Google changed the world last week, but it may not be as much of a change as you think.
Back in the old days of computing (through the 70's) all computers were mainframe computers, which usually lived in air-conditioned glass houses. You didn't actually get to touch or use the computer - you could just submit jobs (usually on punched cards) and get a printout back with your results. If you were really sharp, you could store your stuff right on the mainframe if you had the appropriate access rights. In the mid 70's, time sharing systems started to appear with which you could use a computer terminal to access the mainframe. These were what we used to call "dumb" terminals - there was no actual computing done in the terminal, it was all done in the mainframe. Also, your data was usually stored at the mainframe, instead in a punched card deck.
The invention of the PC changed all that. Now computing (and storing of your stuff) could be done locally and independent of a mainframe or the mainframe police. Local computing was a big hit for decades, but it did expose some flaws. Everybody had to buy their own software (and in the case of suites such as Microsoft Office, quite expensive) and had to maintain their own PC and maintain their data. Even though people should take good backups, many just didn't do it. This created, quite frankly, a huge revenue stream for people like me.
If you were away from home and your PC, your only option was to carry a heavy and bulky notebook computer, and hope you could find some way to access the Internet at your destination.
Back in the old days of telephones, most people used convenient telephone booths that seemed to appear almost on every street corner. We had an early phone in our house, but many people didn't. I remember that even in my Dad's store there was no phone, just a telephone booth inside that was used both for business and by any of our customers at a dime a call. The ubiquitous cell phone has changed that all now and the remaining telephone booths are just targets for vandals. But in either case, there was a phone pretty much anywhere you were - and now Internet access is almost as common.
Google and Microsoft are on opposite ends of the PC vs. mainframe issue. Google has quietly been building huge networks, with extensive computing and storage capabilities. The intent is to return to the old mainframe days, but using the Internet to access the mainframe rather than a proprietary communications protocol.
The announcement in question was Google Apps Premiere Edition. GAPE adds a word processor and spreadsheet to its previous online offerings. But it's now a paid service, with full support and online storage. Google is making it very clear that it is a competitor to Microsoft Office, and at a lower price. But, it's just like the old mainframe world. Google designs and maintains the applications, and your stuff is stored there and backed up or redundant.
But is GAPE really that much cheaper? You don't buy a version of MS Office every year. If you bought the basic edition for about $200 with a new PC and kept that PC for four years, that is about the same price as GAPE on a per-year basis.
But the dollars are not the entire issue. You don't have to worry about software updates or patches - the Google people will do it for you. Ditto for storage and backups. And Google actually says they will provide telephone help - try that with MS. But the most important issue is that you can access and use your stuff anywhere in the world that you find an Internet connection.
On the downside, the Internet connection you use has to be secure. When I was recently in Mexico there were many storefront shops that sold FAX services and Internet access for the tourists streaming off the cruise boats. I would be very mistrustful of those - they could easily rip off your personal information with something as simple as a keylogger - a program or a piece of hardware that just captures what you type.
So the bottom line on GAPE for me is that the cost isn't really that much cheaper (especially if you require additional storage) and you need to address the security issues. Come back next year and we will compare notes.
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport - Oak Island area. You can visit his Website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail questions or column ideas to him at bsc@bobseidel.com. For specific inquiries, please call Bob Seidel Consulting, LLC at 278-1007.)