Google’s long awaited web-based PowerPoint-like application finally went live this morning. Google Presentation, as it is called, is their latest addition to the Google Docs family. Starting today, anyone in the United States will have the ability to upload, create, share, edit and view presentations online. Google Presentation also includes collaborative tools allowing multiple users to connect together to organize, modify, and present right from a web browser. Since Google Docs’s presentation feature supports Microsoft’s PowerPoint, any document created offline can easily be uploaded. Unfortunately documents created or edited online can only be exported into a HTML format, therefore won’t work with PowerPoint.

This is a pretty big step towards completing an entirely free online version of standard office applications. With Gmail and Google Docs for spreadsheets, word documents, and presentations, they may soon pose a serious threat to Microsoft Office. Although literally all their services are still in beta and are very limited in terms of features when compared to any standard office suite. For example Google Presentation only has 15 themes, basic text formating, limited image modification, no transitions, no sound/video, and lacks much more. This will most likely change as updates are rolled out.

Anyways give this a shot, but if you are still planning on purchasing MS Office keep in mind that Microsoft’s got that $60 deal! If you’d like to avoid that fee too try the new version (v2.3) of OpenOffice.

Links: Google Documents (docs.google.com)
Press: Google Blog – “Our Feature Presentation”

Google Docs & Spreadsheets does have some good features such as online collaboration. Users can easily share files via Gmail, invite users to edit or view, and even track document changes using RSS feeds. Although this may be an easy way of working with documents online, it can be risky to leave confidential information on Google’s servers since Google may index and log your docs for internal purposes.

Google’s greatest intention with this product is probably to take a stab at Microsoft’s “Office Online” product which is supposed to be released soon. Google will most likely succeed since Microsoft’s “Office Online” will not be free. Anyways if you want to try out Google Docs and Spreadsheets you’ll either need to use an existing Gmail/Google Account or create one.

Links: Google Docs And SpreadSheets
Related: Google Acquires Writely

The “web word processor” is still in beta, therefore there are many changes that must be made. Google’s first step will probably be to transfer all user accounts onto the “Google Account” system. (Google is in the process of moving Blogger over) Another step would probably be to change the GUI to look more like Google Spreadsheets. Anyways give this service a try, its great way of accessing your documents when your away from your machine. Now all we need is Google Presentations (aka. PowerPoint).

Link: Writely | Sign Up Now
Realted: Google Acquires Writely