Web Life Reality - Update #3
by Aner Ravon

So it’s been a month by now since the beginning of our experiment and it’s time to share some interim conclusions. The adrenalin rush is now pretty much over and it’s time to deal with the real issues, so here is the current situation summary.

1. I still use Gmail as my online email. I am not going back to Outlook Express, even though it does complicate my life here and there. The advantages of staying online outweigh the disadvantages, at least to my taste.

2. I use Google Spreadsheets, but I started using Excel again. I use Google Spreadsheets for my expense reports, simple tables and check lists, but when it comes to heavy duty formatting, I need something rich and robust.

3. I stopped using Word completely! I use Zoho Writer for writing documents (while waiting for my Writely account to finally be enabled)

4. I tried using online Powerpoint from Zoho, Thumbstack and now Empresser (review by Techcrunch). In one word - No!. Powerpoint is a desktop application and as long as presentation style remains what it is, that’s what I am using.

5. I tried Microsoft Office 2007. It sucks! I mean it doesn’t suck in the traditional Microsoft way, but it seems like you need to be a Photoshop expert in order to use it. Word is a total overkill, Excel is pretty much the same, Powerpoint has gotten much better. All are significantly more complicated.

6. I was fortunate to have my attention pointed to somewhat niche apps like gOFFICE. Their online publishing tools combined with their PDF ripper offer something I haven’t seen in desktop apps. A clear long tail opportunity.

At the bottom line so far, Web 2.0 is getting there but still has a long way to go before I can port my professional life to the web. The quantum leap, if you ask me, is waiting for the paradigm shift that hasn’t occured yet in terms of usage patterns, not technology. There is no point in porting desktop apps to the web without transforming the usage habit to a fitting one. Powerpoint, for example, is not a web app. A flash, light wait, interactive presentation service can be a great success on the other hand.

Aner Ravon
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