For a while there, I was truly, madly, deeply in love with Google’s products. They could do no wrong. Gmail? Brilliant. Google Apps? Yes, please. Google Docs’ collaborative editing? Oh yeah! Android OS and Nexus devices? But of course.

But the world wasn’t with me. Google Docs, while used by a significant number of teams for project management or quick collaborative edits, hasn’t become the full-fledged Word replacement that many of us hoped for. Have you ever tried to create legal briefs, motions, and memos in Google Docs? It’s not easy.

Apparently, along the way, Microsoft released free Office Web Apps. When? Not sure. Most law offices were using the desktop version of Office. Anyone using a browser-based word processor was probably tinkering with Google Docs, despite its limitations.

I typed “TEST THIS MOTHA[expletive] OUT!”

My coworker typed “Epic word battle!”

I hit save. So did she.

Neither of us saw the other’s edits.

Until she was presented with the following message:

“Sorry. This document can’t be saved because some of your changes conflict with changes made by someone else.”

“Resolve conflicts?”

She was then presented with a choice: her paragraph edits or mine.

Seriously, Microsoft?

Of course, after she quit, the paragraph locked and was uneditable – even though she had signed out. I couldn’t edit my own paragraph. Damn you, Redmond. Damn you.

If you ignore functioning collaborative editing, Microsoft’s Office Web Apps are by far the better choice. The apps’ interfaces are familiar, yet simplified. However, if you are still the type of team player who likes to edit documents simultaneously with other users, beware: Word’s Web App will likely have a mild stroke.

Related Resources:

  • Two Alternatives for TweetDeck (RIP) That Will Tame Twitter (FindLaw’s Technologist)
  • Evernote Had a Security Breach. Oh Yeah, That. Whatevs. (FindLaw’s Technologist)
  • Two Concerns Over Cloud-Based Software for Lawyers (FindLaw’s Technologist)

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