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	<title>Puffbox.com &#187; spreadsheets</title>
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		<title>Google Docs not there yet</title>
		<link>http://puffbox.com/2008/02/07/google-docs-not-there-yet/</link>
		<comments>http://puffbox.com/2008/02/07/google-docs-not-there-yet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:56:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Simon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[firefox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spreadsheets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wufoo]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I haven't played with Google Docs for a while, but news of a form designer to ease spreadsheet input intrigued me. A lot of spreadsheets, especially in an office environment, are actually pseudo-databases. So why not treat spreadsheet data entry like a database? It's a great idea, but the initial execution is a bit disappointing. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I haven't played with Google Docs for a while, but news of a <a href="http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2008/02/stop-sharing-spreadsheets-start.html">form designer</a> to ease spreadsheet input intrigued me. A lot of spreadsheets, especially in an office environment, are actually pseudo-databases. So why not treat spreadsheet data entry like a database?</p>
<p>It's a great idea, but the initial execution is a bit disappointing. The form designer is pretty limited: some nice Ajax-y touches, but a restricted number of field types, and no easy way to enter dates (pre-population? popup calendar?). I have a couple of work-related spreadsheets which I update on a rolling basis, and which I'd happily move over to this kind of form-based approach... but sorry, not yet. <a href="http://wufoo.com">Wufoo</a> still seems to be the leader in online forms... and with the addition of <a href="http://wufoo.com/docs/payment-settings/">payment processing</a>, it opens up all sorts of possibilities.</p>
<p>But the whole Google Docs experience is definitely improving. I tried using the Prism browser, which is basically Firefox stripped bare: and it made for a more natural 'Office-y' experience. It was actually surprising how much the lack of familiar browser screen furniture helped. But I think it really needs to be offline-enabled (via Google Gears or Firefox v3?) to make its breakthrough. That may not be far away, as it happens: offline Google Docs access has been <a href="http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2008-01-28-n40.html">spotted in testing</a>.</p>
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