---
title: "Comment of the Day: “Google Docs is Chock Full of Fail”"
date: 2008-02-22
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2008"
    url: "/tag/2008.md"
---

# Comment of the Day: “Google Docs is Chock Full of Fail”

![](https://web.archive.org/web/20090307212259im_/http://www.readwriteweb.com/images/comments_comp_gold_star.jpg)In his post [Why Google Apps is a Serious Threat to Microsoft Office](https://web.archive.org/web/20090307212259/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_apps_serious_threat_to_microsoft_office.php), Bernard Lunn argued that the collaboration features in Google Apps are good enough to take on Microsoft. Commenter Karim [took him on](https://web.archive.org/web/20090307212259/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_apps_serious_threat_to_microsoft_office.php#comment-47436), with a well-written defense of MS Office. Also check out [Bernard’s response](https://web.archive.org/web/20090307212259/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_apps_serious_threat_to_microsoft_office.php#comment-47444) and the further debate that ensued. This kind of discussion is what we like to see on RWW, so well done Karim, you’ve won a $30 Amazon voucher – courtesy of our competition sponsors AdaptiveBlue and their [Amazon WishList Widget](https://web.archive.org/web/20090307212259/http://www.adaptiveblue.com/widgets_auto.html?section=amz&name=Your%20Wish%20List). Here is Karim’s full comment:

> ![](https://web.archive.org/web/20090307212259im_/http://www.readwriteweb.com/images/ms_goog2.jpg)“Open a Google doc. Paste an image. Oh, that’s right, you *can’t* Ctrl-C copy, Ctrl-V PASTE an image into a document. Ok, so INSERT an image. Now proportionally resize the image so it retains its aspect ratio. Oh, that’s right, you *can’t*. Now crop the image. Oh that’s right, you *can’t*.
> 
> Now insert a table. Now grab the edge of a column and resize the column. Oh wait, you *can’t*. Now delete one of the columns. Oh wait, you *can’t*.
> 
> Now type some text and select it. Choose one of the fonts on your computer instead of the six fonts Google licensed from Microsoft. Oh wait, you *can’t*. Create a new paragraph style. Oh wait, you *can’t*. Change the font color and background on some text. Now copy that formatting to another paragraph. Oh wait, you *can’t*.
> 
> Now do a find and replace on some text. Hmmm, why is that feature marked as *“experimental?”* Oh, because you don’t get to choose which instances get replaced, it just replaces *all* of them. And there’s **no way to undo** afterwards.
> 
> People just *love* to use software where some incredibly basic feature like “search & replace” is marked with “**WARNING! EXPERIMENTAL! Use eye protection! This could blow up in your face!**“
> 
> I’m sure Google docs works for you and your needs, but for very basic stuff, Google docs is chock full of FAIL.
> 
> You “assume” the Spreadsheet product will be “ready for prime time pretty soon,” but do not tell us *why* you think so. Do Google products usually come flying out of beta?
> 
> You tell us it’s all gonna be great when Google Gears finally kicks in and you can work without an Internet connection, then you point to a review where the guys says, yeah, they enabled “experimental” offline use, but, uh, you can’t actually *edit* documents offline. I assume this will also be done “pretty soon?”
> 
> Then you gush about how Google Docs is a “platform” — don’t you remember Microsoft Word is too? Do you not remember macro viruses? When malware authors realize they too “can plug into Google Docs as if they owned it” then there’s a chance they’re gonna 0wn you.
> 
> You talk about being able to view Google Docs on your Blackberry, when mobile device support for Microsoft Word documents is already pretty commonplace.
> 
> Finally you tell us that “Google will win this battle” is because “they have the economic engine,” meaning, they have advertising in all their stuff. Yay capitalism. I know the last six times *I* used a word processor, I kept thinking it needed *more* advertising.
> 
> You undermine your own argument by adding that you assume you “can always opt to pay a subscription and be ad free.” LOL! Order now and get a free set of steak knives? *Now* how much would you pay? But wait, there’s more….
> 
> The irony is you could go out right now, and get a whole Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OneNote) for $120 at Newegg, and you can install it on three different computers. And it works great and has tons more features than Google Docs. And it has *no ads*. Imagine that!
> 
> $120 / 3 computers = $40 per computer. Assuming you upgrade every 3 years, **that’s about $1.12 per PC per month for the MS Office suite.** Why would I spend THAT kind of crazy money for software I use day-in, day-out when I can bang my head “for free” against the lame “experimental” features of Google Docs?
> 
> You started off your post saying “MS Office can be annoying, but it does work.” By “be annoying,” I assume you mean “cost money.” I mean, you’ll get around to coughing up $25 for RTM someday, right?
> 
> You said “If I want to persuade with words, I use words.” Next time maybe you should try different words. :-)”

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_docs_fail.php))*