The days of thick-client applications that need to be installed on your computer for personal use are over. Yes, the hardcore gamers will continue to run their applications locally, and custom business applications will continue to be developed as a hybrid of both windows-based, and web-based, but for the average joe, there is no longer a need.
The convenience with web technology for me is that I can access my applications and data from any computer with a browser and a connection. On any given day, I may spend several hours on several different machines (x hours at client site, x hours on consultant’s laptop, x hours on home pc, …). I don’t like a) needing to install / set up various applications on each machine locally (every time I work on a new machine / OS), b) needing to manage updates for those installations, c) needing to transfer data back and forth between various machines. For these reasons, I have been on a relentless quest for some time now to replace all of my every-day windows-based applications with web-based ‘equivalents’.
Not surprisingly, the programs I needed to replace included a long list of Microsoft products like Outlook for email, and Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Notepad for document management. I had also installed some calendar and to-do list applications, and at least a couple of photo organizers locally.
Also not surprisingly, it has been the long line of Google products mostly, that have stepped up as web ‘equivalents’. Actually, in most cases, the Google products are even better, which is amazing to me as a developer who understands the complexities involved with providing a rich user interface over the web. I was having a tough time letting go of Outlook though. Even though I’ve had a Gmail account for some time now, I was still using Outlook to manage my email because of my need to manage multiple email accounts. It turns out, Gmail does that too!
I thought it might be worthwhile sharing my positive experiences with these products, not because I am a Google poster boy, because I genuinely appreciate the tools and features provided by the products.
Why do I use it?
Basically ulimited storage space (7GB and counting!)
Incredible search capability. This concept has revolutionized the way people manage email. I used to have hundreds of folders (with folders nested among folders) with dozens of message rules for managing placement of incoming messages, and I would try to file EVERYTHING somewhere … just in case. With Gmail, I don’t do a thing. I currently have 8,798 unread messages. Mail comes in, Gmail displays a short preview beside each message subject in my inbox, at which point I decide to look at it or not. No filing necessary. If I want to find something, I simply search for it.
Multiple accounts. I have 1 Gmail account, but 4 other accounts that I feed through. Gmail downloads my messages from the various pop servers at set intervals, and allows me to respond to each email from the account it was received into (default), or any other account I like.
Gmail integrates with Apple Address Book which can be automatically synced with Apple IPod and IPhone devices.
Quirks
Poor signature features. You can only have one signature that can only be turned on or off (can’t be added at compose time), and it always appears at the bottom of the entire email message instead of beneath your latest response (as it should).
Why Do I Use It?
Great integration with Gmail. I can quickly and easily create events based on email message content, and events are automatically created based on Google Calendar invitations and other external calendar invitations. With all my mail accounts feeding through Gmail, all of my calendar invites follow. This means that my Google Calendar is automatically synced with my work calendars.
As long as my browser is open, I can receive pop-up notifications as reminders for events.
I can have my calendar send me text messages on my cell phone as reminders for events.
I can publish my calendar. Of course I can make events private or public as they come in, so that they display on my published version as ‘busy’ if they contain sensitive information.
I can have several calendars set up and quickly and easily display combinations of them (Work Calendar, Personal Calendar, Family Birthday Calendar) and other public calendars (Calgary Flames Calendar, Stat Holidays Calendar). Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out how to have more than one calendar incorporated into my published calendar, but I am not yet convinced that it is not possible.
Google Calendar integrates with Apple ICal which can be automatically synced with Apple IPod and IPhone devices.
Quirks
Google Calendar automatically responds to event organizers when I accept an invitation. I would like to have the option to not send a response.
Why Do I Use It?
I can access all of my documents from any computer with a browser and an internet connection.
I can organize my documents into online folders.
I can import Office and Open Office documents.
I can export my documents as Office and Open Office documents (for those who haven’t ditched those crappy products for Google Documents).
Great integration with Gmail. When I receive documents as attachments, I can easily open them as Google Documents. I can also email up to 10 documents to my Google Documents account (bulk upload).
Google Documents can be shared much more effectively. This means that presentations can be controlled from one computer and viewed from another computer without the use of other complicated web-based presentation software. Documents and spreadsheets can be edited in real-time by two different users on two different computers, because the documents are merged on every key stroke. Any document can be published with configurable sharing options.
Google Spreadsheets have amazingly flexible reporting capabilities. Once my data is in a Google spreadsheet I can easily generate a report that groups, filters, sorts my data any way I like. That report can also be printed, published, or embedded as a widget in any web page I like.
Quirks
I can’t upload files that are not Documents / Spreadsheets / Presentations. It would be nice to upload PDFs and such, even if I can’t edit them via Google Documents. It would be nice to have all of my files in the same place.
Why Do I Use It?
You can mass upload files to your web account via a thick client application, such that you don’t have to upload one file at a time. This also helps keep your local photo albums synced with your web account.
Thick client application has a pretty good editor and 1 touch fix-er-upper.
Web version has multiple security options, great search capability for public albums, quick album downloads for others when sharing (based on security settings), and most importantly a pretty good user interface, with configurable slide shows that even go full screen!
You can automatically generate and configure slide show code for you own personal website. The flash slide show service offered by Picasa is much faster and displays better quality images, then others that I have tried out.
Picasa integrates with Apple IPhoto which can be automatically synced with Apple IPod and IPhone devices.
Quirks
It would be nice if it was all web-based. It would be nice to just upload everything and manage it from my Google account rather than have to install an application locally and manage two copies of my data (with limited functionality on the web client).
You can’t have albums within albums in Picasa. For someone like myself with thousands of images, it is difficult to have such a flat album structure and maintain any kind of organization. It would be nice to somehow group collections of albums at the very least.
The automatically generated slideshow code references an album id instead of an album name. I have an application that dynamically generates slideshows using a different service. I can’t wire it up with Picasa because the Picasa slideshow service expects an album id that is generated by Google. The only way to set up my slideshows is to auto-generate the code for each album and paste in a bunch of static html (or best case, store the album ids in a lookup table which needs to be updated for each new album).
Why Do I Use It?
Collects feeds from my various Google applications and geek blogs. I should probably try Google Reader out, but I think that I would still use iGoogle for maintaining one page with maps, weather, wikipedia and dictionary.com widgets, etc.
Quirks
Slow to load when all I want to do is search (although I might get around this by having one tab that is empty and just for searching).
Why Do I Use It?
I can create an itinerary with multiple destinations.
I can get directions for driving, walking, or even public transit!
I can view street maps, satellite images, or street cameras.
Quirks
None
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