http://oraclewatch.eweek.com/blogs/google_watch/archive/2006/10/10/13814.aspx

someone pointed out the favicon already :)-

http://docs.google.com/favicon.ico

Beautiful. Nice find.

Does this mean we get to see a Google-ey Writely Interface ?

excellent find Sohil. i'm very excited about tomorrow for this merged service.

yes, this will happen eventually.. its all a planned phase in

https://docs.google.com/accounts (is active!!)

Still missing a PowerPoint program, no? I wouldn't mind being the owner of Zoho or ThumbStacks about now.

Presentations will slowly come, I assume. It's a lot more work than Word Processing or Spread Sheet in my opinion.

Mmm... "Google Docs" has got more a ring to it. Likin the sounds of it.

It'll be interesting to see how the merge the two.

Cool...... Great Find Sohil and /PD

Also, Writely will be down for "scheduled maintanence" tonight starting at 9pm PST.

http://writely.blogspot.com/2006/10/scheduled-maintenance-for-october-10th.html

even https://google.com/docs
returns a 404 error

Damn, I will be Zzz...(sleeping) by then.
There's also a robots.txt
http://docs.google.com/robots.txt

I'm seeing the new version already at http://docs.google.com. New Writely interface included.

Yep, I'm seeing it too. I'm in there playing around with stuff. I see all of my Writely docs in here, but not my Spreadsheets.

beautiful! :D

There's even an "experimental" find and replace in the new document interface. I can't find how to create a new spreadsheet though...I'm only able to create new text documents.

I went as usual to open one of my spreadsheets to look up some information and I was surprised to see the new interface and shocked to find that my spreadsheets are not there. However it showed all the experimental docs I had made at Writely.

I wish they had informed us of the change ahead of time so that a backup was possible. Surprise would have ok as well if I could open my files.

I tried to browse the old spreadsheets groups – thats gone too.
And the new intergrated groups won't let you in.

I guess I just have to wait patiently now. One should never trust beta stuff – mia culpa.

It's live!

Ok, guys I reacted too fast. Its all there now. Integrated and friendly.

Does this mean the chat within collaboration from spreadsheets is gone!? :(

Looks like there's still pieces getting rolled out, so I wouldn't say anything is missing until tomorrow. I see a discuss tab on the spreadsheet interface, so I'm guessing they have not done away with the chat feature, DPic.

Oh, cool.

Also, someone should edit the wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_products

Here's the tour for those who haven't already seen it http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html

and another thing-- along with a slideshow feature like powerpoint or openoffice impress, wouldn't it seem like google to as a database creator like openoffice base?

It would also be really cool for them to add something like openoffice math which lets you create mathematical formulas etc. And also something that can make charts and graphs.

It'll be a while, but what do you all think?

showed up this evening, only four hours after I started using writely for the very first time

Nice integration.

No they say it doesn't work on Safari.

It seemed to this morning before the integration.

Anyone else find that?

"If you are working to fix problems with a specific browser and would like to bypass this check, just add &browserok=true to the end of the Google Docs & Spreadsheets url.

Please note that it is a violation of intergalactic law to use this parameter under false pretenses, so don't let us catch you at it.

And, it won't work very well – really."

Look they are using the word tags again :)

(Seriously what a crap name D & S is .. but hey)

I can't create a new document (writely file). It says I need javascript on (yes I have checked that it's on). Been waiting since I got my writely invite for a "google-style" update.

ok it's working now.
New style chat/collaborate thingy on the side looks good

Why can't we just get pictures from picasaweb and put them in to a Writely doc.?

<<what a crap name D & S is>>
Google just needs to add Reader, Notebook, Calendar, Page Creator, (gmail?) and Blogger (beta, normal blogger can be posted to already) and they can release it as Google Office.

The whole setup they have going for them is pretty tight. I am pretty impressed that within 5 days of anouncing that they will tie more programs together, they pull this off (wonder if they were working on this before they made the announcement ;)). I agree with Mrrix33 – they need to integrate Picasa in as a clip-art manager. I just put one of my document's RSS feed into Reader and its working fine...all in all a very useful combo.
Eytan

Great idea, but from what I've seen, it seems like a bit of a rough integration to me. Much of the Writely branding and pages are still (partially) around:

http://docs.google.com/?action=login
http://docs.google.com/?action=register
http://docs.google.com/?action=tour
https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=writely

I think they've just changed a few templates/includes and updated some links. They're still two very seperate services really.

Interesting how they've rebranded "Google Writely" as "Google Docs and Spreadsheets" but "Google Spreadsheets" is still being used.

And I agree with Sam – the name is truly awful!

Anyway, good to see that Spreadsheets has now left "Labs" and become "Beta" FWIW.

very nice update. but what is with the name?! i agree it's awful. what is wrong with Google office?

Nice update from Google. They seem to be releasing too many updates now! Not that I'm complaining.

One of my main problems is that I can't seem to be able to control text + images on a page by page basis. On MS Word for example you know that if you press return then either a segment of text or picture is going to stay on that page without leaving a huge gap when printing. The only way I can seem to do this is to do a preview of the doc and then do print preview.

They need a page view I think.

Google Office, or Google Documents (but then they need to find a better name for "Docs," possibly). Is "Office" as an office application trademarked to Microsoft by any chance?

i don't see how it could be Philipp, as there is open office, star office and probably more... it should be google office, people will know what it is then. and i agree 'docs' is a bit wierd

This is the first I've know of a spreadsheet not being a "document".

Google Docs sounds better. What next, "Google Docs & Spreadsheets & Multimedia Presentations?"

can anyone help. if i decide to "publish" the document (i want selected people to see it but not all of them have google accounts and i don't want to bother them with things like that) ... will it get findable by google search unless i post link to it on the internet? if i only want to post it via e-mail to couple of friends ... does such "security by obscurity" works here? or the public documents are crawled by google automatically?

help entry in google docs is not clear on this.

> can anyone help. if i decide to "publish" the document (i
> want selected people to see it but not all of them have
> google accounts and i don't want to bother them with things
> like that) ... will it get findable by google search unless i post link
> to it on the internet?

Probably not, but read on...

At this time Google disallows spidering of the content through search engines through their robots.txt.

Example document: http://docs.google.com/View?docid=ajfjf92tmnhd_4c5zb5s
Robots.txt: http://docs.google.com/robots.txt

*However*, Google (who warns you that by publishing your document, you "let anyone on the internet" see it) may:
1. start allowing indexing in the future by changing their robots.txt
2. display the data anyway in search results because they don't need to spider the site from the outside, thus they can ignore the robots.txt

I don't think either 1 or 2 is likely, but just so you know...

First thing google must learn, they should not release 90% baked product. They do create a lot of buzz..and user uses that 2-3 times...but if anything is not nearly-fully-baked, it will repel users. Isn't it?
I know they will remove all the considerable problems soon, but they should now wait releasing a product till it is comlete. After all now, even if, Sergery Brin goes for a hairstyle change, millions of people not it the next day...

thanks Philipp ... basically the contents of the docs.google.com/robots.txt answers my question ... it *shouln't* get crawled unless it's linked from somewhere

I sure like the way we are moving away from having to actually save a file.

In the recent weeks Google began to apply its theme colour to all of its product..

example of changes
>changed the interface of Google Reader, Groups, and now its Writely and spreadsheet
in which the writely lost its green theme and gained the cool google theme.

Is orkut Google's new mission ? Will the Gui of orkut change to Google theme ?

I think they were trying to get at least some of Google Docs released for today's Office 2.0 conference.

TonyBB

not very impressive.. has any checked if the old permissions for docs writely and ss --have been carraried over into the docs apps ??

ok reader,gmail , calaendar is next in line-- to be layered into this application..

Google wants to make us believe all these people are already using Google Docs & Spreadsheets:
http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour5.html

I'll contact one of them I know to ask for more details :)

BTW, has everyone seen the comedy references to "leftly" rather the "writely" (i.e. RIGHTly) in the code?

i.e. docs.google.com/images/leftly/docsslogo.gif

Those Googlers are funny folk... aren't they?

the new merge is making it so I can not open my spreadsheets.

I am very Dependant on them!

they work fine until row 8.... 9 and on just don't seem to exist

Official announcement:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/better-together-docs-spreadsheets.html

Which makes reference to the "Official D&S" blog (ewww):

http://google-d-s.blogspot.com/

Shame they didn't spend some time tarting that up too – but at least you can easily see the contributors, etc...

A Googler: http://www.blogger.com/profile/7380409
Jen: http://www.blogger.com/profile/14493283
Eric Case: http://www.blogger.com/profile/16243347
Claudia: http://www.blogger.com/profile/32725511

:-)

Has anyone seen this logo:
http://docs.google.com/images/leftly/docs_logo_main.gif

now also
http://www.google.com/intl/en/options/index.html

Sander, that's interesting – "trix.corp.google.com" is one of their internal domains too. What's Trix? Is it just a nickname for "Spreadsheets" or is it another application they were going to add into the bundle?

Just FYI, if anyone is having the problem I mentioned above, if you set your Firefox to open new pages in a new window instead of tab, it seems to work.

Odd bug... Not sure if it is a Google issue or a Firefox one, but it did work until this change today. (so maybe a combination of the two)

I find that interesting too Tony.. what is codename :Trix ? This is the first indicators thats somethings in the air :)_

Trix = Spreadsheets. In the source code of the "edit spreadsheet" page there are references to trix_main.css and trix_main.js, and at the "edit document" page they have "leftly" in their names.

Sander's right. I guess they've been running it as "Writely & Trix" internally whilst they were deciding on a name...

> Which makes reference to the "Official D&S" blog (ewww):
>
> google-d-s.blogspot.com/

Hmmm, isn't it time then to shut down the Writely blog?
http://writely.blogspot.com/

Tony

>I guess they've been running it as "Writely & Trix"

TRIX Trusted Irix (SGI's secure Unix) ?

tony can you see the filename of the logo its written as "mainlogo.gif " ?

by the way whether trix relates this Trix Spinoffs
http://code.google.com/p/trix-spinoffs/

and now you can migrate your old account from writely to google docs

http://docs.google.com/MigrateOldAccount

but i think this step is not needed for google account holders

check this pages of google docs

http://docs.google.com/palette3.htm

http://docs.google.com/brander

check out the another logo of google docs
http://docs.google.com/images/leftly/editor_docsslogo.gif

<< tony can you see the filename of the logo its written as "mainlogo.gif " ? >>

Yes. It's "docs_logo_main.gif" but I don't think that means anything. Trix is definitely Spreadsheets as far as I'm concerned so there's no need for any speculation around it... :-)

<< and now you can migrate your old account from writely to google docs >>

This is just the same move/migrate feature that was made available when they migrated to Google Accounts:

http://blogoscoped.com/forum/64911.html#id68452

offline version of writely,
salesforce.com integration,
and as you have already seen, "Brander"

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Google/?p=356

Good work Garett!

FYI – the "Brander" has been left behind from the Writely days though. I remember seeing it months ago when digging through their source code.

ahh..
ok thanks Tony :)

I've noticed that Google left out many or all of the previous Writely formating buttons which were neat for editing your document almost close to a real MS Word doc. I wonder why they left it out of the new interface.

Docs seems more user friendly to me IMO; a better UI. Never got comfy with Writely. Still need to figure out out to get back to the main page after editing a doc, tho.

The localhost/Prefactor/Docster code mentioned in Garett's post can also be found at:
http://209.85.129.104/search?q=cache:U7K5fzzq1OkJ:192.192.16.121/serviceweb/gFilePlan.asp%3Fgid%3D1986%26gck%3D371791169%26fid%3D1607%26fck%3D858025903

That email was sent in June, so the code might have been around for a few months already. Maybe it was just used for local testing of Writely?

Any signs of an API yet? It could be useful to make backups of your documents to your local hard disk.

Not at all Impressive. I was hoping for a whole slew of features.

And the Writely interface didn't really change that much. I was hoping for better icons. Now they're just the ones from Gmail. And Option to change Page Margins (I really need this).

But it's not so bad.

Does anyone know how to make Docs display ALL the documents all the time, instead of the active ones. I've tried to put it to ALL, but it's not sticky.

Why have they not re-jigged my gmail service options

"Google Gmail Calendar Photos Spreadsheets all my services »"

It should now read as " ... Doc&Spreadsheets" :)-

Yes, but clicking on spreadsheets links to docs.google.com

Also, under my Google Account, I still see spreadsheets and writely as separate services...no docs yet.

Ok Niraj: agreed it the link gets piped into Doc&Spreadsheet app.. but take a look at the UI and naming conistency from one app to another. This is the service list on my doc app .. :)-

"Google Gmail Calendar Photos Docs & Spreadsheets all my services »
  

I hate it. Writely and Spreadsheets (a.k.a Trix) were way better left alone. This design is way too cluttered. The logo is also too crowded with text.

Garrett's source code thing is really interesting, mostly because what I really need as a next step is a transparent experience. There are times – not only when I'm not connected to the internet – when I'm going to want to edit a document offline. (For instance, there's no way Google Writely can get over the problems that come with being browser-based: you can't actually WYSWIGLY preview a printed document because it depends on Firefox/IE's terribly basic printing features.)

It wouldn't be very surprising – and it would be very nice – if Google were to release either an offline version of Writely and Spreadsheets or a Googlified version of the relevant parts of Open Office. Once you have some kind of link-up between the files on your computer and the files stored on Google Docs or whatever – so that you don't actually have to save anything or check which is the latest version – you'll have a functioning Gdrive. That would be GREAT. More isn't needed. They're ever so nearly there.

"It probably won't buy Google Blogoscoped." --

yeah we had this discussion here- before :)-

http://blogoscoped.com/forum/42480.html#id42480

I am going to try to live MS Word/Excel free for a month. We'll see how it goes

There is a Live version of MS Word and Excel?

TonyB

I think he means "live" as in "to live without" MS Word/Excel

<<In the recent weeks Google began to apply its theme colour to all of its product..

example of changes
>changed the interface of Google Reader, Groups, and now its Writely and spreadsheet
in which the writely lost its green theme and gained the cool google theme.

Is orkut Google's new mission ? Will the Gui of orkut change to Google theme ?>> -Sankar Anand

http://blogoscoped.com/forum/71198.html

/pd, it looks like the gmail service options have been updated with the ridiculously long "Docs and Spreadsheets" in place of the "Spreadsheets" link that was there before. Also, the my account page now lists docs and spreadsheets instead of the individual spreadsheets and Writely like before.

Docs and Spreadsheets is way too long of a name but many of Google's other applications could be considered office applications, so that may be why they didn't call this google office which they have obviously considered doing, but must have decided against doing so for a reason. they need a solution to this

Discussion is only enabled for spreadsheets but not documents. what's with that??

I really like its feature of blog and integrate to so many blogging software. Seems so interesting. PDF conversion etc it is look like MS office has to start selling its offering for free otherwise it will be extinct from office software. Maybe they will start offering free office software in near while because these nobody want to destroy their cutomerbase. MS started sometime back on this but I don't know what happen to that project.

"I really like its feature of blog and integrate to so many blogging software. Seems so interesting. PDF conversion etc it is look like MS office has to start selling its offering for free otherwise it will be extinct from office software. Maybe they will start offering free office software in near while because these nobody want to destroy their cutomerbase. MS started sometime back on this but I don't know what happen to that project."

Office 2007 will close the gap started with Blogging. Adobe is on Microsoft's back about the PDF Conversion (Adobe doesn't want MS to include this or want's it to charge money).

And Office is far more powerful in my opinion but D&S will find some nice users.

I think remember Microsoft say that they're exploring a "Live" Office (Different from Office Live) which will be supported by Advertising.

When you add collaborators to a document the automatic email says "Writely" still

and where is the spell check!?

"I think remember Microsoft say that they're exploring a "Live" Office (Different from Office Live) which will be supported by Advertising."

I thought this was more some kind of "Live" MS Works... And if I'm right it would be the normal application offered by a terminal service client...

Spell Check in the Google Apps word app is in the bottom, right-hand corner.

TonyB

"I thought this was more some kind of "Live" MS Works... And if I'm right it would be the normal application offered by a terminal service client..."

I don't know the specifics but I remember it saying Office pretty well (compared to Works)

Thanks TonyB for the spell check :)