Lab

Online applications

Web applications are part of the revolution known as Web 2.0. It's all about doing everything online instead of 'on the desktop' (meaning on the user's own PC), and developing software in quicker, more open ways, using new tools and linking technologies together to create new kinds of functionality. Are you saying 'wooh!' yet? You're not a software developer.

Anyway, over the next few years, web applications could change the way we think about software. It's even been suggested that the rise of online software could kill off the software companies we know and love. Microsoft has responded by making a series of moves towards web applications, while keeping the lucrative programs on which its empire is built, such as Office, firmly planted on users' hard disks.

As we've highlighted in this month's News, Microsoft's Windows Live services, including Photo Gallery, are still at an early stage of development. Google has various web applications up and running, including Google Docs and Spreadsheets, which has already attracted rival office suites such as Zoho. In short, everyone's pitching into web apps, from the biggest companies to the smallest, the oldest established to the newcomers.

It's early days, but there are already plenty of useful apps to try, and we've rounded up some of our favourites here, concentrating on the ones that are productive rather than just for fun. We haven't given them ratings as we would do for boxed products, partly because they're mostly free and you may as well try them for yourself and make your own mind up, and partly because many of them have the feel of being permanently under development - which, of course, is kind of the point.

What you'll need

Server-based software relies on a 'client', a program running on your own PC that processes what the application sends it. With a web app, the client is your normal web browser - there's usually nothing else you need to install to get started. Which browser you use can have an impact, though. Most services are designed to work with Microsoft Internet Explorer, since it's the most widely used browser (though not especially popular with web developers), but you may need to get a free upgrade if you're using an old version at the moment.

Alternatively, you may prefer to use a third-party browser such as Firefox or Opera, which we tested in issue 195 (click Labs at www.computerbuyer.co.uk). These tend to follow web standards more predictably than Explorer, and some sites may work faster or more reliably with them. Check for browser recommendations on the sites you try.

The only other requirements are a broadband Internet connection and, in most cases, the willingness to enter your email address and sign up for an account with the relevant service.

If you do plan to use these apps for business tasks, note that there's no guarantee that your work will always be kept safe on the server or that the application will still be available when you come back to it, and the fact that documents are stored in the US (or elsewhere), with a degree of security in storage and transmission that isn't always clear, may affect your responsibilities under the Data Protection Act.