"Google said the new offering was a simple, early release that lacked some sophisticated features such as the ability to create charts or drag and drop data within a spreadsheet. The company will release the service to an unspecified number of users who add their names to a waiting list. Each user will be able to store up to 50 spreadsheets initially."
I think this could be a turning point (or maybe as people like to say these days a "tipping point"). Analysts have been predicting some form of "Google Office" but Google has been busy denying any attempt to compete with Microsoft (a wise thing to do). I'm sure this product won't go toe to toe with a full blown spreadsheet, but I bet it will be good enough for my use and the more things I have organized "online" the better as far as I'm concerned. I trust Google's backup strategy more than my own. I'm already using the google calendar, I have the beta for company-based e-mail going (although I really don't have much use for it) and I'm on the waiting list for "Writely" the web based word processor. In another years time there will be no reason for the average home user to have to acquire a copy of Office, and quite possibly in the years following, many businesses will find that a simple box sitting in the corner will handle most of their in-house web-based data processing needs too. It's taken a long long time, but finally, the "mainframe" is staging a comeback.
Maybe this will even result in fewer cases of sensitive data lost via laptop theft. With people using networks the way they were meant to be used there will be no reason to take such things as every veterans personal information home in the first place.
*ALSO*
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