Google to give Docs a makeover

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 17 Jul 2009 at 14:00

Google claims it's working on a "shiny new interface" for Google Docs - coincidentally in the same week that Microsoft unveiled details of its Office Web Applications.

Google has revealed few details of what's coming on Google Docs, short of saying that the changes will be happening over the coming weeks.

The company has already started tinkering with the sharing menus, but claims that bigger changes are afoot.

"Over the next few weeks you'll see a number of small changes, culminating in a brand new shiny interface," products manager, Vijay Bangaru, claims on the Google Docs blog. He adds that the company has some "pretty exciting features" in the pipeline, without elaborating further.

Google Docs has often been criticised for its lack of features compared to the full-blown desktop software packages such as Microsoft Office and OpenOffice that it one day hopes to replace.

Microsoft last year produced some impressive-looking demonstrations of its Office Web Applications, which a share a similar look and feel to the desktop software, including the Ribbon interface.

However, Microsoft told PC Pro earlier this week that it wasn't looking to achieve feature parity between the client and online versions of Office 2010, which will be launched in the first half of next year.