#17 Web-based Apps: They’re not just for desktops

The availability and use of online productivity web-based applications (think word processing and spreadsheets) has exploded over the past two years, and for good reasons! These powerful applications provide users with the ability to create and share documents over the internet without needing to install desktop applications. Some experts speculate that this emerging trend may mean the death of Microsoft Office and other software-based productivity tools; others think web-based applications have their place but not in the office.

One large benefit of web-based applications is they eliminate the need to worry about different software versions or file types as you email documents or move from PC to PC. Another bonus is they easily accommodate collaboration by allowing multiple users to edit the same file and provide users the ability to save and convert documents as multiple file types (including HTML and pdf). You can even use many of these tools, such as Zoho Writer and Google Docs, to author and publish posts to your blog. It’s this type of integration with other web 2.0 tools that also makes web-based apps so appealing.

For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to take a look at a web-based word processing tool called Zoho Writer, create a simple document and then document your discoveries on your blog.

With Zoho and web-based applications, the possibilities are endless.

Discovery Exercise:

1. Create a free account for yourself in Zoho Writer*.
2. Explore the site and create one or two test documents.
3. Write a blog post about your discoveries.

* Note: You can also explore Google Docs , Google’s online word processer, as an option for this exercise.