Microsoft Previews Free Web-based Version of Office 2010

Written by Steven Walling / September 17, 2009 9:42 AM / 16 Comments

Back in July Microsoft launched the technical preview of Office 2010. But despite reports to the contrary, that technical preview didn't include the highly-anticipated online version of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Starting today Microsoft is making a limited preview of Office Web Apps available to partners, and has officially said that a more widely-available beta of Web Apps will arrive this fall.

Word

The one disappointment in the technical preview is that Word documents will be view only. The good news is that all formatting will be perfectly preserved in the online version, and documents can be shared and commented on by anyone. That sharing capability alone is a huge improvement in usability and workflows in an age where the desktop is no longer supreme. Users with Silverlight will have additional capabilities for zooming in and out on a document.

Excel

Excel spreadsheets will be fully editable in the preview. Note that, like the other apps, this is a more lightweight version of Excel than what you get on the desktop. Certain advanced features (such as charting) are not included, though the core needs for adding, filtering, and sorting data are all there. Users can control editing permissions for this and all other editable versions of Office Web Apps.

PowerPoint

PowerPoint will allow full editing for anyone you share a presentation with, just like Excel. That also means that this isn't a fully-featured version of PowerPoint; you'll have complete text manipulation capabilities, but some of the advanced tools for slide decks are not available.

Is it Enough?

Even if these lighter versions of Office applications are lacking some of the advanced features that users are familiar with, the ability to easily access documents on the Web and share them with those you're collaborating with is a big leap forward for the company.

Though Microsoft still clearly retains a huge amount of loyalty from users, Google has been moving aggressively to capture the attention of schools and enterprises. With this preview, the larger battle for which office suite will prevail at home, work, and in the enterprise is just beginning.

Comments

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Already moved on to googledocs and openoffice and I'm not looking back. Little value to my workplace either.

Posted by: jdp | September 17, 2009 11:14 AM

It is a good step forward, but eXpresso has been able to do this and more for a while now. expressocorp.com

Posted by: Gus S | September 17, 2009 11:22 AM

Mail merge, mail merge, mail merge. That is a huge feature for staff in business and legal world. Google Docs does not handle it and the web version of Office had better.

Otherwise, Microsoft better make the web version of Office *different* from Google Docs. There will have to be something that stands out in order for MS to gain ground. Took far too long for them to get into the game. The Office Live Workspace stuff is good and can integrate with desktop apps, but that was more for storage.

Companies are still fearful of cloud computing because:
1. Data stored out of the company network
2. Fear of services going down or not being available. Loss of connectivity, etc...

Posted by: John | September 17, 2009 1:58 PM

BLARGH

Yet another abuse of the browser.

If you want an *application*, then download it and install it. Web apps SUCK.

Posted by: Nicolas | September 17, 2009 10:36 PM

Maybe by 2015 or so... but for now I have to agree with Nicolas. On line apps are slow, plodding and featureless. Especially true with word processing, editing, and graphics programs like Photoshop.

Exceptions are data based cloud type computing such as Sales Force. But for now... and the forseeable future... give me Desktop Apps... please!!!

Posted by: Tom Kelly | September 17, 2009 11:12 PM

Online apps will only be adopted when the bandwidth and the stability of the server farms are 100%.

Desktop software will always be more efficient. When the online service goes down, so does your documents and possibly your business.

Stay with dekstop software, they are still your best bet!

Posted by: Andy | September 18, 2009 1:04 AM

I think Zoho webapps are more feature rich!

anyways, webapps require high bandwidth as Andy pointed out! Wouldn't be ready to move to webapps now.. desktop apps rule! \m/

Posted by: Nirnay | September 18, 2009 5:04 AM

Will the online version contain some form of programmability?

Posted by: Jason | September 18, 2009 6:04 AM

#3 re: being different from Google & data storage location

When I first heard about the web-based MS Office product, I was sure that there was a mention that this would be available for companies to install on their own servers (likely as part of Sharepoint).

If true that addresses both issues with companies being able to keep their data local, restrict access to closed intranets, etc. Things that Google doesn't allow.

Posted by: Sri | September 18, 2009 6:45 AM

Web apps require high bandwidth? The only bandwidth they need is to deliver the page. Done right, they do not require high bandwidth at all.

If you don't know the technology, don't comment on it. You just spread stupid rumors and conjecture.

Posted by: thecodemonk.myopenid.com | September 18, 2009 8:00 AM

Web apps are good if your ordering something online or watching youtube but office apps and Visual Studio there is no way in hell I would use web version of it. I do not want my personal information getting intercepted by someone and we all know that Microsoft's software has and always will have holes in their apps. I'm not going to trust my code,excel,power point or word documents to the web unless I am e-mailing them then I use Thunderbird.

Posted by: Gerald | September 18, 2009 8:12 PM

I can see this being useful for home users who occasionally need to write a document and don't want to shell out for Office, or maybe the cash strapped student, but heavy users like enterprise will likely stick with the desktop apps. Given the web versions are restricted I think that's the way MS want it.

Posted by: Brian | September 20, 2009 3:54 PM

Web apps are for poor people who don't have a computer and use internet cafes, and for children. Like mobile phones with pay as you go. I rely on zoho, along with delicious and email i'd be absolutely lost without it. Long live zoho.

Posted by: aiammaia | September 20, 2009 4:03 PM

Microsoft Project is out of scope of that package. www.amiproject.com fills that gap

Posted by: Denis | September 25, 2009 6:44 AM

Web apps are so much better than desktop apps. The only step that needs to occur now in terms of web apps replacing desktop apps is redundancy in the networks that make up the internet.

A web app can do anything a desktop app can do, it may involve a little bit more work but it can be done.

Posted by: frostfang | September 28, 2009 10:31 PM