Experiment: substitute Google for MS Office for 1 week

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#1 Post by **K. Eng** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:08 pm

I've been eagerly awaiting Office 2007, but I'm wondering if I can get away with using nothing but gmail and Google's document applications for a week.

Anyone try this?

The major potential problem I see is reliance on Google's servers being up. I also need a constant Internet connection, which is usually not a problem.

christopher_wolf · #2 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:53 pm

Errr, no I haven't tried it but....what exactly is the benefit you are going for here?

Turbo Audi · #3 Post by **Turbo Audi** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 1:13 am

Download OpenOffice. Save in .doc format.

#4 Post by **K. Eng** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:39 am

christopher_wolf wrote:Errr, no I haven't tried it but....what exactly is the benefit you are going for here?

I want to see if it is possible to get away with not installing any office software on a computer and still be able to conduct common productivity tasks.

christopher_wolf · #5 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 3:10 pm

It's possible, but it all depends on not relying on the details of the latest of each specific format. OO would be a better choice as opposed to the google documentation software, but on Windows, it is somewhat slower than an actual MS Office application such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint and there are some functions in the latest MS formats that it usually can't interpret well.

Productivity is all a measure of what you do with the system. I use LaTeX and Vim (cross platform) and then MATLAB for anything having to do with data and it really doesn't impede me not going back to Office every 5 seconds to start Word or what have you. I also feel no need to get Office 2007 as Office 2003 and Office 2000 suffice on my site for just about everything they were meant to.

Miller88 · #6 Post by **Miller88** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 8:52 pm

Open Office has to be one of the best softwares ever.

#7 Post by **jdhurst** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:18 pm

K. Eng wrote:<snip>
I want to see if it is possible to get away with not installing any office software on a computer and still be able to conduct common productivity tasks.

I do not want to disuade you from trying, and I don't wish to appear old-fashioned, but the idea (not your's, Ken) of running an office suite over the internet appears to me to be utterly daft. Just how is this supposed to work in a plane or a sea, not to mention in a moving car?? I shall just stick with an installed copy in order to maintain my productivity as well as my sanity.
... JD Hurst

mhm · #8 Post by **mhm** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:49 pm

jdhurst wrote: ...running an office suite over the internet appears to me to be utterly daft.

I agree since the guy has his own equipment. Running things of the web is for public computers (as opposed to personal), say a booth at an airport.

Nigellus · #9 Post by **Nigellus** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 8:18 pm

I agree with the two previous comments, but more from an overly paranoid security-minded point of view than a practicality point of view.

Experiment: substitute Google for MS Office for 1 week

Experiment: substitute Google for MS Office for 1 week

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