Items tagged with docs
In the cloud game, there is so much competition, it's hard to keep them all straight sometimes. But of them all, two giants that are fun to watch duke it out are Google and Microsoft - especially when it comes to online documents. While Google was ahead of the curve with regards to hosting office tools online, Microsoft has arguably had an easier time selling its service based on the simple fact that it's been creating office tools for nearly thirty years (the first version was revealed at COMDEX in 1988!). Both companies have their own pluses, though, making it hard for some businesses to choose between them. Google clearly has mastered the art of infrastructure, while Microsoft offers tools...
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It was a big deal when Microsoft finally pushed out Office apps for the iPad, but already Redmond has a Mountain View problem. Google is in hot pursuit of Microsoft on the desktop/cloud office productivity front with Drive apps, but the search giant has also now debuted mobile app versions of its Docs and Sheets products, too. These won’t exactly replace the Google Drive app, but they represent much better integration into the mobile platform; accessing Docs or Sheets from within Drive felt like having to enter into a secondary environment. With native apps, you can get to your various documents with a single tap. Predictably, the apps will open with the most recently edited files shown...
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You don't have to look far to find pundits that'll deny it, but you have to wonder if Microsoft is feeling threatened. Despite owning a colossal share of the desktop OS market -- a fact that isn't likely to change in our lifetimes -- the company's other facets aren't so well-grounded. Outside of the successful Xbox franchise, Microsoft's other two profits drivers are facing very serious competition. On the tablet front, Windows isn't gaining enough steam to make a real dent in Apple's iPad dominance, and on the phone front, Windows Phone is still in the single-digits in terms of market share even after being announced almost three years ago. And then, there's Office. This was also a practical...
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Up to now, there’s been a free version of Google Apps for Business and a premium version, but Google is changing that policy. Henceforth, all new Google Apps for Business customers will be required to pay $50 per user per year. Although customers will no doubt be a bit unhappy with the new structure, they are getting a little something for that money, including a 25GB Gmail inbox, 24/7 phone support, and a guaranteed 99.9% uptime guarantee. These are of course in addition to Drive, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, and Slides, Sites, and Vault. Grating as it may be, all things considered fifty bucks a year per person isn’t exactly going to put most small businesses under. Further, note that...
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Google Docs have been used around these parts for years on end. Why load up Office when you can just handle things online? But one of the major issues with Google Docs has been editing and using them on mobile devices. Now, Google's making it easier to deal with them on Android-based devices. There's a new app up for download in the Android Market these days: Google Docs for Android. The app provides an enhanced level of functionality compared to just using the mobile web, enabling users to filter/search for content across any Google account, then jump straight into editing docs using the online mobile editors. The app also allows you to easily share items with contacts on your phone, right from...
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It's too early to make the call for sure, but it looks like Office's days are numbered. But then again, the same was said of physical discs, and although iTunes is making a huge dent in CD sales, people are still swooping in to buy console games on disc versus downloading PC titles en masse via Steam. At any rate, Google Docs does actually stand a good chance at eating away at some of Microsoft's market share, primarily because Docs are free to use. Office, on the other hand, is quite expensive. But one of the main issues with Google Docs is the inability to edit on the go, easily. There are Office applications that help users edit those while using a mobile device, but Google hasn't kept up....
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Every other week or so, we get the feeling that Google is making strides in fully taking over the world. Be it search advancements, Android advancements or their drive into being an ISP, Google is getting their hands dirty with almost everything. Google Docs has been around for years, and while many tech enthusiasts have shifted to them over desktop versions of Microsoft Office, the vast majority still haven't.Google is hoping to change that, and they're constantly working to improve the services to make them more viable alternatives to desktop office suite applications. The latest round of improvements are some of the most significant in the life of the web apps. There are new preview versions...
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What's one of the biggest nits with Google Docs? For many, it's the same thing that also allows collaboration and access to files anywhere: the online nature of it. That's going to start disappearing soon, however.Here's why I'm excited about this development. My migration from the desktop to 'the cloud' started with my Gmail account. I could access my mail from anywhere, search it all in one place, and never need to migrate to a new account. It was great. Then I started using Google Calendar to organize my schedule all in one place.So now I find myself with this drive to make my desktop as sparse as possible, both in data and software. I want to move it all into the cloud. There are still times...
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To coin a phrase from a very well respected colleague, Ars Technica has a bit of "put your ass in the know tonight" (that's PYAITK) with a look-ahead at the DOCSIS 3 Cable Modem standard. Oh baby, glorious bandwidth! "Any geek will tell you that there's no such thing as "too fast" when it comes to broadband speeds, and that's why the recent DOCSIS 3.0 spec is exciting to cable modem users. The new version of DOCSIS (Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specifications) will allow for jaw-dropping physical layer speeds of 160Mbps downstream and 120 Mbps back up - more than a fourfold increase over current rates." Jaw-dropping they said... "jaw dropping". Yes...
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