Google just gets it. They've really made my life so much easier. From Google Calendar, which has finally helped me get somewhat organized, to Google Docs & Spreadsheets, which has helped me manage and share documents that I work with on a regular basis, they just get it.
Take Docs & Spreadsheets, for example. In the past, I would have used Word for creating my documents. There are several problems with this approach. First, I'd have to make sure that every computer I intend to use has Word installed. I work on 3-4 different computers on any given day. That means I have to make sure that whichever one I am using has the latest version of the document on which I am working, so I have to copy my Word document over and over to each machine. And heaven forbid I decide to boot into Linux on any of those machines, I won't be able to work on my document at all. With Docs & Spreadsheets, I am free to work on my document from any platform and any computer and I am always working on the latest version. For example, today I am working on a software requirements document while sitting at Starbucks and all I needed to do to get up and running was to just open my browser and navigate to my document. The power of hosted applications is that you never have to worry about installing and upgrading software (and we all know Office is not cheap) and I never have to worry about my hard drive crashing and losing changes or, worse yet, my entire document. I can see really only one or two arguments for using Word over Docs & Spreadsheets. The first is that you need to have an Internet connection to work on your document if you're using Docs & Spreadsheets. Is this really an issue any more these days? I don't think so. Even if you consider this a valid argument, it is somewhat mitigated by the ability to save your document as an RTF or Word file, if you choose. Then you can work on it locally and import it back to Docs & Spreadsheets when you are connected. The second is that there are many features in Word that are not available in Docs & Spreadsheets. This argument is valid, but really, how many of those features do you use? In all the documents I have created, I have rarely used any of the features that Word has that Docs & Spreadsheets does not. Even things like bookmarks are supported. So, let's counter with what Docs & Spreadsheets offers that Word does not. I've already mentioned some of these, such as being relieved of having to buy expensive software and synchronize the latest version of your document between all the systems you are using. How about the ability to collaborate on a document? What if I want two or three people to work with me on my requirements document? Piece of cake. I just add them to the list of collaborators, and I can specify if I want them to be able to just view the document (for those who will be reviewing it) or to edit it. Hosted applications are cool. Collaboration is cool. Google gets it.
What about Google Calendar? I used to manage (or at least I tried, and failed miserably) my appointments and schedule with a paper calendar. I've also tried MSN Calendar. Again, Google just gets it. My favorite feature of theirs is calendar sharing. I can add all of my friends calendars and easily see their free/busy time. No more calling or emailing around to see when someone is free. I look on their calendar, if I want to have lunch/dinner with someone I check their free/busy time and schedule something on an open slot. They get a notification, add it to their calendar and you're done. Reminders can be sent to your phone, email, etc. (although this feature isn't unique to Google Calender). And Google is continuously working on adding support and features for mobile phones, so you can always stay on top of your schedule.
Another app I love is Google Maps. Recently, I blogged about the ability to create custom maps. Lots of people are taking advantage of this feature. Everyone from politicians, to public service agencies, to honeymooners are essentially photo- and video-blogging their trips. What if I want to try out a new restaurant? I do a search for "sushi", for example, in Google Maps. I get markers for all the sushi restaurants in the area I am searching. I click on the markers, see ratings, links to web sites, reviews, etc. I pick one, click Send To Phone, grab my keys and head out the door. On my phone I get an SMS with location. If necessary, I fire up Google Maps on my phone to get exact directions.
And one of the most important features which is common to all of these apps is that Google exposes APIs for nearly everything they create. This means that more and more applications and mashups are being built on their services. This creates an endless number of opportunities for extensibility and customization. I'm sure most of you have seen things like the crime stats sites, which are mashups created by using crime information and Google Maps. That's just one example of thousands.
So, thank you, Google. Thanks for making my life so much easier. Thank you for just "getting it". For understanding how people work and live and helping me save time. After all, isn't that ultimately the point?
