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Microsoft Prepping Browser-based Word and Excel

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the because-they-must dept.

JCWDenton writes "In a bid to spin its web-based version of Office into contention with rival internet behemoth Google, Microsoft has said it will begin accepting applications for beta testing its web apps later this year. There is one significant difference, however: unlike Google apps, Microsoft said users of its new service can only create or edit online documents if they have Office software already installed on their machines. Microsoft said features of its Office Live Workspace would include allowing users to upload more than 1,000 documents to free personal websites."

8 of 159 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Already have Office installed by PlatyPaul · · Score: 2, Informative

    According to TFA, there will be read-only access for those who don't have Office installed, and (just my guess) that will likely extend to use with non-approved browsers.

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  2. Why office should be installed in the machine? by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 5, Informative
    Are they trying to share DLLs between installed MS-Office software and the Web based spreadsheet and word tools? Given their track record this is typically the kind of thing they will do. They preload MS-Office DLLs during boot to create the impression of instant-on MS-Office compared to OpenOffice. (They don't have try this hard to beat OpenOffice in launch time, but that is a different issue). They might tunnel behind the browser and security and everything so that the web based tool can give you faster response time. They don't have to stream in code to execute in the browser and they don't have to send changes back to the server to rerender the page being edited.

    I could easily imagine a development team pitching this idea to the pointy haired bosses. "We have this huge installed base of DLLs and megabytes of code already in the client's machine. We beat them in the download time! We execute complex code in their machine, we beat Google in refresh time! yay!! yay!!!" Of course, such a thing would violate all security protocols, and create thousands of security holes, but they won't care. It would not work in any platform other than Windows and they won't care. It might not work in FireFox and they would go, "yeah! that will kill FF"

    Anyway this is all speculation, but I don't see why they would demand pre installed Ms-Office to allow a web based tool to work.

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    1. Re:Why office should be installed in the machine? by suv4x4 · · Score: 2, Informative

      After some research, the Slashdot title and summary are, as usual, completely wrong. The Office Live service will complement Office, and NOT offer online Word and Excel.

      It'll offer complementing services, such as email, online synch and storage.

      CmdrTaco, how would you feel to get fired from your own blog for incompetence?

  3. Re:Already have Office installed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Sparta didn't own Persia. The first "Greek" civilization to successfully invade Persia was the Macedonian empire lead by Alexander. Jesus fucking christ.

  4. Re:What's the point? by ThirdPrize · · Score: 5, Informative

    Just read the articles and it doesn't bear much similarity to the summary Taco posted. There is a M$ press release that describes a off-site document hosting set up. As long as you have Office installed on a machine you can download/edit/review documents from the server anywhere in the world. Not really comparable to Googles offerings.

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  5. Re:What's the point? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    ...

    Step 3: Change software installed so that it is only a front-end for the online application - not a stand-alone functional app. Charge subscription service for online apps.

    Step 4: Profit!

  6. Re:What's the point? by Corporate+Troll · · Score: 2, Informative

    However, it does seem to make it easier to pirate - instead of installing the whole Office package and somehow cracking the CD-key issue, you could just do a quick copy-over of the applicable registry entries.

    And you think that's going to be easy? Fuck, have you seen what Office dumps into your registry. If I didn't knew that it's an Office Suite, I'd think it's a Operating Service pack in the likes of XP SP2....

  7. I know you're kidding, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
    Here's what Bill Gates *actually* said, per the Comes v. Microsoft documents:

    One thing we have got to change is our strategy -- allowing Office documents to be rendered very well by other peoples browsers is one of the most destructive things we could do to the company.

    We have to stop putting any effort into this and make sure that Office documents very well depends on PROPRIETARY IE capabilities.

    Anything else is suicide for our platform. This is a case where Office has to avoid doing something to destroy Windows.