On the Google Docs blog today, the company took the time to make a non-announcement. Basically, there’s a bunch of words that bury the real story: That Google Docs will soon be launching a “brand new shiny interface.”
Hmmm. I wonder why. Obviously, earlier this week Microsoft laid out its plans for Office 2010, which includes a web-based component meant to take on Google Docs. But once again, there is nothing to actually see right now from Google, instead this is a pre-announcement to let users know that they may be seeing wonky elements over the next few weeks as they tweak things on the fly.
Not surprisingly, the sharing of documents will be a key element to this redesign. Despite it being perhaps the key element of Google Docs, sharing items with others is simply not that intuitive right now. Here’s what Google has in mind for the future:
One thing you’ll probably notice in the next few days is that the “Shared with…” list in the left hand pane will go away. But don’t worry, you can still use Search to do the same thing. Just click on “Search Options” and type the user’s name into the “Shared with:” box. If this is a search you’ll do over and over again, you can click “Save this search” so it will be easily accessible in “Saved Searches”.
Another thing you’ll see is the new Sharing Menu. We feel this is a big improvement over the old one; we’ve moved all the sharing functionality into this one dialog, so now you can completely manage sharing without having to leave the Docs list.
Other than that, Google is adding a bunch of new search operators (which only the hardcore users will care about). And it concludes the post with “They [the new features] will be followed shortly by the new interface and a number of pretty exciting features we have in the pipe.”
Google. Such a tease.
Google Docs really needs to evolve. Glad to see that competition is pushing it to get some more features.
+10
This is pretty good an improvement. Looks like Microsoft has pushed Google to do several things at a quicker pace – before Office 2010 could show its real face, we have Google coming up with a redesign. Great combat. But, benefit for us!
They just want to look more like an office.
MS Office??
I hope not!
I’m going with Microsoft’s Web component of Office. I need real features on the web (not something lightweight), over a new shiny interface. They might even have new features since there only teasing us right now, but I like the SaaS model Microsoft is presenting rather than Cloud only.
I hope MS comes with their web office suite sooner than later.
Will that make any difference?
Sure, it will. Or at least Google has a fear that it will. That’s why these improvements from Mountain View.
MG – I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on how iwork.com might fit into this discussion.
http://www.appl.../iwork-dot-com/
It doesn’t. It’s like the lame, backwater cousin to Google, which is already the degenerate backwater cousin to Office.
Looks cool. Do you use it? How useful it and what are the wear and tears?
you can not edit on iwork.com, only view and place post it notes.
Well this is exciting to me. I love Google Docs, so this is just more icing on the cake. I know it’s not everyone’s flavor of choice, but it’s my current favorite kind of cake.
Google Apps lacks any real training and that will make it difficult to adopt new users with limited computer skills. Microsoft really shines in the training department as much as I hate to admit it. Doesn’t anyone else out there wonder about this side of things?
If someone can’t figure out how to work Google Apps, they probably shouldn’t be working a job that requires the use of a computer. Just saying…
Who cares about Google Doc?! Office Web is coming.
I like the freedom of choosing from desktop based or web based solutions in different scenarios. Use a desktop version if I can, use a web version if I must!
I can’t wait to use Office online as a webapp on Chrome OS
I wonder if this has anything to do with the impending Wave?
Or with the security improvements that they desperately need to implement after the Twitter disaster just eliminated most of their enterprise account pipeline?
The twitter issues have nothing to do with Google what so ever.
Google can’t protect you if your password is weak. No one can. Whether its on the cloud or on your PC.
Not so.
For starters: They can “encourage” better security with more robust password requirements… Or they can do something about the insanely easy way to reset passwords (as Mike A discussed in his initial coverage of the disaster, Google has some work to do on this end).
It’s most likely not a coincidence that they’re suddenly making a vaporware announcement like this just days after Docs’ PR took a massive hit which likely eliminated a large number of their enterprise accounts.
I hope Google irons out its bugs, and quick. Its formatting never exports/imports correctly, its organization is confusing, its features are anemic and limited. It’s safe to say Word is the superior application right now. Google, amp your game and do something more than just put lipstick on a pig.
Dropbox has completely replaced Google Docs in my day to day.
I hate Microsoft’s “second tier” support of anything that isn’t IE. Until it’s 2010 and I’m actually playing with the thing, I’m not going to believe anything they say about it and cross-platform compatibility.
Meanwhile, if this prompts Google Docs to gain some impressive new features? So much the better.
Exchange 2010’s Outlook Web Access supports Firefox 3+ and Safari 3+, as well as IE 7 and 8. No second tier support.
Office Web Apps support Firefox 3.5 and Safari 4 (as well as IE7/8) as first class browsers. Chrome and Opera generally work, but given their current marketshare, they are not being tested heavily.
LIVE WORD COUNT, people!! It BETTER be in there!!!
Microsoft has the uncanny ability to spend endless marketing and development dollars in markets that improve their bottom line ZILCH!
Why do they even care? Google Docs is a consumer push. They belong in the enterprise. No sizable company uses Google Docs. And Google can’t muscle into that market anyway… Yet.
Many sizable companies use Google Docs (Genentech for example). Tons more use it unofficially. It is a great tool for easy text collaboration. Right now its simple and simplistic. Soon I imagine google will make it Simple and sufficient. I can’t wait.
Here’s a video of a demo of the new Office Web Apps by an Office Product Manager. Gives you a taste of what’s coming:
http://bit.ly/Hhj8T
Holy Cow is she ever boring? Scripted product demos are so boring. Word and Powerpoint look OK, Excel looks really good.
Maybe they’ll add a suggestion that you improve your passwords so that nobody hacks your account and sends all the documents they find to TechChrunch!
they need to improve google site (that tool no one use in google app).
This habit of pre-annoncement is not very google-like
Is it just me or is the most annoying aspect of Google Docs the inability to copy/move a worksheet from one spreadsheet document to another? This makes emailing data into a spreadsheet totally useless since you can’t correlate. Love the sharing part, but that’s nothing more than Docs going on the web. Now they have to properly handle some of the basics…
hahahahahah… they were threatened by office online u jerkbag. and you still show your google bias with your google such a tease line moron.
Um, English next time please..
I use OffiSync with Google docs and i’m lovin it! really brings together the best of both worlds. I’m using Office 2007 with Windows 7 but collaborate and save my docs on Google Docs…. really cool product!
I wonder if it is worth the wait for a redesigned Google Docs. The general public does not seem to share Google’s idea of a “shiny interface”. Google’s first visual designer Doug Bowman puts it very nicely in his blog post “Goodbye, Google”. http://stopdesi...bye-google.html. He was so frustrated that he remarked “data eventually becomes a crutch for every decision, paralyzing the company and preventing it from making any daring design decisions”
keep your eyes on google wave.
Bah.
Very thoughtful reply Sanjay.. Do you work for Microsoft or something?
Don’t flatter him
+1
Yeah Google docs has some basic issues to iron out. For instance it gets confused If I change my fonts. It doesn’t handle things well. I believe Zoho is also a good application.
Can I get a hand on the office live somewhere ? Has it been made available to a set of beta users already ?
That’s what you gain when you play against Microsoft, they will pick up the trend you found, and kick your butt.
Oh please… How many times has Microsoft tried to topple Google in search? Three times now?
How is Windows Mobile doing against Android?
Google’s bit is getting old…
They need two-factor authentication, a GToken, or something.
Ask yourself this?
Is having (good) 2-factor authentication (TFA) on its Google Apps and Gmail accounts something that Twitter would pay for? A GToken, perhaps, for each user?
Of course, it is. (And, to answer the begged question: Yes, TFA would have prevented this breach.)
It’s the same with many other individuals and companies. In fact, if good TFA is easily accessible, it will become a requirement, not just the differentiator it is now. Companies who tell their customers, partners, investors, lenders, etc. that they use security best practices will have to use TFA.
More here: http://chrisco....authentication/
I’ll see your x and raise you y…
What’s going on with google? They’ve gone from being the “look we launched X” company to the “at some point in the unspecified future, we might launch Y — which will change the world, btw, but we won’t tell you how”
Interesting, but not surprising.
Does this mean they will finally get rid of the horrible depreciated HTML elements and attributes they use? When I took a look at the underlying HTML it made me shutter.
only guess is to sell ads? Not sure..LOL
One of G Docs biggest downfalls is the file size limit. I am working on research, and wanted to share a 700 page text-only document, and it exceeded the save limit. I understand Google’s problem with hosting large files from all users, but if Google wants to compete with MS then it has to have options for power-users.
I hope they add an email notifier for when a shared document has been changed/updated…that is something they NEED imho. I know they have it for the spreadsheets but for some reason they don’t have it for the documents.
Nuts to Google Docs AND Gmail; they’re both riddled with dumb bugs caused by Googles’ incompetent coders. None of the tech is rocket science; there are plenty of other, bug-free, online doc editors and email services which don’t screw up your emails and documents.
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