Google & Sun Planning Web Office

[TrogL]

http://slashdot.org/articles/05/10/04/1234229.shtml?tid=102&tid=217

Google and Sun Microsystems are to announce a new and kick-ass webtool: an Office Suite based on Sun's OpenOffice and accesible with your browser. Today at 10:30h (Pacific Time) two companies are holding a conference with more details, but Jonathan Schwartz (President of Sun Microsystems) claimed on Saturday on this post of his blog that "the world is about to change this week", predicting new ways to access software."

See article for links.

[htuttle]

1. How many times is Sun going to announce that they are changing the world?

I think they are one of the leading producers of vaporware.

[merwin]

2. They have changed the world... just not for client-side.

They're usually more server-side products.

This should be interesting. With Sun technology and Google creativeness, a halfway decent product just might come out.

[tainowarrior]

3. Sun's server side soft (Solaris) is nothing

compared to FreeBSD or OpenBSD or NetBSD.

And for desktop application, FreeBSD and Linux beat it.

I'm not impressed with Solaris.

[merwin]

4. Did you forget that OpenOffice is a Sun product?

I would say that's a pretty damn useful product :-)

[TrogL]

5. I run it every day

It runs better on Sun hardware.

Have you tried the new open source version? There's just been another release.

[bemildred]

10. I like Solaris, it's a great OS (on Sun Hardware, for a price).

That said I run on FreeBSD for the software ports
and PC hardware support, and that is always what
really drives most people's choices.

[htuttle]

7. I'd say they are batting .500

Java? A hit. Eventually...
StarOffice/OpenOffice? A hit, once it went open source and escaped Sun.

Jini? (and many other acronymic Java extensions) Nope.
NeWS? Nope.
Solaris for X86? Nope. Last I'd seen, they were giving it away.
Java Desktop System? Ever actually SEEN one in real life?
Going with SysV for Solaris? Whoops...

Don't get me wrong: I have the highest respect for Bill Joy and Co. They are undeniably brilliant, and 'back in the day' they were about the only game in town. It's just that their marketing department often gets WAY ahead of things, and they tend to get overcome with a 'Not Invented Here' complex all too often...

But we'll see. :shrug:

[3waygeek]

9. I used to work for Lotus

as a developer in the word-processing division here in Atlanta. Back in the 97-98 timeframe, Lotus developed eSuite, a Java-based version of their SmartSuite product. Unfortunately its performance was less than impressive; as I recall, it never went to market because they couldn't get it to work fast enough to be usable.

Java performance has improved a bit since then, but IMHO not nearly enough to make a Java-based office suite competitive with MS Office or WordPerfect.

[Renew Deal]

6. This is big news.

Especially if they can make it work. Here's one more article.

Google, Sun to bring StarOffice to Web

Google and Sun Microsystems (Profile, Products, Articles) are expected to unveil a collaborative effort Tuesday that will bring StarOffice productivity applications to Google users, according to sources familiar with the companies' plans.

The move is expected to be part of a larger technology initiative in which Sun will help Google build a network to provide Web-based applications that will enable the companies to compete with their common rival, Microsoft (Profile, Products, Articles).

Google and Sun are expected to hold a press conference in Mountain View, California, Tuesday morning where Google Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt and Sun Chairman and CEO Scott McNealy will be on hand to unveil a partnership between the search giant and the computer systems vendor.

Company representatives have been extremely tight-lipped about what exactly will be announced, but industry sources have speculated that Google is interested in offering more Web-based applications to compete with Microsoft.
<snip>

http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/10/04/HNstarofficetoweb_1.html?source=NLC-TB2005-10-04

[Sgent]

8. Well crud....

This could be the most challenge bill gates has had since DR-Dos or the Z-80 OS.

It will be interesting to see MS's response. Note that since Firefox has appeared, IE is getting its first major update in years.

[Lithos]

11. Gotta be AJAX

Pretty cool if it is. Though I'm still skeptical it can be pulled off.

L-

[bemildred]

12. Yeah. Me too.

But I'll bet it leads to a few late nights in Redmond.

[belab13]

13. I'd call that a shot across MS' bow.