#18 Web-based Apps: They're not just for desktops

Listen to this podcast created by Helene Blowers of PLCMC

[2:30 mins]

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 the need of installed desktop applications. Some experts speculate that this emerging trend may mean the death to Microsoft Office and other software-based productivity tools, while others think web-based applications have their place, but not in the office. But no matter which side of the office suite platform you side with, on this, both sides seem to agree; web-based apps have their place.

One large benefit to web-based applications is that 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 that they easily accommodate collaboration by allowing multiple users to edit the same file and provide users the ability to easily save and convert documents as multiple file types (including HTML and pdf). And, 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.

Discovery Resources:
A short list of web-based productivity applications (with an brief overview of each application).

Discovery Exercise:
1. Create a free account for yourself in Google Docs or Zoho Writer.
2. Explore the site and create a test document that you will share with other participants. Maybe create a list, for example: the top 10 essential items to be packed for a holiday, top 10 favourite foods, it could be anything.
3. Create a blog post about your experience.

Next Up For This Week: #19 Discovering web 2.0 tools