Tech test: Google's Writely mostly hits the mark, but it's no Word killer

The way to beat Microsoft's Word is to use OpenOffice.com.

Tech test: Google's Writely mostly hits the mark, but it's no Word killer As a reporter, I'm never sure when the muse will strike or an editor will call. That's why I send copious notes and drafts of stories to myself by e-mail. As long as I'm within range of a computer with an Internet connection, I know I'll be able to tweak the latest version or do a quick fact check.

But as projects undergo revisions, my inboxes overflow and I start to feel the pain.

Then I started using Writely, a free word processor that runs in a Web browser, built by a startup called Upstartle and acquired by Google Inc. in March.

Writely is to Microsoft Word what Gmail is to Outlook: A speedy online program that retains familiar features of traditional desktop software and isn't afraid to introduce new ways of taking advantage of the Web. Unlike a boxed program, Writely runs on a server somewhere on the Internet.

But will Writely dethrone Microsoft Corp., which ships more than 90 percent of word processors used by U.S. consumers and businesses? Writely -- even as a beta test -- has the right stuff, but it needs some polishing.

It took less than a minute to register at www.writely.com and get a blank document open on my screen.... (See the rest of the article by clicking the link above.)