Google Spreadsheet

Ever since its launch has created waves, I decided to try it out with a friend. So Tanay and I set off going about it.

All one needs is a Gmail account to sign in to Spreadsheet. Once you're in, you'll see a window like an Excel sheet startup frame. Spreadsheet supports CVS and XLS formats to open and work on, so its quite extensive in capability I figured. No doubt about the fact that the tools are the run-of-the-mill kind but thats what allows Google to develop a smaller package isnt it ?

There's a "Sharing Options" link on the right side, which specifies the allotment of users into two categories while sharing the spreadsheet.

1. Viewers
2. Editors

So as soon as you add your friends email ID to that list, he/she will be sent a message on their Gmail accounts with a link to the same Spreadsheet that you'd like to share with them. Roles played by sharing members are either of the above mentioned.

The right column of the screen also opens out as a Chat Box where one can exchange ideas real time with upto 10 users. The IM (Instant Messaging) feature is a solid boost to the applications salability, apart from the "web based" USP stronghold. There's no need to mail Excel files to colleagues and wait for replies with changes and then rally it back and so on. With this move, Google is indeed needling into Microsoft's territory.

There was one glitch we encountered in the short stint that we tested the application. After we were done fooling around on the sheet, I closed my browser. But Tanay still registered my name as an active sharing member in the Chat box.

So I sent Google a feedback. Of course, I got an automated reply but its worth telling them where they might've gone wrong.

In the long run, they'll thank us for it & we'd be enabling ourselves to getting better tools to work with.