Six Most Useful Web-Hosted Apps
Great Google offers high profile applications that aren’t necessarily the best. You may want to check out the alternatives. Many load faster, bristle with more functionality and simple offer more usability for the average Joe.
Calendars
1) Remember The Milk. This bizarrely named but smoothly designed app focuses on three lists- tasks due tomorrow, due today and simply overdue. The locations for the jobs are pinpointed on a Google map and allows you to share delegation with other Milk users. With Google Gears support, you can take them offline and sync with a Windows Mobile Phone.
2) Planzo. Similar to Milk and Google Calendar, good ole Planzo shares your itinerary with the web browsing public. The service throws in the basic to do lists and notebook features at you.
Document Creation
3) Think Free. It looks like MS Office and sure acts like it. There’s a Word, Excel, and Powerpoint variant which clones the MS Office interface. Throw in real time collaboration and 1GB storage and you’ll wonder what’s so smart about forking $340 for MS Office!
4) Zoho Office. Like Thinkfree, Zoho behaves just like MS Office. There’s a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software, database and word pad program. Now the service goes beyond and bundles in CRM, project management, poll taking, wiki and even web conferencing facilities! With it’s 1GB storage, your laptop will run leaner and meaner by offloading those megabytes to the company’s server.
File Storage
5) Scribd. The service is the Digg of documents and takes in Word, txt, PDF, PPT, excel and a host of other files for public and private sharing. Forget rapidshare. Scribd’s got more functionality and security.
6) Windows Live Skydrive. Create and account and be awarded 500MB of storage that you can keep private or share with others. You’ll need a windows Live ID for this baby.
Forget the bloat of boxed software. Are you ready to migrate online?
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Comment by Shashank on 22 January 2008:
@Everton
Just came over here from google news ..when did you made to google news?
Comment by Everton on 22 January 2008:
@shashank
I got in a few months ago, although your comment is the first evidence I’ve had of the inclusion - I’ve never been able to find it in my stats!
Comment by rutherford on 22 January 2008:
I must be missing something. What’s google news got to do with the article?
???
Comment by Everton on 22 January 2008:
@rutherford
This site is included in google news - that’s where he saw the link to this post.
Comment by Heiden on 22 January 2008:
Interesting, but if you speak about collaboration, you should also mention project management tools, like Wrike http://www.wrike.com for example. it also uses the consept of a wiki, but it has advanced features like Gantt charts.
Comment by Kline on 22 January 2008:
Eh, documents are small files, and the idea of storing work files (i.e. potentially confidential and if not, at least personal) on some unknown startup’s servers just gives me shivers.
How about just offloading onto your company’s servers, or a flash drive if space is that much of an issue.
OpenOffice ftw, and it will be a long time before any online app can replace its desktop counterpart. Oops, i lost internet connection, there goes all my changes.
“Any documents that you submit to the ThinkFree Sites may be redistributed through the internet and other media channels, and may be viewed by the general public.”
yuck.
Comment by Annie Martel on 2 February 2008:
Thanks for this great article, i have discovred “Think Free” service… Very useful
Comment by T.S. on 22 March 2008:
5pm - http://www.5pmweb.com - for sharing projects online