Google Documents is slowly but surely becoming an online alternative to Microsoft Office. Since its introduction, the online word processing suite has gone through many upgrades and changes, but a new round of updates may finally bring Google Documents the sophistication and ease-of-use to equal Microsoft’s products.
The biggest difference between Google Documents and Microsoft Office is that Google’s suite is entirely online, and works with any operating system via a standard Web browser. This ensures that users can access their work no matter where they are in the world, not just on their home computer. Additionally, Google Documents allows organized collaboration on text documents, and conversion of documents into a variety of popular formats, including PDF.
And now, Google is about to update the program to add even more features and compatibility. Long-time users of Google Documents will be happy to see that print settings and print preview functionality has been added to the suite. Google has also redesigned the document sharing options to make it easier to set permissions and assign collaborators with just a touch of a button.
But possibly the most exciting aspect of the update is the promise of fully editable document templates, and the ability to apply CSS formatting to your documents. The inclusion of CSS also makes it possible for you to create your own custom templates if none of the available styles suit your needs.
While Microsoft Word has long had the capability to apply formatting to documents, and comes standard with a variety of document templates, so far there have been no online word processors with such advanced functionality.
These new features bring Google Documents one step closer to being a state-of-the-art word processing suite that is entirely online, with nothing to download, and no pesky registration codes. Already, some businesses and government offices have begun switching over to Google Documents, primarily because all of the cost savings.
But if Google continues to add functionality to its word processing suite, it won’t be long before the program will be every bit as capable as Microsoft Office, and users may switchover simply because it’s a more convenient program — not just because it’s cheaper.
As for Microsoft, they are also keen to further develop their online version of Word, though they are definitely behind in the race at this point. Google is continuing to invest heavily in Google Documents, and they are so firmly established online at this point that it will be difficult — if not impossible — for Microsoft to catch up.
Apple has begun to use iTunes to distribute the latest version of their Safari web browser, and the company now finds itself in the midst of a growing controversy for using questionable tactics to “trick” Windows iTunes users into downloading Safari.
The controversy arose on Wednesday, when Apple began including the Safari web browser as part of a software update for both their iTunes and QuickTime for Windows products. Macdailynews.com is reporting that many Windows users feel that Apple’s inclusion of the Safari web browser with iTunes and QuickTime updates undermines their trust in Apple.
The updaters “allow” users to update their browser to Safari as part of a general iTunes or QuickTime update, but many users have mistakenly installed the browser because the “install Safari” box comes pre-selected with the software update, and many busy users simply rush through the procedure without reading exactly what they are installing.
Apple is being roundly criticized for this tactic of pre-selecting the option to install Safari on Windows computers, and many Windows users feel that it is an attempt to deceive, something reminiscent of the tactics Microsoft routinely employs — but not what Apple is known for.
Software manufacturers have been using this sneaky tactic for years. Google, for example, seems to look for any opportunity to push its Google toolbar, and many software application updates contain the Google toolbar pre-selected by default to install on the user’s machine. Yahoo and many other companies have used similar tactics. But Apple users have come to expect something different than these Microsoft-like dirty tricks.
Technically, the biggest complaint about what Apple is doing is that the software updater for iTunes is installing Safari version 3.1 by default on Windows computers, even those that have never had Safari in the past. Critics contend that if a previous installation of Safari was detected on a Windows machine, offering to update the browser by default would not be such a big deal.
But when Apple uses a pre-selected update box to “push” its software on Windows users, it does nothing but anger users, and undermines the trust many people have in the company.
While there is no denying that Apple’s Safari is an excellent web browser, and that many users might be better off installing it than settling for Microsoft’s Windows Explorer, that’s not really the point. Any update tactics that give the appearance of tricking the user into installing software are not worthy of Apple’s good name, and will likely do more harm than good to the company’s image.
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My, how times have changed. A decade ago, nearly 96% of all Web surfers used Microsoft’s Internet Explorer to navigate the Web and display pages. But these days Internet Explorer has some serious competition, and Mozilla’s Firefox continues to gain ground against Microsoft with its open source browser.
Computerworld.com is reporting that Firefox now has more then 17% of the worldwide market, when it comes to browsing the web. February was the fourth consecutive month that Firefox’s market share increased, and if it continues to grow at this rate, analysts predict Mozilla will have nearly 50% of the Web browser market by 2011.
Obviously, this would be a serious setback for Microsoft, whose Internet Explorer Web browser has dominated the market since the mid-90s, when Netscape began to falter. Despite the loss of market share for their Internet Explorer browser, and disappointing sales of the new Vista operating system, Microsoft stock has continued to do well on Wall Street, showing substantial gains in the last quarter.
Meanwhile Apple’s Safari browser is also on the increase. The Mac browser represented 5.7% of the marketplace in February, a rise of nearly 1 percentage point from February 2007. Even the small Opera Web browser is gaining ground, though not nearly as quickly as either Safari or Firefox.
The success of these “alternative Web browsers” has certainly had a negative effect on Microsoft. Their Explorer has lost market share for eight months in a row now, and analysts predict this trend will continue through 2008. And although the latest version of Internet Explorer has added many new useful features, and increased security, it could be a case of too little too late.
The company is currently testing the latest version of Explorer (Internet Explorer 8 ), though few details have been revealed so far about the browser. Insiders say that Internet Explorer 8 will “borrow heavily” from the success of Firefox, by including many optional plug-ins to enhance the user’s Web surfing experience. As an open-source program, Firefox has benefited from having many third-party web application designers develop free plug-ins for the browser, many of which had become extremely popular.
The idea of customizing a Web browser, by adding a series of integrated plug-ins is certainly not new, but it has really taken off with the Mozilla Firefox application. Microsoft is said to be looking at ways to include the same level of user customization, but with one noticeable exception: Internet Explorer 8 will not be open source; therefore we are likely to see significantly less third-party applications developed for the browser when it finally does arrive.
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Remember back in the day, in the early to mid-90s when the Internet was this strange and exotic thing that most people were either afraid of and/or had never used? Back then THE web browser of choice was Netscape. Even today, in remote corners of the globe there are Netscape Web browser users, though they are dwindling in numbers with every day that passes.
And just as the Internet and the world in general has evolved since those days, so have computers, operating systems and, yes, even Web browsers. On February 1st of 2008, the Netscape web browser will officially be no more. Netscape’s new owners, AOL Time Warner, have announced that the company will cease development of the Internet’s first real Web browser this coming February.
According to a story on Wired.com, AOL is recommending that current Netscape browser users switch over to Mozilla Firefox. Officially, AOL is claiming that their current business model does not leave enough time or resources to develop the Netscape browser to compete in today’s marketplace — so they’re dumping it.
The Netscape Navigator browser first appeared in 1994 in the “wild west” days of the Internet, and managed to compete well through the late 1990s. Eventually though, competition from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and the development of third-party web browsers such as Mozilla, Opera and others left Netscape with an ever dwindling segment of the market.
In fact, in some ways it is surprising that the Netscape browser managed to hang around as long as it did. 13 years is an awfully long time in the online world, and for any software to remain viable more than a decade is a near-miraculous feat these days. So even though Netscape will be officially discontinued in a few months, you have to give credit where it’s due — it managed to hang in there a long time.
Many online security analysts agree with AOL’s decision to drop Netscape once and for all. Experts point out that the latest version of Netscape lacks sophisticated security features available on Firefox, Internet Explorer or Apple’s Safari web browser. These “holes” in the Netscape browser’s security could leave users vulnerable to a wide variety of attacks, including trojans, viruses and other malware.
For many people, the demise of the Netscape browser officially marks the end of the Web 1.0 Internet days. But for web users who feel nostalgic for the good old days of the early net, there is a Netscape theme extension for Firefox, which should provide at least some of the feeling of surfing the web circa 1994. Rest in peace, Netscape.
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Word came this week that Google has finally integrated AOL instant messaging into Google Talk, the company’s Gmail instant messenger. This announcement comes pretty late in the game, as Google has held a $1 billion share in AOL for a couple of years now.
The result of this integration is that Gmail users will now be able to access their AIM accounts directly from Google Talk. Users can also access their AOL Buddy Lists when using Google Talk, alongside their usual Gmail contacts.
Google’s decision to include AOL instant messaging directly into its Gmail Google Talk application makes a lot of sense, but it would have been much more relevant a couple of years ago, before the instant messaging market got so competitive and overcrowded.
And there are already various services that facilitate using different instant messaging programs within a single application. Sites such as Meebo, Adium and others have jumped in to fill this void in the marketplace long ago, leaving Google a late newcomer to the party.
Google’s latest Gmail update also includes colored labels to more easily identify your saved e-mails, a simple feature that has been sadly lacking from the Gmail roster thus far.
As far as the AIM integration into Gmail, most users would not even notice the difference unless they were specifically looking for it. For example, the AIM login is located within the Google Talk “status” indicator in the contact list. The drop-down menu now includes an option to sign in to your AIM account.
After signing into your AIM account, your AOL Buddy List will appear, seamlessly integrated within your Gmail contacts. Overall, it is a nice feature, and very well implemented, even if it would have been considerably more relevant 18 to 20 months ago.
While the addition of AOL instant messaging and colored tabs is not likely to sway the “Google haters” out there, these kind of small touches do contribute to the overall usability of the Gmail interface, resulting in one of the most intuitive and highly functional e-mail programs ever produced.
When compared to Windows-based e-mail, such as the ubiquitous Outlook program, Gmail is far easier to use, and includes a lightning fast search function that can locate any topic among your saved e-mails quickly.
Considering that Gmail also offers approximately 5 GB of storage space, it’s easy to see why Google’s proprietary e-mail service has been gaining users at a staggering rate over the past few years. Integration with AOL’s Instant Messenger is simply the icing on the cake.
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AOL recently launched their newest online offering, the AOL Desktop. The software is thought to be the new AOL as it repackages itself to be more appealing to the public. I believe there used to be a time where AOL was an industry giant that can look straight to the eye or even stare down Microsoft. But one thing led to another, and although they are not yet a footnote of internet history, they are now in the category of those that “used to be.” With this desktop, AOL hopefully could reconnect or even create new connection to the general users. This software is absolutely free and could be downloaded right from their website.
AOL Desktop basically brings everything to your desktop most of the AOL services. From our e-mail to your messenger, everything related to AOL could be accessed from your desktop. This all in one portal is independent of web browser which means you can still enjoy your web.
Sounds a pretty good deal for me, so I downloaded the software to try it out a little. The first thing I noticed is that it’s way too slow to download. I have more than enough bandwidth with me to download other files real fast. Ok, that’s could be forgiven since there might be millions who are also downloading this file. I selected quick install so that I could try out the software immediately. Less than five minutes of installation and 10 minutes for download, the software is finally ready to use.
I was surprised however, that my IE interface was changed. I like to think I’m an obsessive compulsive when it comes to my browsers where everything has to be in place. Imagine the horror that my homepage is now AOL, a toolbar is already installed and the search engine will default to AOL. That was the deal breaker for me. So before I uninstall the software, I tried to run it just to see if all that craziness in my explorer is worth it.
To be honest, I didn’t see any “desktop like” experience from this software. The only reason it could be called a desktop tool is that it could be launched right from the desktop and has all the buttons from AOL you’re so familiar with. Its only difference is that it can access e-mail from its outlook like software. But generally, the service is quiet mediocre. The only thing I like about the software is its integration of AOL and GMail messenger which could be accessed in Meebo. Plus, they have cool games there and I already have Google Talk. In the end, the software is just another web browser that looks like Flock. It is honest enough to say they are a browser instead of a desktop.
But AOL fans don’t be disheartened. Nobody gets them the first time so there’s a big chance that something better could come out from this software. I, in the meantime will just have to wait for the next update as I uninstall this from my computer.
Having too many distractions at work is really bad, especially for people who are always in a strict deadline at all times. The worst part is, if you’re like me who has an attention span of a seven year old kid, you can’t really get things done. There’s always something in the internet that makes me want to check – the latest scores, the latest news, even the latest gossip of actors and actresses I really don’t care about. Of course, the number one distraction in the world – online games, will always be there to bother me whenever I can’t do something right. Some say it’s one way to relieve the stress but I think they are just distractions.
I think the people that run Mozilla has the same problems. That’s why Mozilla has sponsored a program called WebRunner. This type of program has been called the Site Specific Browser while others call this program a Distraction Free Browser. I think the latter classification really hits the spot. It may get you confused at first but you’ll be able to get the things that you want when you figure out what to do with the program.
Once you install the program, you’ll definitely get nothing at first. There are no shortcuts or programs that will give you a blank page. In fact, the only link you can get for the program is the uninstall part. The program will only run if you have a webapp file. You can either create a webapp file or you can create your own webapp file. Creating one is also a challenge for first time users, but the good news is, there are lots of sites that offer free download of webapp files for this program. These files are usually for productivity use only.
After I downloaded the program, I immediately found a site where it offers free downloads of webapp files. As a curious onlooker I tried out the Gmail version of the site. Without much problem, I’ve downloaded the file, and was able to run Gmail in a separate window. The first thing that you will notice when running Gmail on WebRunner is like running a website in an F11 status – you won’t find any tabs that you can use. But unlike F11 websites, a webapp file on Gmail will only run in Gmail. You will notice there are other links such as Google Docs, Reader and other things. If you click on them, don’t expect that WebRunner will open another site. It will eventually open the site, but not there. It will open a web browser and show the page you clicked on.
You can also create your own webapp file. Mozilla has laid out step by step instructions on how you can create your own file. As a first time user you might get confused on what to do, so the best thing so far is to look for free webapp files.
WebRunner will definitely take away your eyes from different sites that you don’t want to use. Even though it’s a simple program, it’s definitely a must have for any researchers or developers out there.
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Being online is an absolute necessity for some. For business reasons, we have to make sure that we get the latest news and updates from our clients or employees as soon as possible. For personal reasons, we can also update our friends and family on whereever we are and what we’re planning to do. It’s a total interaction between you and your friends or colleagues. If they are also online in any way, they can also tell you what they are up to.
There are actually softwares that can do that. “Web Presence” softwares basically integrate instant messenger, social bookmarks and social networking all in one software. Here are some of the sites that offer such software programs for free.
Twitter – As one of the leaders in their industry, Twitter has become a fad for most techies as they share their daily lives online. Twitter can be used in your computer or in your mobile phone. With their free service, you can update the world with what you’re doing, thinking, writing…anything at all. If you check their official website, you’ll be able to see the latest updates of some of the users. After installing the software and signing up for free, you can search for users and groups you can join in. There are add-ons that you can try with the software for better web experience. The mobile version of the software is also impressive as people will be able to update their network of friends and groups.
Jaiku – It works just like Twitter with a little twist. Once you logged in to Jaiku, it’s quite a similar website that you can associate with Twitter. However, it does seem to work faster compared to Twitter. Jaiku can also work with most of high end cellphones. You can either download their online version or you can even add Jaiku as a native software because of their Java client. One impressive feature of Jaiku is its ability to update not only what you think or the files that you want to share, but also your current location. As a great add-on, it works like Google Maps, but instead of address lookup, you’ll be able to see the updates they posted to their account. Although you will not be able to zoom in just where they are located, the feature is still impressive.
Pownce – Users of this program is still limited. Without any invitation from other users, you might not be able to use the software for now. But once it’s available for public use, it sure is going to be an impressive program. Using Adobe’s AIR technology, you can send updates anytime from your computer or mobile phone. AIR technology features Ajax coding technique, which means the program can still work fast even though the bandwidth of a mobile phone or computer is low. It’s almost the same as the previously mentioned two, and it should come in very handy once you get your hands on this software.
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Toolbars are additional tools you can easily install in your browser and enhance your web browsing experience. Popular tools such as Google, Yahoo and AOL’s toolbar are some of the toolbars that are usually found in a person’s computer. Whether if it’s for Firefox, IE or other popular web browsers; you can easily install these toolbars in these browsers and let them do their job in no time. But you should know that there are other toolbars, independent of the popular search engines, which can help you enhance your web browsing experience or other reasons that you have to do in the internet.
Absolute Toolbar – This is one of the most powerful toolbars in Internet Explorer. Even though it’s not available in other browsers, it’s still worth a try. It features literally hundreds of search sites that will surely get you to your preferred site or the information that you need. The only bad thing about this is that it’s really big that it could cover a lot of space in your browser that you may not be able to see anything. It will even provide you link to hundreds of websites based on their category.
Trailfire Toolbar – This toolbar also works like a social website. When you have found something via Internet search, you can easily share them with the groups in the Trailfire’s website. Regarding a whole different range of topics from travel websites to tech info, you’ll be able to get some tips and all the information you need from other search engine fanatics.
RankQuest SEO Toolbar – If you’re a copywriter, or an online writer who has his or her own website, this is one of the toolbars that you should have. It will give you the ranking that you will need and the keyword that you should use in order to increase the popularity of your website. In your toolbar, you’ll have access to hundred of links that will analyze keywords that you should use in your website. There are also tools that will let you create a customized meta-tag for your site or your blog.
Minggl Toolbar – With all the popular social networking websites out there, you should by now have at least two memberships on these websites. Minggl will be able to bring them all together with their toolbar. You should be able to get across various social networking websites and integrate them. You can go from one website to another without logging in again and again. The best thing about this site is that you’ll be able to be alerted when something new happens to your profile. The toolbar comes with a notification tool that can be switched on and off anytime. It’s still in beta version but you can request for beta testing for Facebook and MySpace.
Toolbar Studio – this is not a toolbar but if you don’t like the toolbars indicated; you can actually create one for free. If you have a website, you can even offer this as part of your marketing tool. The free version will give you a chance to create one toolbar. Upgrades could even give you the chance of creating unlimited toolbars.
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P2P (Peer-to-Peer) file sharing software may be the number one problem for music artists, movie producers, book writers and even game creators. They are losing billions in revenue because of these software programs freely downloaded in the internet. While some P2P networks will require payments for premium users, you can still download a file from popular P2P networks without any problem.
So why are these P2P software programs any problem to these artists and creators? Simple: P2P software enables their users to download potentially copyrighted commercial games, music, movies and books freely. When Napster came out more than 10 years ago, it was mostly music that was freely distributed. Now everything and any information can be shared, which include newly released games, the latest blockbuster movies, and even the latest magazines. Since they are free, those affected industries are not earning anything at all. Imagine if one popular musician’s song was downloaded in Limewire (a popular P2P software) 2,000,000 times, it already cost the industry two million dollars if the song is sold in iTunes for $.99 per song. That’s just for one artist and one song only. Multiply the number by the hundreds and the industry loses billions of dollars yearly.
BitTorrent, which is the most popular P2P software on the Internet, works this way: a person uploads a torrent file and seeds them online. The term seeding is like hosting the file so that people can download the file if they like it. In turn those that downloaded the file will “seed” to other persons after they have downloaded it. After two or three days, if the movie is really popular, the seeders will be thousands and the downloaders will also be at the same number. The cycle will only end if the popularity of the file, movie or music will slowly end. Another form of P2P software will just give you the ability to upload and download various files, without any notion of seeders or leechers. Leechers are those that download the file without seeding any information themselves. The performance of P2P sharing is largely due to the fact that every file is splitted into multiple segments and is shared among peers segmented. Splitting means even though you have not finished downloading a whole file, the file is split into various parts, and so you can seed some parts of the file you’ve downloaded. Instead of being a leecher, you now become a seeder that contributes shared resources for other peers on the network.
These P2P software programs may have their advantages. Large files that are needed by many users legitimately, such as Linux distributions or MS Windows updates can be uploaded via a P2P program, seeded and downloaded by users in a scalable way. However, an obvious disadvantage is for the industry that entertains and educates us for a living.
On your end, you have to be careful in using this type of P2P software. If you’re not careful with the programs you downloaded from P2P networks, you’ll end up with having malware or virus installed on your computer. Even some of the files are loaded with spyware or adware to annoy you incessantly. So if you want to use P2P software, make sure you use them for the good and be careful with the free stuff. It looks nice but it might be the end of your computer.
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