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Google vs Microsoft: Part II (NYT's Version)

Saturday, June 17, 2006 | 07:42 AM

in Corporate Management | Investing | Technology | Web/Tech

Last week, we discussed Google's spreadsheet and word processor in context of a $300 PC offer from Dell; The PC -- monitor included -- cost more than the full version of Microsoft Office:

"A few weeks ago, I got a snail mail offer from Dell for a pretty fast 2.4Ghz machine -- 17" CRT included -- for the "low low price" of $300. I was about to buy (yet another) machine for the office -- when it dawned on me that Office Professional-Small Business cost $320 -- more than the PC itself. I decided to pass. (I could have gotten Office Basic -- Word, Excel and Outlook -- for $70). I suspect this process occurs lots of times in small businesses in America.

In Google's short history, they have continuously rolled out more and more offerings. I suspect that 5 years from now, we will look back to discover that a full featured Office equivalent has developed.

In the alternative, is there anyway this ends up helping Microsoft? I can't think of any."

Today's NYT has a similar column:

"The biggest expense in buying a new computer is not always the computer. After all, you can buy a new Dell desktop, and a good one at that, for $300 and get a monitor in the bargain.

The software to make a PC do anything useful can cost you as much as the computer. To accomplish even the most basic functions on the computer, like writing, you could pay $400 for the standard edition of Microsoft's Office suite that includes Word for word processing, Excel for spreadsheets, Outlook for e-mail and PowerPoint for boring everyone with slideshow presentations.

You can find software that is cheaper. Yet a stripped-down student and teacher edition of Word still costs $150 and even Microsoft Works 8.0, a really basic version of Word and Excel, is $50.

There is another way to do almost everything these programs can do — some would say you can actually do more — and you can do it free. A number of smart programmers have developed word processing, spreadsheet, calendar and other software that you operate while in a Web browser.

No one is saying they are a direct substitute for Word or Excel, but they do have a distinct advantage. The programs can be used by several people at different computers to collaborate on a document."

Its not quite a "read it here first," but it does have a similar flavor.

I like the Times' focus -- not on the Google vs Microsoft aspect of this, but rather on the variety of free web based software you can put on a cheap PC. Its a good set of resources for those looking for a cheap 2nd or 3rd machine.

In addition to Writely and Google Spreadsheet, the column also tips:

• Yahoo Mail
• Google Gmail
• Flickr.com
• Google Labs
• Jotspot
• Zoho Writer
• Writeboard
• Ajax Write
• 30Boxes
• Firefox
• Google Notebook
• Clipmarks
• Plum

UPDATE: June 17, 2006 9:13am

Okay, okay! When 5 emailers tell me Open Office is th way to go within minutes of this posting, I must offer up a link:

• Open Office

Sources:
Google vs Microsoft: Now We're Getting Serious
The Big Picture, Wednesday, June 07, 2006
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2006/06/google_vs_micro.html

Now, Free Ways to Do Desktop Work on the Web
Your Money
DAMON DARLIN
NYTimes, June 17, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/17/technology/17money.html