Comments on: Google Spreadsheet: Unnatural Acts for AJAX?

By: Andy Wong

Andy Wong — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 00:44:04 +0000

Agree with Doug. Actually the first time I used Google was with my wife living in another city and we discussed things through Google Doc and Spreadsheet. In short, our expectation is that AJAX is a good platform of collaboration tools, not a replacement of desktop experience.

Actually Google is well aware the limitation of AJAX according to some of google’s announcements.

By: You Mon Tsang

You Mon Tsang — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 02:12:44 +0000

I agree, Doug. I may find use in the colloboration. However, in the weeks since I wrote the post, I’ve spent lots of time time in Excel and zero in Google Spreadsheet.

By: Doug Karr

Doug Karr — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 02:06:11 +0000

I’m not sure that you hit the mark on this. Google spreadsheet is not a spreadsheet tool in as much as a collaboration tool with limited spreadsheet capabilities. Just as you can’t use Google spreadsheet for your complex Excel uses, you’ll find it difficult to use Excel for your collaborative uses (outside of Sharepoint and Intranet usage).

Warmest Regards,
Doug

By: You Mon Tsang

You Mon Tsang — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 17:11:45 +0000

I agree Garret. That’s why some expectation-setting is always important. Maybe not Google’s doing, but there is a lot of talk about an Excel- and Office-killer.

It may hurt Excel badly (but taking a chunk of its low-end business), but it is not a direct Excel competitor.

I will need Excel and may use a AJAX spreadsheet.

By: garrett

garrett — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 16:43:19 +0000

The biggest problem with using browsers for applications comes when you try to import files creating by desktop applications. You’re trying to import files which have been designed to run on a much more powerful system and bending the data to make it fit the new system.

By: You Mon Tsang

You Mon Tsang — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 17:47:27 +0000

Maybe this house of cards will fall. Or perhaps we can keep building higher and higher. I remain skeptical and hopeful at the same time.

Skeptical for all the reasons you stated, Dylan. Hopeful because Google Maps proved something, spreadsheet seems interesting, and even back in the days of client/server, we had to deal with the possibility of a flaky state (disconnected apps, whether by mistake or on purpose).

By: Dylan Tweney

Dylan Tweney — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 13:55:32 +0000

“Unnatural acts” is a really good description of AJAX. Think about it — you’re building a stateful, dynamic patch (composed of JavaScript and XML tech) on top of a stateless, static platform (HTTP and HTML). It’s a kludge. It works well for overcoming the limitations of HTML but when you get to the point of building spreadsheets, it’s ridiculous — and probably unstable and unreliable. Think how much easier it would be to build this kind of stuff using Java, or C++, in a client-server environment. Even Flash would be an improvement, and Flash is one of the most screwed-up, complicated dev environments ever created.