Google introduces new spreadsheet today - - thoughts...

[Tom Urtis]

Today Google will introduce a new spreadsheet program...here is a link:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060605/google_spreadsheet.html?.v=3

That Google is backing the venture means the product has financial legs, and although it is not meant to be just like Excel, Google is doing this because they think they can grab spreadsheet market share from Microsoft.

One thing that strikes me is, most Excel users only know about or tap into roughly 10% of Excel's capabilities, if that, meaning they "over-buy" when purchasing Excel. If users only want or need certain basic features, this Google spreadsheet program might turn out to satisfy enough people to become a stable permanent product. Excel will probably always be the superior spreadsheet program but I'm sure Google's product introduction has gotten the attention of Redmond's Excel sales forecasters.

Interested to see anyone's thoughts about the evolving spreadsheet market, which is getting increasingly web-based, and interesting thanks to competition.

 

[Von Pookie]

Sign up is currently not available but you can take a "tour" of what it will have to offer...

http://www.google.com/googlespreadsheets/tour1.html

 

[Tom Urtis]

Here is a sign-up link, to enter your email address on a first come first served invitation basis.

http://www.google.com/googlespreadsheets/try_out.html

 

[Von Pookie]

Sorry, I worded my post badly. I believe that particular "sign up" is simply to be included in the limited test.

When it is up and fully active it will require a Google account to use.

 

[NateO]

My thoughts,

Convenient and the chat option is nice, for other Google/Gmail users...

However, a lot of the data I work with is sensitive, so there's no chance of me not using a local Spreadsheet App with this sort of data.

Still, a nice freeware option, from the looks of it.

 

[NateO]

Sorry, I worded my post badly. I believe that particular "sign up" is simply to be included in the limited test.

I was just activated for the test 2 seconds ago, playing with it now...

Doesn't appear to be an Undo, and Cut and Paste definitely is not working the same as it would in Excel (i.e., no Range retention).

Does have a lot of functions, though, e.g., Sumproduct().

Edit: Goes out to 'T' columns, and is 100 rows deep. Definitely not Excel...

However, it's time to test 'Shared Mode'...

 

[Von Pookie]

Well, it *is* a beta

Hey! I got the email, Nate

I read something this morning that said that it would automatically save whenever any change was made. That doesnt' seem to be mentioned in the article Tom posted. Ah, here it is. This seems to go over more of the features as compared to the business impact: http://tinyurl.com/nj2tl

 

[NateO]

I stand corrected, there is an Undo button!

Yes, it does appear to autosave on change.

 

[Von Pookie]

For the 'public record,' at any rate:
I haven't gotten an invite (yet?). The link Nate sent me takes me to the "sign up" page for the limited test. Phooey.

 

[NateO]

Bummer, wanted to test 'shared mode' out, which Excel was never good at... Funny, it lists you as an Editor on my open Spreadsheet.

Kind of cool software, though...

I assume they built this animal with some hardcore JavaScript...