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August 16, 2007
Network Applications are evolving...
As we're exploring the concept of Personal Continuity, an interesting development in network applications is taking place. Google is teaming up with Sun to give away StarOffice:
On Saturday, the very unofficial Google Operating System blog noticed that the Mountain View outfit was offering a completely free version of Sun Microsystem's StarOffice 8, the office productivity suite that Sun sells for $70 a pop. When contacted, Google confirmed that its version "includes all the major functionality of the paid consumer version."The suite is available as part of the Google Pack, a free collection of downloadable applications first launched in January of 2006. The Pack offers several apps owned by Google itself, including Google Talk, Google Toolbar, Google Earth, and the sleek photo-manager Picasa. But you'll also find third-party tools, such as the Adobe Reader, the RealPlayer, and Skype's voice-over-IP client.< /blockquote>
At first, this seems counter-intuitive. Google's trying to push the concept of using the on-line word processor and spreadsheet in Google Apps. But Google gets the concept of Personal Continuity. You have to be able to do things off-line, when you're on the beach, in the coffee shop, etc. Sure, you can just download OpenOffice.org right now, but the business mindset is to offer a commercial product. StarOffice has value-added goodies to justify the $70 or so a copy Sun gets for it.
Posted by Leader at August 16, 2007 9:49 AM