Now bring your spreadsheet to the beach and make your friends to also work on it!

Tech - Now bring your spreadsheet to the beach and make your friends to also work on it!

I was surprised when I came to know that many of my friends dont use/know of office suites and applications like notebook.google, reader.google and google apps and OpenOffice.org . Understandable. We have had access to Microsoft Office all the time ( I am making a point here if you understand what I mean ;) ).

Now I buy a new laptop. I need an office suite. So what do I do? Financially drained from buying the lappy and unable to buy an MS Office suite, I am left with 2 choices now:

1. Get a net connection and start using docs.google apps


2. Get OpenOffice suite.

docs.google is really simple and quite convenient - you dont need to have it installed in your pc. You just need an internet connection and start using it a regular speadsheet/document application. Your data is on the net and can be shared for collaboration and such - this might also be a negative point. You are placing your data on the net. So most probably you would avoid using the service for official purposes. But consider the following use : - I am placement coordinator for my college. I need data of my batchmates such as semester scores and company preferences. I simply upload a template and share it with my friends. They fill in the required data. This can be tailored and further shared with recruiters and linked in many ways possible. Simple and sweet!

OpenOffice.org gives a neat package of fully functional Office tools like the Word equivalent - Writer. Pretty much the same functionalites, you can enhance it with further Open add Ons like EuroOffice Dictionary. You end up saving tons in money buying a set of Office tools and come on now its high time we started getting into the Open movement. The only thing that kept us from doing this is we never bought much of the software. Issues like compromising security and Microsoft blanking off your screens if you buy its pirated stuff ( yes now it can ...Huhuhuhahahahaha..) has turned many away from the lure of pirated software.

Well two points I needed to drive home so that my friends can start using the best stuff the net has to offer out and try some reliable FOSS ( Free and Open Source Software ) . Bottomline - we need to start exploring the net better.

Anyone heading for the beach? I will get my laptop...