Question regarding adoption (or not) of online office applications

[wael j]

First of all I am uncertain if this is where I am supposed to ask this, but I
could not find any contact e-mail for such questions. I am writing a school
assignment on the move from desktop-based office applications to web-based
office applications . I was wondering if I could find someone to provide
assistance regarding this assignment with information about this evolution,
whether online applications are better than desktop applications. I would
like to know how Microsoft Office (through Office Live for instance) is
developing to reach this vision and what it has done to support it, or does
Microsoft believe that desktop applications are the way to go?

Thanks in advance

 

[JoAnn Paules]

You need to do your own research. There's all kinds of info available on the
web.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

First of all I am uncertain if this is where I am supposed to ask this, but I
could not find any contact e-mail for such questions. I am writing a school
assignment on the move from desktop-based office applications to web-based
office applications . I was wondering if I could find someone to provide
assistance regarding this assignment with information about this evolution,
whether online applications are better than desktop applications. I would
like to know how Microsoft Office (through Office Live for instance) is
developing to reach this vision and what it has done to support it, or does
Microsoft believe that desktop applications are the way to go?

eWeek Magazine (I think they have an online version) has run some fairly good
articles on this subject.

Whether one's better than the other depends a lot on your definition of "best".

For example:

If it's vital that you be able to use your documents and apps from any internet
cafe anywhere, then desktop versions are useless to you and cloud apps are a
blessing.

If "full featured and fast" is a criterion, then cloud apps sorta suck, at least
given current technology.

Think up some more criteria, compare them and you've got the basis for a decent
paper.

 

[wael j]

Well my research question is whether or not online office application are (or
soon to be) a viable replacement to desktop office applications. I have four
basic criteria in mind (conveniently, two favor online-based, and two favor
desktop-based):
1. Flexibility offered
2. Implementation, distribution, and maintenance of software
3. Reliability
4. Security issues

I am also hesitant about including "features" as a criteria since
desktop-based office software is well established and so it naturally has an
(unfair?) advantage, whereas online-based office software is fairly new.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Well my research question is whether or not online office application are (or
soon to be) a viable replacement to desktop office applications. I have four
basic criteria in mind (conveniently, two favor online-based, and two favor
desktop-based):
1. Flexibility offered
2. Implementation, distribution, and maintenance of software
3. Reliability
4. Security issues

I am also hesitant about including "features" as a criteria since
desktop-based office software is well established and so it naturally has an
(unfair?) advantage, whereas online-based office software is fairly new.

It's your paper, but the first thing I'd consider when looking at a replacement for
an app I'm already using is whether it supports all the features I need. If not,
none of the other criteria matter. A flexible, easily maintained, reliable and
secure app that doesn't allow me to get my work done isn't worth anything.

 

[wael j]

I see. Clean cut deal-breakers. That's an interesting point to consider. I
shall try looking into what features are there and not there in online office
apps and see whether they really matter.