to. So I opened it on my laptop. Then as you pass the slide, it also changes the slide on everyone viewing your presentation, live, on their browsers. It also has a chat window to the right for anyone to ask questions. If you combine it with Skype no one has to go to class again… ever.
I didn’t know a damn thing about gOS until now. Remember when I told you that the Google OS was bullshit? That it was just and internal software thing for their servers? That it was just silly fanboys salivating over a fantasy? Sigh… On the positive side, this means there is hope for the Firefox OS… that I made up… nevermind.
OK, so I just realized that gOS is not related to Google. So I win again!
Like I said, it’s the fact that this “green OS” uses google apps to replace regular apps…so no you don’t win, and Google is taking over the world.
Google rocks!!!