Google Office
Slashdot's run a post about the possibility of Google Office brought up in this blog. The blogger says the business model isn't exactly clear, but I think it is in line with the other things Google's been doing. Given IBM's componentisation of OpenOffice into Eclipse plugins, it seems like the office suite has already been decomposed into building blockes. It's only a matter of time now before they're built back together into interesting new places instead of just a simple standalone office suite for your desktop machine.
It's official. Kind of. The Sun press release and the Google press release are a bit different in their emphasis.
Sun mostly says Google gives its toolbar users the option of downloading Java. Big deal! As in sarcasm added. In the same press release where they say, "...[Google] users worldwide can benefit from the technology [ie: Java] that is powering a new wave of Internet growth--and participate in its opportunities," they are implicitly admiting they need to tap some major eyeballs to give java a kickstart. This line is just so 1996 and typical of Sun. Sun is just so muddled in their direction, constently delaring some new nirvana around the corner based on their favourite technology du jour! Is it Java or Solaris or Linux that is their platform for the future? Are PC's really dead to be supplanted by thin clients (take you pick: network computer or handsets or the PC is alive)?
Google at least is open about their just trying new/different things and going with what works. So it's no surprise they puts a bit more emphasis on OpenOffice.org being offered to toolbar users over their new distribution deal on java. More interesting. Most of the market probably already has Toolbar (and java) and wont really want to drastically increase the size of their Toolbar download for no tangible gain. OO.org on the otherhand might be new to them. And web based offering wont require a download to use it.
I guess we have to wait to see what this actually brings (ie: just more OO.org downloads or some interesting web based app and data store/share).