Google Docs just added what I consider to be a feature that is needed to help bridge the gap between desktop and online word processing. They added a page view (as expected) that is typical of any desktop word processor, and it’s almost like getting a live print preview while you work. To access the new setting go to the View menu, and select the fixed-width page view option.
It’s still not quite perfect though. For one it doesn’t take into account any margins you specify in the File -> Print Settings. So it still makes it difficult to see exactly what your document will look like before you actually print it, because after all there is no real “print preview” option. And even though this is considered a page view it doesn’t actually flow onto another page as you reach the end of one. Instead it just extends the height of the page as much as necessary.
Replicating a page layout seems to be a tough chore for these online word processors. Zoho has a page layout option as well, but when using theirs you cannot edit the document. So it would actually be better suited to be called a print preview since it actually does split the document up onto multiple pages as needed.
I don’t know about you, but when I write documents I like to keep them in a page layout. That way you have some idea of just how long it actually is, and Google has made a step in the right direction with this update. It may not be 100% what I was hoping for, but I’m sure they will continue to improve on it.
Google Docs [via Google Blogoscoped]
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Tags: Google, Web Sites, Google Docs, Online Office Suite, Settings
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MS Office is a big bloated program. 99% of it’s users use about 1% of it’s features. I hope Google doesn’t make the mistake of turning Google Docs into a slow lumbering clone of Office.
If you want Office go out and waste a couple of hundred dollars. With a few minor tweaks Google docs will meet the needs of most people and businesses.
That’s very true that a large number of people use a very small set of Office features, but I believe that Google still needs to try and appeal to the power users. It’s those people who are going to recommend the service to friends and family, as well as bring it into their corporations.
Plus you have to look at the reason why people haven’t used many of Office’s features in the past. It was normally because they didn’t know about them, and I’ve seen first hand people exploring new features in Office 2007 because of the redesigned interface. So Google does need to focus on the features that are widely needed first, but that doesn’t mean other features wouldn’t be useful if they are presented in an easy-to-use manor.