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Author Topic: Google's New Toy  (Read 6704 times)

lanux128

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Google's New Toy
« on: March 15, 2006, 11:20 PM »
Google acquires Writely, a full-functioned, Ajax-based word processor that allows you to do most anything in your browser that you would be able to do with a machine-based program, short of a full-fledged office application. Full report here.

As Google adds yet another app to its arsenal of suites, will we be seeing a new trend here?
« Last Edit: March 16, 2006, 05:05 AM by brotherS »

Ampa

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Re: Google’s New Toy
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2006, 03:26 AM »
Yesterday they bought SketchUp. Difficult to know whether that is a good thing or not... I really hope they don't mess up what is a superb product.

brotherS

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Re: Google's New Toy
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2006, 05:10 AM »
Google acquires Writely
I never heard about it before, but it sounds a bit like the Google Mail of word processors :) Nice!

http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/3917/dcpostwritelybeta8oq.png
Google's New Toy



m_s

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Re: Google's New Toy
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2006, 05:15 AM »
There was very good posting about Google's strategy on the Signal Vs. Noise blog (which is written by 37 Signals, the people behind BackPack and its associated Web 2.0 apps) - take a look: http://37signals.com...of_writely_means.php

vegas

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Re: Google's New Toy
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2006, 05:47 AM »
I find it very interesting how handy a tool like this could become for quickly creating your own Auction Listings, especially if they were Google Auctions!  Let's see a payment/micropayment system is due soon, it does look like they are slowly positioning themselves to take on the juggernaut eBay.  Yay.

lanux128

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Re: Google's New Toy
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2006, 07:26 PM »
...it does look like they are slowly positioning themselves to take on the juggernaut eBay....

yes, apparently they want to be in internet what Microsoft already is consumer/corporate PC market... To quote Ampa, "Difficult to know whether that is a good thing or not..."


zfshi

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Re: Google's New Toy
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2006, 11:41 AM »
Yesterday they bought SketchUp. Difficult to know whether that is a good thing or not... I really hope they don't mess up what is a superb product.
I have used SketchUp, it's a great little program

brotherS

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Re: Google's New Toy
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2006, 12:06 PM »
There was very good posting about Google's strategy on the Signal Vs. Noise blog (which is written by 37 Signals, the people behind BackPack and its associated Web 2.0 apps) - take a look: http://37signals.com...of_writely_means.php

Nice discussion going on there, let me quote Drew McChesney's comment:

It’s obvious Microsoft is doing something right, no matter how bloated or ugly their UI is. Google isn’t going to topple Office with another Office (even web-based), and I really don’t think that’s their goal. The idea of the 80/20 rule, both the idealistic side, and the realistic side, has valid points, but here it’s being considered in a product vs. product debate.

Google is playing a completely different game which could have significant cultural impacts; moving the desktop to the web. Right now, these purchases, rollouts, and strategies are a part of a movement that is in its infancy. Many of these new services and products will flop, miserably, and I think Google understands this very well. However, and I don’t think I’m alone, I believe Google has the resources, the talent, and the track record to pull something this ambitious off.

Google’s threat to Microsoft isn’t just creating superior products; it’s Google’s ability to change the paradigm in which those products are made, distributed, and used.

I believe Drew is right!