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Online Replacements for Desktop Apps?

Posted by Cliff on from the share-your-favorites dept.

Jon_Aquino asks: "I'd like to share this Google Groups thread of free online replacements for desktop apps. Some of the gems are: an online UML diagrammer, an online Paintbrush app, online Post-It notes, an incredibly realistic text-to-speech converter, and an online spreadsheet. What are other cool online desktop-app replacements?"

7 of 335 comments (clear)

  1. Simpy.com for bookmarks by otisg · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Does a browser count as a desktop app?

    If it does, then Simpy is definitely a superior online replacement for bookmarks (really more than bookmarks, but let's keep it at that). Here is a demo and some screen shots.

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    Simpy
  2. It's Usenet, not Google Groups by Anthony · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What is the Internet coming to? It's like saying "Hotmail" is "Internet Mail" and "The WWW" is "The Internet".

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    Slashdot: Where nerds gather to pool their ignorance
  3. Basecamp project management by Peter+Cooper · · Score: 3, Interesting

    BaseCamp is probably the best project manager I've seen, and it's online. I don't get it, why can't desktop apps be this cute and easy to use? Just go look at the screenshots!

    Of course, I don't have a paid up BaseCamp membership since I think it's overpriced, but there you go :-) (This is one benefit of regular desktop software)

  4. Re:Its Usenet not google groups. by daeley · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Perhaps the poster was demonstrating Google Groups as a replacement for a desktop newsreader app. ;)

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    I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
  5. reminds me of by asv108 · · Score: 3, Interesting
    "Corel Java Office"

    In the mid late 90's when everyone was going to use the netscape web browser and Sun's java to run all their applications from applets on thin-client sun terminals. Oh, and all your news would come from "Push" technology like Pointcast.

  6. Re:Text to Speech App by fejikso · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Wow. I just tested the Spanish version. It's incredibly natural. I'm speechless (no pun intented)

    The English output still sounds like a robot. The Spanish one is almost humanlike.

    For those who don't know, Spanish has a nearly perfect spelling system: by the spelling you know how to pronounce the word exactly. Of course, regional dialects change the pronunciation, but it's always consistent.

    The other way around is not true, though. Two words with the same pronunciation may have different spellings, specially because of the V-B, S-C-Z, CC-X, C-K.

  7. Re:The best one... by AKAImBatman · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The Google Calculator rules! There aren't many places you can type (6.09e12 * 130000) * (365 * 24 * 60 * 60) / 3.99e17 and actually get the correct answer! And it even does better than most Scientific calculators by converting just about any measurement to any other measurement. (For example, 1 horsepower to watts.)

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    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade