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Our Future Word Processors

The rumor from my secret sources is that Ashland University will soon make a transition away from Google Docs (and Google Drive, etc.) to a Microsoft product. Here are my early (and very personal) thoughts about the transition.

Google Docs was always “word processing lite”

Though it is getting better, Google Docs never gave much help with spelling or writing style, and its approach to page formatting was very primitive. Paragraph styles were especially weak.

Docs was one of the first programs to automatically save your work, and that was a great advantage, but many other programs do that now. Its file format is unusual and hidden, so one result is that I keep getting files I cannot open from students who don’t really understand how it works.

In general, Google Docs is OK if you are not too fussy about your final product, don’t want to learn how to use a better tool, and need something fast, free, and undemanding. I don’t think many businesses would use Google Docs, so you’re not learning a skill that you can transfer instantly. I don’t think moving away from Google Docs will be a great tragedy.

Special Note: Anyone who has a Gmail account can use Google Docs, so even if the University stops supporting it through your @ashland.edu account, you can keep making Google Docs documents on your own.

Is Microsoft Word in our future?

As I write this, Microsoft has announced major modifications to their online version of Office, which will roll out in November and December. I have no idea what these changes will look like, but I hope they will fix a major problem: the awkward and confusing file directory structure. We will wait and see.

I assume that the student product will be the online version of Microsoft Office, which is already available free. It works pretty well and has several advantages over Google Docs, but it’s not perfect.

  • It lacks several features of the version you download and pay for, and it’s different enough from the downloaded version that you will have some learning to do when you move from one to the other.
  • Microsoft has an ugly habit of changing things around, so you may be in for a surprise the next time you open it—functions and features may be moved to a new location and have new names.
  • Unless the new version fixes things, basic functions such as renaming or deleting files or organizing them into file folders are very hidden. You may assume that it’s impossible to do these things because there is no obvious path to get there.
  • There are some days when some functions just don’t work. (I assume it’s because someone at the other end is revising things.)
  • Like Google Docs, this version of MS Word needs an internet connection. If yours is down, you don’t do any work.

My personal advice

Apple Users

Take some time to learn how to use Apple Pages, the word processor you paid for when you bought your new Apple computer. It’s far better than either Google Docs or the online version of Microsoft Word.

Windows Users

If you haven’t yet started to figure out Microsoft Word online, this is a good time to begin. It’s free and chances are excellent that the new product will be very similar.

Chromebook Users

Past experience with Chromebooks trying to use MS Word Online hasn’t been good. If you don’t want to stick with Google Docs, our Distance Education people (who deal with a lot of Chromebooks) speak very favorably of LibreOffice.

Two free gifts

  1. I have written an new How-To Page for writing a school paper. I hope it’s easier to understand than the previous attempt. Apple Pages users get new template files.
  2. I’m testing out LibreOffice, which also runs on Windows and Apple computers. I’m pretty pleased so far, and I’ve been using another word processor which uses the “guts” of LibreOffice—with really good results. If MS Office causes grief, this might be the way to go.
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