Even Microsoft again playing catch-up on the competition in areas that others have already succeeded: Wings of business productivity via the Internet. Google and Zoho are doing well here, and have a firm base. Microsoft, in its continuing quest to be the only software provider on the planet, is taking office on the Internet as well. But, as usual, and they're making a right mess of things.
Google and Zoho can Dedicate full teams to make specific, and consistent delivery of applications on the Internet. Microsoft, by necessity, going to have a different set of developers who work on the online version of Office 2010 from those who are working on desktop applications of Office 2010. It remains to be seen how closely the online version will look and feel like the desktop version, and if any synchronization problems arise as unexpected spread features one or another product.
Even if they had been on the facades similar between versions, online and offline and end-users are still going to resent having to learn how to interact with the new systems all over again. No one has talked about this matter to the happy transition to Office 2007. Regular users struggle to be productive and say bad things about Bill Gates when it is to change the interface tucked them for no apparent reason.
Trust me: I have tried to tell people that the experts in the Microsoft interface and spent a lot of time and money studying how people use Office in order to inform their decisions. No one cares, because it is limited to a certain category too. All we see is that it is different, and all the muscle memory I have gained about how to do things to be null and void now.
In typical Microsoft fashion, and the electronic version of Office has some hidden requirements. There seems to be a need to SharePoint Server for companies to exchange documents between employees. No one actually like Cher? I've never heard anyone say, "Oh, yes! I get to deploy SharePoint Server today!" Instead, I just hear people complain about it.
Sure, the electronic version of the Office of the "free", just like your puppy to a colleague gave you. But you need to spend a lot of time and money take care of things - Sharepoint Server, client access licenses for business users, etc.; as you will have the cost of veterinary bills and food, school, obedience, and more wrapped up in this "free" puppy.
Thankfully, Microsoft Office streamling line of eight different editions down to five! Is me, or do you think that the world, and just maybe, one full office suite is all we really need? Granted Microsoft makes buckets of money by selling licenses for different versions of Office for our companies, so I think they know better than you do what must be done.
Usually, this is the place where I can say something like, "or you can use OpenOffice!" , But I'll refrain. OpenOffice is fine for some users, just like Google Docs is fine for some users, despite all the lack of many of the features of Microsoft Office. As much as people rail against Microsoft, they seem sure of the Office of love!