Microsoft Office

Office 2010: Most Innovations Are Online

Online: Office PowerPoint App

With the Office PowerPoint App you can create and edit presentations from the Web -- that includes the ability to pick a theme and slide layout. Other online features include:

* Ability to add animations

* In-browser and full-screen Slide Show views.

* Autocorrect, spelling checker, and auto-numbering/bulleting and undo/redo.

* Ability to insert pictures, charts, and tables into existing PowerPoint presentations

Online: Office Excel App

As with other Office Web applications, Microsoft is trying to make the Web version of Excel look and feel like the software version of Excel, but with reduced functions. As you would expect, the Office Excel Web application allows you to create, edit and, save Microsoft Excel workbooks via Web browsers. Other functions:

* Multiuser co-authoring -- more than one person can edit data at the same time.

* The ability to use the same Excel formulas on online and in the client version of the program.

Microsoft Office Reaches for the Clouds

One paper Microsoft Web strategy is compelling. For now, we'll have to take Microsoft at its word when it comes to cloud-based versions of its Office applications. One thing for sure Redmond can talk a good game. All indications are Google is in for some stiff competition when it comes to Google Docs & Spreadsheets. Other online office suites such as ThinkFree Office Online and Zoho Office Suite will also want to watch their backs.

Until Microsoft offers more than press releases for its Office Web Apps there is not much we can say. But given its dominance in the office software market we can assume Microsoft's entrance into this space to make huge waves in the nascent market of cloud-based office productivity applications.

Next Page: A First Look at Software Improvements to Office 2010