Microsoft made a major leap with the release of Office Web Apps, a cloud-based version of its Office software. Web Apps lets users to upload documents from their computer to Microsoft’s cloud-based Docs.com, and allows accessibility from any machine or device. Here the documents will also be stored in remote server instead of being stored only in personal computers, laptops or company server. Except for the security factor of sharing important files on the web, it will prove to be a good improvement.

[credit: Microsoft]

However since the release, Microsoft and Google have been in a very public debate over which cloud-based program is the better of the two. But as Preston Gralla says, “it’s as much trash talk as Kevin Garnett does in the fourth quarter of an NBA playoff game”. Not only he, but most people agree that the latest versions of both Google Docs and Microsoft Office 2010 are both very good, very solid pieces of work.

But what makes Microsoft a little better is its ease of use. Microsoft has taken its popular ribbon interface and extended it to all of Office 2010’s programs. So the users who upgrade will feel familiar with the new programs. Microsoft says the ribbon interface helps to find options quickly and reduces clutter on the screen, which saves users time. The fact that Word is world’s most widely used editing software adds to the “little better” factor however Microsoft’s attempt to step into the cloud might be small and a little late.

[source: Click Here]