It didn’t take Google long to take on its arch rival, Microsoft, after the latter release office 2010. Microsoft Office suite 2010 will be have three major versions, a free, but limited, desktop version, the full version, and a free web version supported by adds.
Not good enough, says Google. The desktop version is a relic of past times. Office 2010 will not work. The new direction is the cloud, and a slimmer more efficient set of software tools that users can actually use, instead of the bloated program with bells and whistles, and more bells and more whistles.
Actually, there is something to that. My main word processor for everyday uses is Wordpad. I do have access to Office 2010, but I find Word to be clumsy and loaded down with features I won’t use. Others may quibble about this and find that they like the office product just fine.
Well, horray.
The last good Office suite product was the 2007 version; it wasn’t bloated. The new version 2010, however, has many features that will continue to challenge it’s competitors.
The Office suite holds 94% of the market, with Adobe holding about 4, and the rest are looking for handouts.
Google made 23 billion in revenue last year; something that would envy GM, Ford, and a slew of other companies. But not Microsoft. Microsoft made 19 billion last year, just on Office alone.
Google has Apps, their online office product which they would like to see knock off Microsoft, but that’s probably not going to happen. Also their version of cloud computing which they have been touting is no longer looking that cutting edge. Other companies are also looking at cloud based services. And Microsoft also has their own Office 2010 version on the cloud, which is free.
Google finally says that the desktop version of Office 2010, is archaic. Old world. But customers keep right on coming. Maybe through inertia, or maybe through reliability. You do get the full service with Microsoft such as upgrades, patches, service packs, new builds. Maybe they come too quickly and force customers to purchase a product that they don’t need. But too many people seem to not only bought into the Microsoft product suite, they’ve bought into the Microsoft business suite, that is, their way of doing things. That dimension has yet to be crossed by any other software or hardware manufacturer.
It reminds me of what Henry Ford once said on why all cars were the same color, “You can pick any color you want, as long as it is black.” And people went on buying Ford cars. Well, maybe you can get any office suite you want, with any features you want, as long as it is Microsoft Office Suite.
Source: New York Times
See Also: Hand to Hand combat
