I need to remember to use smiley faces. That's supposed to be a joke, not a serious comment. (That's +3 Funny for your moderators, not +3 Insightful!) Anyone who's ever seen the StarIce invariably comments, "It's a freaking jet engine!":)
Um, the PowerPC version should run until the Intel binary is completed. Perhaps not quite as fast, but then again, NeoOffice was never a speed demon to begin with.:)
I wouldn't worry about him. In one sentence, he managed to reverse his previous position, as well as prove that he knows nothing about intellectual property law. He's a fool, plain and simple.
Amazing. Simply amazing. I've been arguing exactly ONE thing the entire time: your piss-poor attitude toward hardworking folk. Now that you've gotten that through your thick skull, you try to accuse me of being thick?
Amazing.
Though not very surprising, I suppose. A fool thinks himself wise in his own eyes.
I never once said they violated the GPL. Read much?
Apparently, a lot better than you. Because I didn't suggest that you did. I suggested that you were acting like an ass. I stand by that.
I started by saying "I know this is legal, but doesn't it seem sketchy.."
Exactly. You called into question the integrity of honest people who have spent THOUSANDS OF HOURS working on the OOo project (in tandem with the main developers, mind you), who are working hard to get your ungrateful rear end a copy of the Intel version, and are merely asking for a nominal fee for anyone who wants access to the work-in-progress binaries. They do not have to provide those binaries to anyone. (Least of all, sorry excuses for freeloaders like yourself.) But they decided to use the distribution of them to help finance the project while they do their work. They haven't asked for any special protection on these binaries above and beyond what the GPL offers.
But according to you, that's "sketchy" behavior. You sir, are an ass. Even worse, you seem to be proud of acting like an ass. Which makes you even more of an ass. And on top of everything, you're an ungrateful ass.
"Whaa! NeoOffice didn't give me the pre-alpha binaries! Whaa! What sketchy behavior! Whaa! I don't like it! Whaa! Lets cut off their funding so they can't afford the project! Whaa!"
People like you are the reason why wonderful projects like NeoOffice stop being maintained. Absolutely disgusting.
BTW you like to say ass a lot.
Oh, I'm sorry. I'll use a different adjective. You sir, are ungrateful, slimey, lowlife pond scum that should return to the sewer from whence you and your pathetic attitude towards the hard work of others came.
That was a verbatim quote from the preamble to the GPL.
Yes, I recognized it. Which was why I asked what you were babbling about. NOTHING in there says that they can't do what they're doing. Which you just agreed with me on. (???)
But the GPL also says that after one person buys/subscribes/whatever and then obtains the software, they have all of the rights that are guaranteed under the GPL, including freely redistributing it, hence my call for a torrent link.
I didn't call you an ass because you asked for a torrent link. I called you an ass for your ungrateful attitude toward an organization that has spent thousands of hours of work on a fine product, only to have couch critics like yourself call into question their integrity for trying to keep themselves afloat. What have you done for the OOo project that gives you such standing to call their actions into question?
Act like an ass, get called an ass. That's all there is to it.
Excuse me, but what in the hell are you babbling about? The GPL allows for charging for software (which they're not doing) and RMS has even encouraged providing services centered around Free Software (which *is* what they're doing). Don't like it? Talk to RMS.
I still don't like how NeoOffice requires you to pay for some kind of subscription to download their GPL'd binaries for one platform and not another. Seems pretty arbitrary.
Don't be an ass. The NeoOffice programmers have put in thousands of hours of work into a complex port of the OOo GUI to make it integrate with the Mac OS X Operating System. The work they've done is incredible, and I don't begrudge them any money they make off it.
If you have an absolute need for the bleeding edge software while they tool up and complete testing, then pay the fee, compile it yourself, or wait the expected two weeks until they're done.
But can't nearly all of this be avoided by not stacking the CDs so tightly?
Of course. That's what those metal storage frames are for. The metal bars force a bit of spacing between the Jewel Cases. (Also prevents them from knocking against each other, which is another common source of damage.) But that's not really the same as putting them on a bookshelf, now is it?:)
I take it you've never packed CD cases together? Jewel Cases have a "lip" on the edge that is intended to make it easier to open the case. In addition, the rear edge of the case protrudes a bit above the plastic door. The side edges are generally ribbed, presumably for extra traction while holding them.
Now if you pack CDs tightly together, not only does the lip and rear ridge catch, but the doors tend to be compressed against each other. The result of removing a CD is that your motions are translating torque to the entire stack. The ribbing can also cause extra torque on the case if the surface you're sliding it out of isn't smooth.
These problems are noticably reduced when the CDs are in their shrink wrap (this provides a smooth surface for them to slide more easily), but outside the shrink wrap, the cases are extremely vulnerable to damage. Even just having a pile on your desk can lead to scratching, chipping, and breaking.
I've never understood how "fit on standard bookshelves" was a feature of DVD cases.
Simple. They don't just fit on bookshelves, they fit on bookshelves well. When you pack a large number of CDs next to each other, the weight and friction places a great deal of strain upon the cases. This dramatically reduces their life-expectency, and may lead to scratching, chipping, and cracking. Even worse, the edges of the CD cases can cause even more friction when trying to add or remove a jewel case from the shelf. This friction is translated to all the cases in the row, often causing damage to their brittle cases.
With Amaray containers, they're designed to be somewhat flexible (like books) so that they can absorb many forms of pressure or friction without damage. In addition, all the edges have been smoothed out to reduce the amount of "catching" and extra friction caused by adding or removing the case from the shelf. In fact, a DVD case should never "catch" on its neighbors in the same way a Jewel Case does.
I wouldn't say they're "perfect". I use them to hold otherwise loose CDs that I don't place a very high value on. (e.g. CDs included with books, demo discs, compilations, just about anything in a paper sleeve, etc.) If the disc is worth protecting, though, I try to either replace the Jewel Case (not that hard, but time consuming) or place it in an Amaray DVD Case.
I'm not sure about OS X, since I've never actually had to do it.
The OS X disk tools make it incredibly easy to rip disks, then use the virtual media as if it were real media. For example, the Super Wing Commander disc I acquired was in serviceable condition, but I wouldn't trust it to continue operating for the long haul. So I ripped the disc, and stuck the physical media into storage. Whenever I want to play a game, I simply double click on the disk image to mounts it and go.
They come in regular size and super-slim. You can place artwork inside that covers the front, back, AND spine. If you don't want artwork, you can get them in clear form. They fit on a standard bookshelf. They're made of durable, flexible plastic so they won't wear to anywhere near the same degree as CD cases. They can hold manuals, and other materials on the inside. You can get them in forms that hold multiple disks. Etc., etc., etc.
Basically, they're the nearest thing to a perfect case.
The platform sells well to people who want a Unix, not people who want to hack the OS.
What about people who want to hack up an OS using a Mac? (raises hand) Believe it or not, cross compiling to the x86 platform using a PPC Mac and QEMU actually works. It's actually a better development environment than Windows, because you don't have to work around Windows' lack of Unix tools.
If you're weird like me, check out the OS FAQ for information on creating your own operating system, including the building of a cross-compiler. Bonefide also has some great tutorials on getting going with your operating system construction project.
As a first employee with a "good" vesting schedule, shouldn't you have turned a profit on the buyout?
That's my thought as well. My only guess is that he didn't exercise his options. If that's the case, then things get a bit tricky. If he was lied to or otherwise mislead about the status of the company, then he might have a chance of recovering his losses in court. He might even find a lawyer to work for him on a pro bono basis, with the expectation of the judge ordering the other party to pay for the lawyer's services.
If he was not mislead about the status and simply chose not to exercise his options, then he's SOL. Thems the breaks.
1. Charts are for visualizing data. When you have a lot of it, it's much easier to find trends and do comparisons than trying to directly download all the data to your brain.
Edit-in-place has been something I've wished every spreadsheet app would do for quite a long time. Its different, sure, but to me its good different.
Pray tell, what are you referring to? Every spreadsheet program I've ever used allows for edit in-place, in addition to the text field. The problem is that edit in-place is very confining, and is usually only used for quick edits. The text field not only provides much more space, but it allows for more complex controls for formulas. Dropping the separate text field in favor of only edit in-place is my issue, not so much the fact that it's included.
Also, their implementation of edit in-place can be frustrating. In most spreadsheets, clicking off the cell will disable editing mode. In Google SpreadSheet, it deposits the selected fields into the cell. The only way to exit editing mode is to hit ENTER or ESC. Not particularly usable, IMHO. Of course, that is a matter of what I'm used to, so your preference may vary.
Not only those, but I just had it futz up my numbers. I loaded my Moon Shot Cost Calculator spreadsheet into Google SpreadSheet to see what would happen. Interestingly, it only displays the rows and columns I used. It also improperly sized column "C" so that "Wild Ass Guess" became "Wild Ass".:-P
The real problem, however, was that it automatically used integers for the computations. As a result, the mass ratio shows up as "0" rather than ".996". All calculations that follow from that one (pretty much everything) are thus zeroed out. With a more complex spreadsheet, you might never notice.
Frustratingly, there was no scientific or floating-point number option. I had to chose percent rounded to 2 decimal places to get the calculation to be correct. Not good.:-(
As you mentioned, dollars also show up as just numbers rather than dollars. This also changes the look of the spreadsheet.
Just something I noticed. If you have a GMail account, and you've requested to be in the Beta Testing of the spreadsheet program, you may already be approved! I never received a confirmation from Google (perhaps it got caught in the Spam filter?), but I just went to http://spreadsheets.google.com/ and found that I could log in!
I have to say, the sheet has a nice feel to it. It really reminds you of Excel or OpenOffice Calc. Unfortunately, this comparison is quickly disappated once you start using it. Things I've noticed:
1. Formulas are edited in the cell rather than having a text field on top. This is REALLY annoying to anyone who uses a spreadsheet program regularly. There is an uneditable text field at the top (doesn't work right in Mozilla 1.7.12), but it's not useful for anything other than ogleing at.
2. Auto-resizing by double-clicking doesn't work. This is a core feature that I should think that everyone uses.
3. No size indicator when changing cell sizes. I don't know about anyone else, but I always try to resize my sheets to about 14.25 points high, as this looks best. In addition, the indicator is a good way of knowing that you've got the right size for a row, rather than by messing with trial and error.
4. You're limited to 100 x T cells. If you're one of those people with a lot of data, good luck. It doesn't look like Google will let you store it without manually inserting enough rows or columns to hold it all.
5. The formatting menu is useless. It's got a few data types, and that is IT. If you need a custom style, or a date in one of the billion other formats, you're SOL.
6. No cell borders. Raise your hand if you tend to mark headers with a cell border. (/Me raises hand.)
7. The "Freeze Rows" command makes no sense. Why are you choosing the number of rows from a menu, when a multiple row-select exists?
8. Sorting! Yippe! Now I can make my sheet into a database! (/sarcasm) Seriously, this feature actually works. I was expecting it to choke on numbers by treating them as text, but it automatically sorted then correctly. Score one for the team.
There's a lot of other minor annoyances that I won't get into, but the above are the big ones. Unfortunately, I've just about covered 90% of the functionality. My verdict? It's not ready for prime time. If Google wanted to do this, perhaps they should have teamed up with Sun's StarOffice team.
The key to this being an "Excel Killer" is not that it needs to be able to do everything (or even most) of what Excel can do. Most people barely use probably 2% of Excel's capabilities, and don't even know how to use much of the other 98%.
Yeah, but you still need to get to the 2% mark. I'm looking at this review, and I am utterly dumbfounded at some of the features it's lacking. For example, Charts would be incredibly easy to compute on the server, then download as images. Alternatively, they could use SVG support, or canvas support, or Javascript Drawings. Yet they completely leave charts out! I don't know of a single Excel user who hasn't charted their data at some point in time. If Google isn't supporting this, then they can expect users to dislike their spreadsheet.
Similarly, the lack of online help is a no-no for a spreadsheet program. Users still need to do computations, even if they're as simple as addition, subtraction, averaging, and weighted averaging. Failing to include online help means that users will have no idea how to properly compute these formulas. Even just dropping the expected args into the text field would do wonders for usability!
All in all, this article makes me believe that Google is buying into this "users don't need that much" mantra that makes sites like ajaxLaunch so laughable. GMail "won" because it provided a completely new way to work with email. It wasn't just the best Webmail apps, it was better than even installable apps! If Google wants to follow that success, they need to take that sort of innovation (*blech* sorry, weasel word) into their other office products. Otherwise, they're going nowhere, fast.
Slashdot Mirror
I need to remember to use smiley faces. That's supposed to be a joke, not a serious comment. (That's +3 Funny for your moderators, not +3 Insightful!) Anyone who's ever seen the StarIce invariably comments, "It's a freaking jet engine!" :)
ASUS beat them to it
You'll notice that neither is the same size as a standard paperback book, the archetypal storage unit for a bookshelf.
:(
Doesn't anyone buy hardcover anymore? Must be just me.
Um, the PowerPC version should run until the Intel binary is completed. Perhaps not quite as fast, but then again, NeoOffice was never a speed demon to begin with. :)
I wouldn't worry about him. In one sentence, he managed to reverse his previous position, as well as prove that he knows nothing about intellectual property law. He's a fool, plain and simple.
You finally figured out what I initially wrote!
Amazing. Simply amazing. I've been arguing exactly ONE thing the entire time: your piss-poor attitude toward hardworking folk. Now that you've gotten that through your thick skull, you try to accuse me of being thick?
Amazing.
Though not very surprising, I suppose. A fool thinks himself wise in his own eyes.
I never once said they violated the GPL. Read much?
Apparently, a lot better than you. Because I didn't suggest that you did. I suggested that you were acting like an ass. I stand by that.
I started by saying "I know this is legal, but doesn't it seem sketchy.."
Exactly. You called into question the integrity of honest people who have spent THOUSANDS OF HOURS working on the OOo project (in tandem with the main developers, mind you), who are working hard to get your ungrateful rear end a copy of the Intel version, and are merely asking for a nominal fee for anyone who wants access to the work-in-progress binaries. They do not have to provide those binaries to anyone. (Least of all, sorry excuses for freeloaders like yourself.) But they decided to use the distribution of them to help finance the project while they do their work. They haven't asked for any special protection on these binaries above and beyond what the GPL offers.
But according to you, that's "sketchy" behavior. You sir, are an ass. Even worse, you seem to be proud of acting like an ass. Which makes you even more of an ass. And on top of everything, you're an ungrateful ass.
"Whaa! NeoOffice didn't give me the pre-alpha binaries! Whaa! What sketchy behavior! Whaa! I don't like it! Whaa! Lets cut off their funding so they can't afford the project! Whaa!"
People like you are the reason why wonderful projects like NeoOffice stop being maintained. Absolutely disgusting.
BTW you like to say ass a lot.
Oh, I'm sorry. I'll use a different adjective. You sir, are ungrateful, slimey, lowlife pond scum that should return to the sewer from whence you and your pathetic attitude towards the hard work of others came.
Feel better now?
That was a verbatim quote from the preamble to the GPL.
Yes, I recognized it. Which was why I asked what you were babbling about. NOTHING in there says that they can't do what they're doing. Which you just agreed with me on. (???)
But the GPL also says that after one person buys/subscribes/whatever and then obtains the software, they have all of the rights that are guaranteed under the GPL, including freely redistributing it, hence my call for a torrent link.
I didn't call you an ass because you asked for a torrent link. I called you an ass for your ungrateful attitude toward an organization that has spent thousands of hours of work on a fine product, only to have couch critics like yourself call into question their integrity for trying to keep themselves afloat. What have you done for the OOo project that gives you such standing to call their actions into question?
Act like an ass, get called an ass. That's all there is to it.
Am I the only one who thinks of Ah-nold's opening line in "The Last Action Hero?"
"You want to be a fahmer? Here, I give you a couple of ache-ers!"
Excuse me, but what in the hell are you babbling about? The GPL allows for charging for software (which they're not doing) and RMS has even encouraged providing services centered around Free Software (which *is* what they're doing). Don't like it? Talk to RMS.
*bleeping* bunch of ungrateful *bleeps*
I still don't like how NeoOffice requires you to pay for some kind of subscription to download their GPL'd binaries for one platform and not another. Seems pretty arbitrary.
Don't be an ass. The NeoOffice programmers have put in thousands of hours of work into a complex port of the OOo GUI to make it integrate with the Mac OS X Operating System. The work they've done is incredible, and I don't begrudge them any money they make off it.
If you have an absolute need for the bleeding edge software while they tool up and complete testing, then pay the fee, compile it yourself, or wait the expected two weeks until they're done.
But can't nearly all of this be avoided by not stacking the CDs so tightly?
:)
Of course. That's what those metal storage frames are for. The metal bars force a bit of spacing between the Jewel Cases. (Also prevents them from knocking against each other, which is another common source of damage.) But that's not really the same as putting them on a bookshelf, now is it?
Where is that friction supposed to come from?
I take it you've never packed CD cases together? Jewel Cases have a "lip" on the edge that is intended to make it easier to open the case. In addition, the rear edge of the case protrudes a bit above the plastic door. The side edges are generally ribbed, presumably for extra traction while holding them.
Now if you pack CDs tightly together, not only does the lip and rear ridge catch, but the doors tend to be compressed against each other. The result of removing a CD is that your motions are translating torque to the entire stack. The ribbing can also cause extra torque on the case if the surface you're sliding it out of isn't smooth.
These problems are noticably reduced when the CDs are in their shrink wrap (this provides a smooth surface for them to slide more easily), but outside the shrink wrap, the cases are extremely vulnerable to damage. Even just having a pile on your desk can lead to scratching, chipping, and breaking.
I've never understood how "fit on standard bookshelves" was a feature of DVD cases.
Simple. They don't just fit on bookshelves, they fit on bookshelves well. When you pack a large number of CDs next to each other, the weight and friction places a great deal of strain upon the cases. This dramatically reduces their life-expectency, and may lead to scratching, chipping, and cracking. Even worse, the edges of the CD cases can cause even more friction when trying to add or remove a jewel case from the shelf. This friction is translated to all the cases in the row, often causing damage to their brittle cases.
With Amaray containers, they're designed to be somewhat flexible (like books) so that they can absorb many forms of pressure or friction without damage. In addition, all the edges have been smoothed out to reduce the amount of "catching" and extra friction caused by adding or removing the case from the shelf. In fact, a DVD case should never "catch" on its neighbors in the same way a Jewel Case does.
I wouldn't say they're "perfect". I use them to hold otherwise loose CDs that I don't place a very high value on. (e.g. CDs included with books, demo discs, compilations, just about anything in a paper sleeve, etc.) If the disc is worth protecting, though, I try to either replace the Jewel Case (not that hard, but time consuming) or place it in an Amaray DVD Case.
Excuse me Mr. Moderator, but how can the first person to suggest the use of Amaray DVD cases for CDs be "Redundant?" Yeash.
I'm not sure about OS X, since I've never actually had to do it.
The OS X disk tools make it incredibly easy to rip disks, then use the virtual media as if it were real media. For example, the Super Wing Commander disc I acquired was in serviceable condition, but I wouldn't trust it to continue operating for the long haul. So I ripped the disc, and stuck the physical media into storage. Whenever I want to play a game, I simply double click on the disk image to mounts it and go.
Just incredible. Over a dozen posts, and not a single person has stated the obvious.
Amaray DVD Cases
They come in regular size and super-slim. You can place artwork inside that covers the front, back, AND spine. If you don't want artwork, you can get them in clear form. They fit on a standard bookshelf. They're made of durable, flexible plastic so they won't wear to anywhere near the same degree as CD cases. They can hold manuals, and other materials on the inside. You can get them in forms that hold multiple disks. Etc., etc., etc.
Basically, they're the nearest thing to a perfect case.
The platform sells well to people who want a Unix, not people who want to hack the OS.
What about people who want to hack up an OS using a Mac? (raises hand) Believe it or not, cross compiling to the x86 platform using a PPC Mac and QEMU actually works. It's actually a better development environment than Windows, because you don't have to work around Windows' lack of Unix tools.
If you're weird like me, check out the OS FAQ for information on creating your own operating system, including the building of a cross-compiler. Bonefide also has some great tutorials on getting going with your operating system construction project.
As a first employee with a "good" vesting schedule, shouldn't you have turned a profit on the buyout?
That's my thought as well. My only guess is that he didn't exercise his options. If that's the case, then things get a bit tricky. If he was lied to or otherwise mislead about the status of the company, then he might have a chance of recovering his losses in court. He might even find a lawyer to work for him on a pro bono basis, with the expectation of the judge ordering the other party to pay for the lawyer's services.
If he was not mislead about the status and simply chose not to exercise his options, then he's SOL. Thems the breaks.
1. Charts are for visualizing data. When you have a lot of it, it's much easier to find trends and do comparisons than trying to directly download all the data to your brain.
2. What's an idot?
Edit-in-place has been something I've wished every spreadsheet app would do for quite a long time. Its different, sure, but to me its good different.
Pray tell, what are you referring to? Every spreadsheet program I've ever used allows for edit in-place, in addition to the text field. The problem is that edit in-place is very confining, and is usually only used for quick edits. The text field not only provides much more space, but it allows for more complex controls for formulas. Dropping the separate text field in favor of only edit in-place is my issue, not so much the fact that it's included.
Also, their implementation of edit in-place can be frustrating. In most spreadsheets, clicking off the cell will disable editing mode. In Google SpreadSheet, it deposits the selected fields into the cell. The only way to exit editing mode is to hit ENTER or ESC. Not particularly usable, IMHO. Of course, that is a matter of what I'm used to, so your preference may vary.
Not only those, but I just had it futz up my numbers. I loaded my Moon Shot Cost Calculator spreadsheet into Google SpreadSheet to see what would happen. Interestingly, it only displays the rows and columns I used. It also improperly sized column "C" so that "Wild Ass Guess" became "Wild Ass". :-P
:-(
The real problem, however, was that it automatically used integers for the computations. As a result, the mass ratio shows up as "0" rather than ".996". All calculations that follow from that one (pretty much everything) are thus zeroed out. With a more complex spreadsheet, you might never notice.
Frustratingly, there was no scientific or floating-point number option. I had to chose percent rounded to 2 decimal places to get the calculation to be correct. Not good.
As you mentioned, dollars also show up as just numbers rather than dollars. This also changes the look of the spreadsheet.
Just something I noticed. If you have a GMail account, and you've requested to be in the Beta Testing of the spreadsheet program, you may already be approved! I never received a confirmation from Google (perhaps it got caught in the Spam filter?), but I just went to http://spreadsheets.google.com/ and found that I could log in!
I have to say, the sheet has a nice feel to it. It really reminds you of Excel or OpenOffice Calc. Unfortunately, this comparison is quickly disappated once you start using it. Things I've noticed:
1. Formulas are edited in the cell rather than having a text field on top. This is REALLY annoying to anyone who uses a spreadsheet program regularly. There is an uneditable text field at the top (doesn't work right in Mozilla 1.7.12), but it's not useful for anything other than ogleing at.
2. Auto-resizing by double-clicking doesn't work. This is a core feature that I should think that everyone uses.
3. No size indicator when changing cell sizes. I don't know about anyone else, but I always try to resize my sheets to about 14.25 points high, as this looks best. In addition, the indicator is a good way of knowing that you've got the right size for a row, rather than by messing with trial and error.
4. You're limited to 100 x T cells. If you're one of those people with a lot of data, good luck. It doesn't look like Google will let you store it without manually inserting enough rows or columns to hold it all.
5. The formatting menu is useless. It's got a few data types, and that is IT. If you need a custom style, or a date in one of the billion other formats, you're SOL.
6. No cell borders. Raise your hand if you tend to mark headers with a cell border. (/Me raises hand.)
7. The "Freeze Rows" command makes no sense. Why are you choosing the number of rows from a menu, when a multiple row-select exists?
8. Sorting! Yippe! Now I can make my sheet into a database! (/sarcasm) Seriously, this feature actually works. I was expecting it to choke on numbers by treating them as text, but it automatically sorted then correctly. Score one for the team.
There's a lot of other minor annoyances that I won't get into, but the above are the big ones. Unfortunately, I've just about covered 90% of the functionality. My verdict? It's not ready for prime time. If Google wanted to do this, perhaps they should have teamed up with Sun's StarOffice team.
The key to this being an "Excel Killer" is not that it needs to be able to do everything (or even most) of what Excel can do. Most people barely use probably 2% of Excel's capabilities, and don't even know how to use much of the other 98%.
Yeah, but you still need to get to the 2% mark. I'm looking at this review, and I am utterly dumbfounded at some of the features it's lacking. For example, Charts would be incredibly easy to compute on the server, then download as images. Alternatively, they could use SVG support, or canvas support, or Javascript Drawings. Yet they completely leave charts out! I don't know of a single Excel user who hasn't charted their data at some point in time. If Google isn't supporting this, then they can expect users to dislike their spreadsheet.
Similarly, the lack of online help is a no-no for a spreadsheet program. Users still need to do computations, even if they're as simple as addition, subtraction, averaging, and weighted averaging. Failing to include online help means that users will have no idea how to properly compute these formulas. Even just dropping the expected args into the text field would do wonders for usability!
All in all, this article makes me believe that Google is buying into this "users don't need that much" mantra that makes sites like ajaxLaunch so laughable. GMail "won" because it provided a completely new way to work with email. It wasn't just the best Webmail apps, it was better than even installable apps! If Google wants to follow that success, they need to take that sort of innovation (*blech* sorry, weasel word) into their other office products. Otherwise, they're going nowhere, fast.