OpenOffice Could Soon Become Web-Based Apps

An anonymous reader writes "Via Linuxtoday.com, a message from the OpenOffice Dev mailing list in which a new company is introducing the GravityZoo OpenOffice porting project. The unusually named group aims to bring OpenOffice to the Internet as a series of online apps. 'When OpenOffice.org is GravityZood, it will become a suite of productivity applications that are always available, online, via a broad range of devices. It will be possible to share and collaborate in real-time, to switch from one device (e.g. a PC) to another (Mobile) device. There will also be no need to save data, because everything you produce is saved automatically on the network. There is no need to download, install or update, the latest version is just available and accessible from any GravityZoo enabled client.'"

Comments

Error 404 ClosedOffice

[LiquidCoooled]

I like the internet, I use it an awful lot, but for most uses I cannot see needing an Office package to be online.
It will be nice as a compliment though for those very rare occasions.

Re:Error 404 ClosedOffice

[cayenne8]

"I like the internet, I use it an awful lot, but for most uses I cannot see needing an Office package to be online."

I'm with you...I'm a bit queasy about keeping any mail I use on Gmail...but, since Katrina forced me on the run awhile back, I've not been able to set down roots and set up my email server again yet.

However, in general, I just don't want a bunch of personal docs out there on a webserver, and I can't imagine a business with any kind of security concience would want to trust a web based office application with their work and possibly trade secrets.

I'm just kind of amazed that there is a market for these web based office applications. I mean, if you've got a computer with you....don't you generally have your document processing software with you too?

Licensing Unclear

[drinkypoo]

As per "Open Source" at the GravityZoo website, [...]"this requires the involvement of a global community of Information Analysts, IT architects and Engineers from both the Open Source and Commercial environment. Open Source because to achieve an egalitarian development of tomorrow's information society requires the free flow of Data Information and Intelligence to those in need. Commercial because certain developments require upfront investments and thus risktaking, a step the Open Source community is not always willing or capable to take. In the latter case the risktaking should be rewarded by limiting the access on a for Pay basis.
It is therefore that The GravityZoo Company from day one decide to implement a Dual Licensing model.
More information about our Open Source projects and activities will be available at this page soon."

Until they clarify their licensing, I refuse to be interested, let alone excited.

There is also so far only a Windows client. They don't even have a beta for other platforms. So I'm not interested in that way, also.

Also: if it requires a special client, it is not (repeat not) a web-based app. I don't fucking care how it's delivered. The web is browsed with a web browser - see how that works?

Deja vu all over again...

[Anonymous Coward]

I seem to recall that Sun attempted to do this with Star Office a few years back.

They gave up on it after a while, most likely because (1.) it took more in the doing than they thought and (2.) the marketoplace didn't show the expected interest.

Why?

[squoozer]

This has about a much chance of flying as your common or garden stone. Aside from the fact that the article appears to be fundamentally flawed who would really want this functionality? Networks are just too slow for this to really work well. Even dumb terminals have lag and they are generally connected via a high speed network with minimal hops. Factor in the Interweb and this is just another web 2.0 pipe dream. Why is there this obsession with putting everything on the network even when it's not suitable for it?

Business plan

[Animats]

1. Put open source desktop app on server.
2. Sell as web service.
3. Profit!

Another great Web 2.0 concept.

Some days I think the Web peaked at HTML 3.2.

Re:But...

[Bucc5062]

"Access? Don't fucking get me started"....sigh, why not get started, you did on most of the others.

I'm no fan of Office or of OO.o. Both are tools and as such open to personal opinion for their good and bad traits. However, when you slam something give me an alternative Ican review, test, and try as comparison. I've done well received presentation with Powerpoint. Not many have the time to create "video", not does video work for a teaching or instructional medium.

Do you know of a better tool then powerpoint that is simple to use, costs little, allows high res images, and wont take forever to create a result? Not busting, that is a serious question. Same thing with Word or Publisher. Cite other tools and I'll taste test to see if I have the same view.

Telling me it sucsk is only half the job, tell me the better solution and why; that give more cred to the statements.

Re:Slow Down There, Tiger

[xtracto]

Open Office code is famous for being a deformed beast without head or tail. It is by itself as an OS native app slow as a turtle...

Yay, imagine the bloat of OpenOffice and Firefox together in one big horrible web based office suite :P

On the other side, about the "would you use it?" question, I used to say "NO" until 2 months ago when I started planning my brother and mother's trip to the UK and our trip trough Europe. Google Docs is really a useful thing... of course it is more of a Wordpad than a Word replacement