More Google Goodness

It's that time again, when I start to spout how great and wonderful Google is. Lets start with possibly the biggest slap in the face to Microsoft so far (but not the biggest to come, I'd reckon), Google Spreadsheets. Most people have opened up Microsoft Excel or our loyal OpenOffice users would have launched Calc, but Google has shown that you can have useful office productivity software in your web browser. Users of Internet Explorer and Firefox can now go to spreadsheets.google.com and create spreadsheets from scratch or import one from Excel or Calc, and then share them with other users in real-time. What that means is, if I had a Google Spreadsheet open on my computer right now, you could also have the same spreadsheet open on your computer and if either one of us changes any of the information in it, the other would see in instantly. Of course the creator of the spreadsheet has control over who is allowed to view or change it. I keenly await the Google Word Processor.

I think what we are seeing here is the start of a phenomenon called The Google Operating System. Now most people think of an "operating system" (OS) as the first think that loads up when you turn on your computer. A quick Google search on "GoogleOS" will turn up a lot of confusing information about some fabled linux-based OS that will boot-up from a pen-drive. Most of it looks and sounds like absolute rubbish. I don't think GoogleOS will be a conventional operating system. That doesn't seem to be Googles style at all. Accessing your information from anywhere and sharing it with anyone seems to be the priority for these guys so it doesn't make sense that they would make an operating system that you load onto one computer like you do with Windows or Linux. This is a system that you can access from any computer with any operating system that is hooked up the the Internet and has a web browser, whether it is a high-end gaming rig with the latest 64bit Windows Vista, an Apple Macbook or an old Pentium III running Linspire.

• GoogleTalk has been constantly improved and refined since its release and has replaced MSN Messenger on all computers at my place.
  

• Gmail is a fantastic web-based e-mail service with the best spam filters and search facilities that I have ever seen. And they give you over two-and-a-half Gig of space to store your mail. Never delete your e-mail again!
  

• Google Desktop gives me a much better search facility for my own files and folders than that stupid dog that Microsoft give us in WindowsXP.

• Google Calendar has be invaluable in helping me keep my appointments and plan out my days ahead.

• Google Maps and Google Earth have allowed me to check the world out in amazing detail.
  

• Google News keeps me up to date with current events.

• Google Video gives me something to watch when there is nothing on television and also give me an outlet for my own video work to share with the world.

• Picasa, a Google application, lets me organize and touch up my photos.

• Google Page Creator for creating your own webpages.

• Google Notebook lets me collect info directly from a website and access it from anywhere in the world.

• And of course, I must not forget Blogger, a Google service, which allows me to write all this to you in my very own customizable webspace.

There is a heap of stuff being developed in the Google Labs. Most of it is given away for free. You can access your information from anywhere. This is the GoogleOS.

I'm not crazy.

Denny Crane.