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Is Google Apps now a real Microsoft Office competitor?

Time: 10:25 EST/15:25 GMT | News Source: ZDNet | Posted By: Robert Stein

An alliance forged between Google and systems integrator CapGemini was the talk of the blogosphere on September 10. Many commentators are looking at the new partnership as proof that Google finally is ready to make business inroads with Google Apps Premier Edition (GAPE) — mostly at Microsoft’s expense. To me, there are some pieces that still don’t quite add up.

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Displaying Comments 1 through 34 of 34

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#1 By 1401 (65.255.137.241) at Monday, September 10, 2007 11:06:52 AM

yes - I would recommend it anyways...

#2 By 37 (76.210.78.134) at Monday, September 10, 2007 11:09:22 AM

Well if you recommend it, everyone should avoid it.

#3 By 1401 (65.255.137.241) at Monday, September 10, 2007 11:12:44 AM

yeah - ok

you use it - and you use a Mac - so how gay are you?

#4 By 37 (76.210.78.134) at Monday, September 10, 2007 11:21:02 AM

Mac and Google Apps ROCK! I guess that makes me ssssthuper gay!

#5 By 1401 (65.255.137.241) at Monday, September 10, 2007 11:21:57 AM

yes you are

#6 By 46122 (68.237.249.161) at Monday, September 10, 2007 11:31:56 AM

Why would I want to use a piece of software from a company that monitors, and vialates your privacy. Other google software copies your files to their server.
Thanks but no thanks

#7 By 37 (76.210.78.134) at Monday, September 10, 2007 11:34:49 AM

I don't have anything to hide. They can read my emails and docs/spreadsheets all day long for all I care.

#8 By 1401 (65.255.137.241) at Monday, September 10, 2007 12:20:12 PM

Google monitors your privacy? wow!

#9 By 7754 (206.169.247.2) at Monday, September 10, 2007 01:33:46 PM

Why not just use WordPad? I'll use 99% of its features. I should be rewarded for my productivity!!

Why rebuild every app on top of the browser? Why reduce the functionality possible to the lowest common denominator? Why put your app in the position of potentially breaking with every (inevitable) browser update and patch? Why put yourself in a position where an external source has control over when updates are pushed out, rather than being in control yourself? Why go from an app with an enormous 3rd party ecosystem for virtually every need to one where extensibility and integration aren't even serious options yet?

In other words, is Google Apps now a real Microsoft Office competitor?

NO.

#10 By 37 (76.210.78.134) at Monday, September 10, 2007 01:47:01 PM

I like Google Apps because it's free, and has my files available to me anytime, anywhere, on any PC with Internet Explorer or Firefox, running Linux, Windows or Mac. All google app, openoffice.org and word docs are all recognized in gmail, and are linked to my google apps, and can instantly be added to my google apps folders, and automatically opened in google apps.

Everything is centrally located, and it has 100% of the features I need for personal use. Google Apps is NOT for the consumer who is not online 24x7.

This post was edited by AWBrian on Monday, September 10, 2007 at 13:50.

#11 By 2960 (68.100.112.199) at Monday, September 10, 2007 02:35:00 PM

I really REALLY miss MacWrite :) Seriously!

I also like WriteNow, but not quiet as much. It was, and still is, the fastest word processor ever written. Written in 100% assembly code.

TL

#12 By 23275 (24.179.4.158) at Monday, September 10, 2007 03:24:02 PM

This world has gone goofey.... so long as it appears to be free, people will allow about anything.

Off we all go - jumping together off a cliff and headed straight for the bottom to drown in the all new, all free, all the time ad supported idiocracy being stuffed down our throats.

I say, "we all go" as those who still value what we should work for and protect, will be dragged gasping beneath the surface by those around us. Why don't we all just report to the nearest prison, check in and beg the US of Google, or whatever socialist power comes along for hand outs and our work assignments. I mean, why skip the whole process and just go for it?

#13 By 37 (66.191.120.168) at Monday, September 10, 2007 03:58:57 PM

Considering every company, including Microsoft, offers free and premium services and software solutions, I don't see the problem here. I spent $1749 on a new iMac a couple months ago, spending $80 on Quicken 07 for the new Mac, and $150 for the HD USB TV Tuner, and $20 for Connect360 software to connect my mac to my 360. I have no need to spend $300 on a Microsoft Office suite for my Mac when I wouldn't use 99.99999999999999999% of the features.

So if the people that developed the Google Apps, and created them free for the general public, wanted them to be freely available to me to use, I have no guilt using their product. I also have zero guilt for not spending money on buying Microsoft's Office suite.

I have actually been considering going with the $50 a year package, giving me the extra space and combing that space with my picasa and gmail.

This post was edited by AWBrian on Monday, September 10, 2007 at 16:00.

#14 By 3653 (65.80.181.153) at Monday, September 10, 2007 06:09:02 PM

AWBrian - "I spent $1749 on a new iMac a couple months ago"

Good Lord man, have some self-respect and don't air your dirty laundry. ;-)

For the record, I use a FOUR-YEAR OLD, recently upgraded to Vista ($107)... Dell PowerEdge 400sc as my desktop. I paid a grand total of $276 for it, added a dvd burner (~$60), and a few hard drives (~$210), mid-range vid card ($70), and more RAM (3GB total for ~$125) along the way. Grand total: LESS THAN $850 or ONE-HALF of what you paid.

Seriously, what on earth would provoke a person to pay that much for ANY computer, let alone a mac. And I swore off all-in-one style computers back when I owned a Performa (~20 years ago).

This post was edited by mooresa56 on Monday, September 10, 2007 at 18:14.

#15 By 15406 (99.224.112.94) at Monday, September 10, 2007 08:00:33 PM

#12: I think you're off your meds again, bud. If Brian and others are happy with what Google offers, who are you to look down your nose at him? But then, I guess, to you, everyone who doesn't pay Microsoft is an idiot.

#14: For some, escaping Microsoft and Vista is worth its weight in gold.

#16 By 23275 (24.179.4.158) at Monday, September 10, 2007 08:20:51 PM

#15, AC out in mom's basement again?

#17 By 48398 (130.13.158.96) at Monday, September 10, 2007 08:58:26 PM

Google apps huh? I don't know. I've heard it's not compatible with a lot of stuff. I think I'll wait for service pack 1.

#18 By 15406 (99.224.112.94) at Monday, September 10, 2007 10:28:54 PM

#16: <Nomad> Non-sequitar. Your facts are uncoordinated. </Nomad>

#19 By 3653 (65.80.181.153) at Tuesday, September 11, 2007 01:59:34 AM

<loser>latch</loser>

ps... its "sequitur"

This post was edited by mooresa56 on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 02:01.

#20 By 37 (76.210.78.134) at Tuesday, September 11, 2007 07:08:45 AM

#14. Been there, done that with Dell PC's for years and years now. I was a Microsoft MVP for 8 years, and just a regular MS shill for years before that. I have owned numerous "inexpensive" PC's, be it from Dell, or custom built. I just got fed up with MS, Windows, send error reports, illegal operations, crashes, boot times and PCs that are littered with tons of clutter, wires, towers, and more. Ever since I switched to my Mac, I have never been happier with my computing experience in all my life. So for me, the $1700 > $850 is worth it's weight in gold, no doubt (you nailed it Latch).

On top of that, THIS makes the wife even happier. This is my exact before/after picture essentially:

http://images.apple.com/imac/images/gallery/imackeyboard_4_20070807.jpg

(thanks for the link Chris)

This post was edited by AWBrian on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 at 07:13.

#21 By 15406 (216.191.227.68) at Tuesday, September 11, 2007 08:27:06 AM

#19: Why are you calling my name?

btw are you trying to top Parkkker for shortest post that still required an edit?

#22 By 37 (76.210.78.134) at Tuesday, September 11, 2007 08:38:45 AM

Hard to believe I still work at ActiveWin, and I don't even use Windows (well, besides Windows mandated at work). However, I love the heck out of my Xbox 360!

M
A
K
I
G

POST

LONGER

TO

PREVENT

SCHOOLING

IN CASE

I NEED TO EDIT

:-)

#23 By 8556 (12.207.97.148) at Tuesday, September 11, 2007 10:43:10 AM

I use Office and Google apps to share documents that I want create and then ask someone to proofread and edit. Google apps is great for this particular purpose. I wouldn't use Google apps as my main Office suite. It's just another handy tool to use as circumstances merit its use.

#24 By 15406 (216.191.227.68) at Tuesday, September 11, 2007 11:57:54 AM

Quick, somebody dig up Sen. McCarthy. There's another Communist among us!

#25 By 23275 (24.179.4.158) at Tuesday, September 11, 2007 11:58:45 AM

I'm curious about the whole MAC "experience" thing.

Here's why... I know the MAC. We support people who use it. That's not the issue I have with it.

For me, the issue is the waste it represents to me - for each MAC user I have seen in the last year, also runs Windows on their MAC in either a VM, or from Boot Camp. On the surface, that seems fine, but I see a lot of wasted effort, because they are continually moving back over to Windows [mostly Vista] to do what they can't do at all, or as easily on the MAC side of things.

Now, I have not yet seen when those same users are in the Windows side of their MAC's and they say something like, "Oh crap, I have to boot into OS X to do... a, b, or c..." That I have never seen and I suspect it is because no matter what they need to do, they can actually do it on the Windows side.

So if it comes down to a preference for a form factor - Apple hardware, that seems to be a big price to pay for a preference in form factors - given that there really are a lot of choices among Windows systems.

Of all the things there are to value, time is right there at the top of about any list - it seems probable that I am not alone in thinking that way. I'm just curious.

Now apply this same logic to productivity suites - and let me know what one cannot do with Office, free WSS Sharepoint, etc... that one can do with Google Apps? Now reverse that question and ask what Office and the Windows Client/Server ecosystem can do that Google can't? Line up your lists and make your decisions. It's pretty easy to see which comes out on top... and it ain't Google.

#26 By 37 (76.210.78.134) at Tuesday, September 11, 2007 02:02:36 PM

That's the thing Lloyd. I don't need or want windows at home, not even as a dual boot. I have ZERO need for such an environment. I have not once said "I wish I had windows on here so I could run application A, B or C.

What you are talking about is power users. If you look at it from a home consumer standpoint that needs to edit photos and videos, browse the internet, stream music to my home theater, and connects Quicken to their bank for online banking, Windows does nothing I need additional.

I no longer worry about seeing those "you have new updates to be installed" balloons popping up in the systray corner everyday. I no longer see that "send error report" message from many applications. I have forgot about the "illegal operation/end now/CTRL+ALT+DEL/End Task" crap.

The clean form factor is a bonus, and a very welcome bonus for that matter. That didn't SWAY my entire purchase, but it did have a factor in it.

Not to mention, switching users. Oh man.....long gone are the days of going to Start > Log Off > Switch User and waiting for each desktop to appear. On the Mac, the wife and I just click on each others name up on the system toolbar and the desktop 3D rotates back and forth instantly.

I also thoroughly enjoy having a unified standard toolbar in one location for each application. The consistency in design on the Mac OSX is leaps and bounds beyond any of my Windows experiences.

I could go on and on, but this comment section isn't ideal for that conversation. It's the best computing decision I have ever made. (second best decision was switching from hotmail to gmail for my web based computing needs).

#27 By 37 (76.210.78.134) at Tuesday, September 11, 2007 02:24:39 PM

Let me add to my last comment by stating, for the record, I couldn't operate at my work without Windows and Microsoft Office. The Hilton Corporation's entire system runs on Windows Servers, Windows Workstations, Microsoft Office/Exchange, and a completely Windows based property management and HotelSalesPro system, worldwide.

So, at work, I too would be one of the "dual booters" if I, for whatever reason, had a Mac desktop.

However, at work, for personal use, I run Firefox, Google Apps, gmail, iTunes, and Gimp on my work station. :-)

#28 By 37047 (74.101.157.125) at Tuesday, September 11, 2007 07:10:46 PM

#25: Now apply this same logic to productivity suites - and let me know what one cannot do with Office, free WSS Sharepoint, etc... that one can do with Google Apps? Now reverse that question and ask what Office and the Windows Client/Server ecosystem can do that Google can't? Line up your lists and make your decisions. It's pretty easy to see which comes out on top... and it ain't Google.

A much better and more useful comparison would be to take a list of all the features you need in an office productivity suite, and then make a column for MS Office, a column for OpenOffice, a column for AbiWord, etc., and then mark off which application performs each function point by point, and figure out which application performs the most features for the best price, and go with that one.

Yes, MS Office is a very full featured and powerful application suite. It integrates well with a wide range of Microsoft applications and servers. However, if you are not in an environment where you use all those other servers, then this ability would be of minimal benefit, and not worth the premium price for the ability. For example, at home I do some basic word processing, some light spreadsheets, etc. Thus, OpenOffice works quite well for me in that environment. Therefore, it would be a waste of money to pay a premium price for all the functionality of Word, Excel, etc., in my home environment. On the other hand, at the office, I wouldn't want to do without Outlook. Word, Excel, etc., get some use, but even there I don't use 95% of the functionality of these applications. However, since we are a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, we get good pricing, so it is much cheaper there than I could personally get licenses for.

Therefore, as I have stated in other postings, it comes down to which applications best meet your needs for the best price and performance point. Until you know what the customer's needs are, I don't believe anyone can logically recommend any productivity suite. Some environments absolutely need Microsoft Office, and others can make due quite well with alternatives, from OpenOffice to WordPerfect Suite, to WordPad. That is the benefit to having options. Different needs can be met in different ways.

#29 By 15406 (99.224.112.94) at Tuesday, September 11, 2007 07:16:54 PM

http://www.linux.com/feature/118986

#30 By 3653 (65.80.181.153) at Wednesday, September 12, 2007 12:54:12 AM

;-)

This post was edited by mooresa56 on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 00:54.

#31 By 37 (76.210.78.134) at Wednesday, September 12, 2007 06:17:11 AM

That Writer vs. Word review is horrible. I have Word 2007 at work, and I use the latest Writer on my Mac at home, and I disagree with 80% of that review. That review was written by a biased OSS fan for sure. It was entertaining to say the least.

#32 By 22962 (74.236.229.87) at Wednesday, September 12, 2007 12:06:28 PM

#8, Since you use a Hotmail email acct that shows in your profile. Hotmail reads your email as well as Google. No matter what ISP or email provider you get email acct from, they read your email. Even if you use it for either personal or business.

I watched David Letterman show a few years ago, that he mentioned about AOL reads the emails.

If you don't like what they are doing, then I wouldn't sign up for an email acct if I were you.

If you do not have anything to hide, you don't need to worry about anything.

#33 By 37 (76.210.78.134) at Wednesday, September 12, 2007 12:17:39 PM

Here is a scary thought. I work for Hilton, and we have someone that worked here that used to work in AOL tech support. They were able to read the AOL customer's emails.

Hows that for security?

#34 By 3653 (65.80.181.153) at Thursday, September 13, 2007 06:03:06 PM

that is scary AWBrian, but really no more so than at 99% of businesses... where some group of network admins (take your pick of title) can do the same thing.

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