Google Spreadsheets

I got Google's invitation to try out Google Spreadsheets last week. I only had time to try it out just now, and frankly, I'm not too hot on using it just yet.

The interface is painfully slow, Ajax notwithstanding. There are also some features that I miss, like select-and-drag, for one. Of course, it's a web app -- and besides, it's still in beta (like most other Google offerings) -- but then again, I don't see much use for it.

Sharing spreadsheets *might* be cool, but how's that different from just attaching, say, OO.o Calc files to email? I haven't tried out any of its other features yet, but Google Spreadsheets is probably one of those apps that are long on promise and short on delivery.

But given Google's propensity for putting out apps and goodies for all the world to play with, and with their capacity to continuously improve and add on new features, I'm quite sure Google Spreadsheets will go far. With their acquisition of Writely, Google may be on its way to building a Microsoft Live alternative, as some people are speculating. I'd rather stick to apps that I have actual use for, like GMail and Google Talk, for example.