Comments on: Office Live, you're no Google Docs

Microsoft reaches a milestone with Office Live--but it still doesn't give us what we want.

[UConnBBall]

Um I think Hell will freeze over when Linux is supported :) Good thing Zoho and Google Docs work with Linux :)

[Penguinisto]

1 million businesses using Google Docs says quite a bit, no?

[ralfthedog]

What is it with all the Microsoft stories. Microsoft is rapidly becoming an irrelevant company that can't do anything new or innovative. Everything Microsoft does is done better by it's competition. Just like the annoying kid brother, if we all ignore Microsoft, they will go away.

[CrashPad63]

MS is the relevant tech story now. Exchange is done better by whom? How about enterprise integration? Or office suite? What of security, just who is better at security now? I think you need to go back to the koolaid for another swig.

[Pishkado]

Microsoft should learn from all the other computer companies that stuck their heads in the sands when a new game-changing technology came along, such as the minicomputer folks that refused to read the PC handwriting on the wall. It does not have a choice as to whether a lot of its Office customers will go to Web-based document processing. That's a given. The only choice Microsoft has is whether, when (not if!) that happens, they will be able to get a competitive product from Microsoft. Granted, the revenue stream from that will be less than it would be from continued sales of Office, but that's not the issue. What Redmond has to realize is that the revenue stream from that will be bigger than zero.

[Vegaman_Dan]

For what it's worth, at least MS LIve isn't trying to lay claim to any and all content by end users on the service unlike Google which reserves the right to use any content on their services for whatever purpose they wish including advertising, commercial interests, or simply selling to the highest bidder.

MS probably has something much more sneaky and draconic, but it's not in the EULA.

[bloughmee]

I'm a big fan of web-based apps...but just because you 'can' do something doesn't mean you should do tt.... and word processing and spreadsheets in a browser is the perfect example. Google Docs is fine for the most casual user. But other than _slightly_ better collaboration than can be had with using MSOffice and SharePoint... struggling with limited features and terrible performance doesn't make any sense for most business users - just to save a couple bucks. Anyone who needs highly complex, polished documents/spreadsheets/desktop publishing is going to be a lot happier with a conventionally installed application suite. MSOffice isn't dead yet - and while I'm sure eventually you won't be able to tell the difference between software and webware... right now you sure can.

[bloughmee]

Yes I totally agree with myself. I am correct. Thank You.

[Pishkado]

Word has been around for over 20 years. Google Docs has been around for a small fraction of that. Of course it's not competitive yet, but it will be. If Microsoft ignores it just because Office has functional advantages right now, given multi-year software development cycles by the time it wakes up it will be too late to do anything. GM ignored the early Toyotas, too.

[Penguinisto]

@Vegaman_Dan: Please point out in the Google Docs EULA where Google claims the content generated by end users.

(*cue crickets chirping*)

[professionaladventurer]

I mean jeezem crow, I live on solar-power in the middle of the jungle and I use Google docs (I get 3G internet service) over M$ Office.

[stewboss]

11. Content licence from you

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This licence is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

11.2 You agree that this licence includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.

11.3 You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your Content over various public networks and in various media; and (b) make such changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to the technical requirements of connecting networks, devices, services or media. You agree that this licence shall permit Google to take these actions.

11.4 You confirm and warrant to Google that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the above licence.

[ralfthedog]

"... any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services."

to paraphrase what they said, if you make a work public using a Google service, they have the right to display it. They also have the right to reformat it (AKA turn CR/LF into a
or a

. They are only reserving the rights to works that are submitted, posted or displayed. Not your private stuff. This is boiler plate legalese techno babble they put on all of their services. I don't like it, but it is not as bad as it sounds.

[kksing]

That's the thing... The TOU does not limit itself to works that are posted in 'public'. Even your private documents can be used by Google in the manner described in clause 11.

Creating and not sharing a private document in Google docs would satisfy the legal requirements of phrases like 'submit... on... the Services'.

I think you would find that even a love letter between you & your gf through Gmail is fair play for Google to use under this clause.

[stewboss]

11. Content licence from you

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This licence is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

11.2 You agree that this licence includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.

11.3 You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your Content over various public networks and in various media; and (b) make such changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to the technical requirements of connecting networks, devices, services or media. You agree that this licence shall permit Google to take these actions.

11.4 You confirm and warrant to Google that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the above licence.

[Schratboy]

Microsoft makes money selling software. Google makes money from ads. Google wins using clean design, usable software sans the licensing and restrictions offered by Billy Gates and company.

[Mr. Dee]

Google Docs, you're no Microsoft Office and you will never be

[nacho-libre]

Microsoft Office = 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. Google Docs = 2008 Prius. Gas guzzler or eco-friendly? Your choice.

[Sourdust]

It's surprising how many people don't read Google's EULAs. People complain about privacy all the time but don't seem more than happy to give Google everything they want because their apps are "free".

[skiracer712]

Ive used google doc's and have a been a big fan of OpenOffice for years now. It was way better than my old Office 97. But I have to say, now that Office 2007 came on my laptop, full version, and the new interface is actually amazing and I havent seen anything like it.

As far as Google Doc's go, its ok for doing the simplist of tasks. Browser based app's are great, saves HDD space, always updated, etc.... But they are very limited in power. Honestly though, how many times to you need to share document editing for a document, with that many people, over the internet, that it is actually useful? Not a bad feature, but if you answered that question honestly, it would be a very low number for the average computer user. And I guess I dont see the advantage of having multiple people make edits to the same document at the same time, to me that seems like a nightmare.

As far as mass editing of a doc, your talking mostly business's. And corporations are afraid of the internet, because of viruses and such, and because of the risk of lost intellectial property. Instead its much easier and safer to have installed office software and a file share server.

I could see google doc's being good for that school project where 4-5 people need to write one paper together, but honestly I dont get it for anything else.

That and googles EULA's are horrid. Pretty much anything you do with their software or app's can be used by them. They dont technically own your work, but they could use a document you created, maybe a document for your company that you dont want the public to see, and now its in a google ad for all to see.

[stalepie2]

Will Google be releasing a competitor to Windows Live SkyDrive, Box.net and XDrive? They could have an online file manager like Windows Explorer and Norton Commander than runs in your browser.

I don't think everything should be done through advertizing. You should be able to pay for the service to remove ads.

I guess the only advantage to cloud computing is being able to work on the same thing, or use the same programs, without having to have them all installed on all your computers (at work, school, home, etc) or have to transfer the files .But if you live at home a lot, and you already have a laptop, then there isn't really any tangible difference between desktop computer and cloud computing.

[stalepie2]

A future where we use terminals instead of powerful desktop PCs *does* seem to portend a future with a lot less freedom. I'm not sure about less privacy, as these accounts could be locked for only the owner to access, but still you'd surely have less freedom if you couldn't keep your files physically stored in your house.