Group 2
Unit of Learning #8
At first glance Zoho Writer seems to be fairly easy to get used to. All of the formatting tools are right on the top bar, and even though there's quite a few of them it doesn't get overwhelming. This is a bit different from MS Word, which has toolbars with a lot of common formatting options, and the ability to modify your toolbars. MS Word has a lot more functionality than Zoho or any other web based word processor that I've used, but it also takes a while to find where all the tools in the program are located and a number of the tools will probably never be used. In fact the web based processors are probably more than powerful enough for most people's daily needs.
A) The formatting options on all of the web based processors is fairly good, but none quite matches up to MS Word, though in fairness MS Word has more than most people will ever need.
B) The spell check for MS Word, Zoho, Googledocs and the wiki site seem to work fairly well. Word count seems to be limited to just MS Word and Zoho when you save a file. The spell check in Zoho doesn't appear to be automatic, and grammar check appears to be limited to MS Word.
C) Importing and exporting file types is pretty standard between the services, they all import the same kinds of document files and all seem to be able to export files in the same formats as well the only real difference between them is how long these actions take.
D) Sharing and collaborating on documents is much easier with the web based software, I know that collaboration and sharing is possible with MS Word, but I have no clue as to how one goes about setting the ability up. Being able to just set a few people as collaborators is a great way to speed up communication when writing a paper. At work we have some MS Word files in shared folders on the network and different people can view and edit them. Outside of networks, I guess people would have to all have a copy and send an updated version to other users when making changes.
E) Web based processors are free, everybody likes that. MS Word can come bundled up with other bits of software, but even with all the extra toys you'll still be in the hole around $200 (Retail Price = $229, Upgrade Price = $109.95).
F) So far I've really enjoyed the ease that Zoho and Google Docs have shown in both their use and sharing of collaborative power. MS Word is still a great tool when something with a little more detail is needed, and because I have it I might as well use it. But if I ever have the need to collaborate with another person on a paper I'm pretty confident that I would endorse the use of either Googledocs or Zoho over MS Word.
In terms of personal experience, I had none with Google docs before this class, and none with ZOHO or Wiki prior to this assignment. I have been using MS Word for what seems like my entire life. I have never really encountered any problems using MS Word. With the little experience I have with the other three programs, I have found them very easy to use. I have found the collaboration and sharing functions very nice and useful. With MS Word, it is harder to share because people would have to save a file and send it to other users or leave it on a shared folder if part of the same network.
G) Google and Zoho both support their own instant messaging programs, another great tool for communicating with people you're collaborating with.
