I have been using Google Docs and Spreadsheets since it was available to Gmail users. I actually wanted to try Writely, but signups had already been shut down by the time I got to it due to the Google takeover. I waited a while and when Writely had been Googlized I jumped at the chance to play with it. When Google Spreadsheets became available I made sure I took the time out to play with that as well. I think the idea of having a portable office suite has always been appealing to me for several reasons:

• I’ve had a few catastrophic data losses over time.
• I like to be able to access some documents no matter where I am.
• Constantly synchronizing documents between my laptop, desktop, and my file server is tedious.
• The ability to work on group projects without emailing files back and forth saves time and reduces the risk of virus transmission.

Since the beginning Google Docs was always slow to me. I thought it was just normal because the applications were somewhat complex and script heavy. I also had quite a difficult time downloading my files and deleting files from the site. It took so many clicks to move files around that it’s always been a point of mild frustration for me. I never thought anything of it until I tried ThinkFree Office. After only an hour or so of playing around with their applications, I cleaned out my Google Docs archive and moved everything to their site.

There are a lot of things I like about ThinkFree, but these are the most important to me:

• The site responds quickly and the applications are snappy.
• The aesthetics of the site are very good and the layout is well thought out.
• There is a PowerPoint compatible web application along with a Word Processor and a Spreadsheet application.
• It takes very few clicks to upload or download single or multiple files.
• There are AFFORDABLE desktop applications which you can purchase that coincide with the web applications for working offline.

So far I am very impressed with the suite. I am going to try to spend more time editing documents within ThinkFree Office on the web so that I can see how it reacts to heavy use and more complex functions than I have used before. I hope that the applications continue to be this usable as the suite grows and I hope that the desktop based versions of the applications stay affordable as well. I would also like to see a Mac version of the desktop suite. Once that is available I would have to say that ThinkFree Office would be a very hard competitor to beat in this particular software market.

There have been enormous amounts of news (mostly fluff and hot air) surrounding Apple’s attempt at a cellular device over the past year and a half. There was also a lot of hubbub about how the Blackberry would hold its own against the iPhone and whether or not Apple was working with RIM to develop a device that met in the middle.

Well now we really have the iPhone (provided that the FCC signs off on it). It’s a big old iPod with a super touch screen and a nav button. You knew that since it was coming from Apple, we would all be able to marvel in its simplicity. I did not, however, count on no button-oriented keyboard. The keyboard is also part of the touch screen loveliness. All in all I’m very impressed with the device. It’ll most likely end up being able to synchronize with a plethora of applications on different platforms. It plays movies and music, and it’s smaller than the Motorola Q. This is the first device that has made me consider skipping out on the Blackberry 8800 which will not likely be priced much better than the $499 entry price for the 4gb iPhone.

I have other concerns about this device, namely about the feel of the touchscreen keyboard, its responsiveness, the lack of push mail, and the screen. I am on my fourth iPod and that shiny finish on the front of the iPods usually last about 15 minutes. Between tiny scratches and fingerprints a brand new iPod can look months old in a matter of hours. How is the screen on this iPhone going to work with smudges and light wear/scratching? I am sure that there will be a bajillion products out there to protect the screen within a second of the device’s launch, but I’m still curious as to how it will hold up.

Unlike a Blackberry purchase, I am going to take my time thinking about the iPhone. I think that I am going to have to hear some first hand reviews and spend some quality time wit it at a Cingular store before I convince myself to buy it.

Apple - iPhone