On 2/23/06, Rigel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > A: Where is your data, and what happens if where it's stored gets > fried somehow. This could be a result of admin errors, stupid staff, > power surge, or virus.
All those problems exist on a local desktop that's connected to the Internet. They exist even if you aren't connected to the Internet. The benefit of having Google (or whatever web based company) handle your data is simple - redundant back up copies. All current web-based apps allow you to save your work locally in mulitiple formats (like Writely does DOC, PDF, ODT and iRows does XLS and CSV). Which would be a wise thing to do. As would having access to a local office suite for the rare occassion of a lack of connectivity. If your web-based suite and your local suite share the same standard format (like OpenDocument, for example) - then there is no problem. Which brings me to another business model for these online suites. Give the web-based version away, and sell the local version. Or vice-versa. Since Google has already begun working with OpenOffice.org - they could easily offer a Google-branded (or non-Google-branded) version of OOo via their "Google Pack" - http://pack.google.com/ - And then sell access to an online version - or even give that away on a limited basis. Google (or whoever - they are just the ones mentioned in the rumor) could offer versions of their "online office" for Enterprises to deploy "locally" in-house. So you wouldn't need to worry about your Internet going down - just your in-office network. Google has already done something like that with their Enterprise edition of their Google Desktop Search. - http://desktop.google.com/enterprise - that would end a lot of the questions about Internet connectivity. B: The feedback loop even on a highspeed connection is ridiculous. > Don't expect real-time updating or slide-show type presentations to > actually work online The data is stored locally on your machine in RAM (just like a desktop-based office) until you save it. And when you load it from the server online - again it is stored locally - so, yes, your data would update in real time, and your presentations would work. You don't try to run your presentation that you've saved on your desktop from your laptop without transfering first, do you? The same thing would hold true here. C: who's controlling the data going, and the data coming? Corporations > are only going to want to put their data where they can control how > its accessed. They can't control a google server. They can however > control their own. See above. My 2 cents. > Rigel -- - Chad Smith http://www.gimpshop.net/ http://www.whatisopenoffice.org/ Because everyone loves free software!
