Working online has become an integral aspect of the corporate world. The cloud, as we call it, contains everything we need to work on the go and is available 24X7. Online office suites make that work easy with their varied tools, document and slide show creators and much more.
Three features that particularly help the Cloud stand out: the ability to access files from any internet-connected systems, ease of file-sharing, and automated back up with versioning. The suites may not be as comfortable to use as Office, nor as feature-packed, but as long as the basics are in place, most users are unlikely to complain – especially if they’re getting them for free, as is usually the case for personal use.
We are listing 4 of the best online office suites you should use while working:
Google Docs was the first online office suite which actually worked as needed, and is still one of the most popular ones out there. Compared to when it was first launched, it has improved tremendously. Now it looks and feels far more like Microsoft Office, from the virtual sheet-of-paper view used by its word processor to the availability of multiple fonts, including Office’s current default, Calibre. Docs doesn’t offer anything close to Office’s power. It rather focuses on the basics that everyone needs for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and simple vector-based drawing. Along with this it provides online storage space for additional files and decent file conversion options from Office formats. Google adds features on a regular basis, but don’t hold your breath for specific improvements. Development on Docs feels slow – too slow, and there is still a long way to go.
Zoho is the king of online office suites and the reason is the variety of feature provide by this office suite. With text documents, accounting, spreadsheets, presentations, mail, calendars, notebooks, wikis, discussion groups, invoicing and more, Zoho offers a jaw-dropping number of features. Better yet, all of them are available free for personal use. They’re geared towards business use though, with the idea being that you pay for additional users and features in specific apps. The website doesn’t do a great job of explaining this up front, but at least you can try everything without having to pay first. You can’t argue with its power though. If you want all of your business and editing tools in one place, this is where you’ll find them waiting for you.
ThinkFree is a Java-based office suite, which needs a download on your desktop. Being a Java app, it’s not the speediest – and you don’t get to use it offline just because you’ve installed it. If you want to do that, you have to buy the slightly misnamed ThinkFree Office, which costs £35. Not a huge amount compared to a copy of Microsoft Office, but still lightens up your wallet. There is, however, a dedicated syncing tool that you can download, so that you can at least fire up another tool and continue working until your internet connection resumes, and there are mobile apps available to access and share files too.
Apple’s hallmark intuitive interface and extensive help and support make their feature-rich products a pleasure to use. If you’re an all-Mac (or mostly Mac) business or a personal Mac user/student, iWork is the Mac office software for you. It will provide you with all of the power you will need to make your work look professional and well-polished. The different programs Pages, Numbers and Keynote give you the ability to tackle just about any assignment, whether it’s for school or work. If you need the more ubiquitous presence and collaborative options of Microsoft, you’d be well-advised to choose Microsoft Office for Mac.
