Here's the Word on less expensive software

The Pew survey found that the main reasons users like online software is because it’s easy and convenient.

A large number also said “cloud computing,” as it’s called, lets them access the information they need from any computer, as well as share data with others,

Cloud computing relies on data centers around the globe to store, process and deliver information via the Internet. Both Google and Zoho’s word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs are based on cloud computing.

Vegesna says Web-based productivity programs will overtake their hard-drive counterparts in much the same way that the cell phone is considered by many to be more crucial than a landline phone.

“The simple fact that you have access to it anywhere you go is one key advantage,” he said.

Zoho Zoho Show is a presentation program, part of Zoho's Web-based suite of applications that are free to use. The company started with Zoho Writer three years ago.

And with Web-based software, “the second advantage is going to be the collaboration, especially for students,” he said. “If I share a document with you, both of us can work on the same document at the same time, seeing each of the changes right away, and while we do that, we can also chat. That’s an important collaborative functionality. That’s powerful.”

Here are some of the features of the free productivity programs offered by Google, Zoho and OpenOffice.org. All of them are compatible with Microsoft formats:

Google Docs
You can import, export, upload and download Office word processing, spreadsheet and presentation files. Google recently added a dictionary and thesaurus to Docs. Also, if you want to get to your data when you’re not online, you can download Google Gears, a program that allows that to happen. With Gears, you can edit word documents offline, as well as view your spreadsheets or presentations.

You can invite others via e-mail to edit or view your documents, spreadsheets and presentations. You can also review previous versions of documents and spreadsheets, and change them back to earlier versions.

Documents can be sent out as attachments.  Users also can embed a spreadsheet or presentation in a blog or a Web site.

Zoho
Zoho Docs is the company’s recently announced online storage and management program for files created using the company’s  word processing program, Zoho Writer, as well as Zoho Sheet and Zoho Show, spreadsheet and presentation programs.

The features of those programs are similar to Google’s. Zoho also offers other free programs that can be of help to students: Zoho Notebook, an online note-taker; Zoho Planner, an online organizer; and Zoho Chat, for making group decisions “faster.”

The company makes its money from its Zoho Business software programs, Vegesna said, which cost $50 a year per user, per business.

OpenOffice.org OpenOffice.org is not Web-based, but is free and can be downloaded from the Web, or installed via CD. Shown is a screenshot from Impress, the presentation program for OpenOffice.org.

OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org’s productivity suite includes Writer, for word processing; Calc, a spreadsheet; Impress presentation software; Draw, a drawing program and Base, for creating databases.

OpenOffice.org is run by volunteers, and is funded mainly by Sun Microsystems, as well as by Novell, IBM, Google and Red Hat.

“Unlike its major competitor, (OpenOffice.org) was designed from the start as a single piece of software, which makes for higher-quality software and a more consistent user experience,” OpenOffice.org says on its site.

“Our best estimate is that OpenOffice.org currently enjoys over 15 percent market share for office productivity suites.” The software, available in more than 70 languages, has been downloaded 100 million times, according to the group’s site.