By the time they get to college, plenty of students have logged hours upon hours in Microsoft Word and Excel, still most schools’ word processor and spreadsheet of choice. But there’s a new threat to Microsoft’s hegemony, and it comes — surprise, surprise! — from Google, the search engine turned computing behemoth.
For several months, according to the Associated Press, Google has been giving its own word-processing and spreadsheet software to any school that will have them. The programs automatically store work online so files can be viewed and edited from any computer connected to the Internet. That feature is intended to make it easier for students to engage in collaborative work, but some experts say it may end up presenting privacy problems.
In any case, it will be worth tracking the Google project to see if it makes a dent in the Microsoft empire. —Brock Read
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