Microsoft Office Web enters beta, compared to Google Docs

Microsoft has today released the first version of its new Office Web Apps to a select bunch of testers ahead of a full public beta in the coming months. Classed as a Technical Preview, the Office Web Apps on show are very limited but still offer a glimpse of what is to come. And despite comparisons to Google Docs having been made, most of the early buzz has proved positive.

Microsoft should be applauded for making the move to the cloud with a Web-based version of the popular Office suite of applications. Launching alongside the fully-featured (and probably expensive) Office 2010, Office Web Apps will include lighter versions of Word, Excel, OneNote, and PowerPoint. All of which will be available for free for anyone with a Windows Live account.

The first testers, all invitation-only, got their sweaty hands on Microsoft Office Web today. More testers will be given the opportunity to participate over the next few months before a full public beta is unveiled. The full product is expected to be released in the first half of 2010 and will be part of Windows Live SkyDrive.

The Technical Preview is very limited in what it allows users to do. Microsoft hopes to gain customer feedback as the process continues and will update the service regularly. With an estimated 500 million people using Microsoft Office on a daily basis, it’s clearly essential to pitch this Web-based version correctly if Microsoft hopes to get millions using it.

All of the Office Web Apps are built to work with Internet Explorer (obviously), Firefox, and Safari. Versions for Google Chrome are still in development, although whether that has anything to do with the obvious competitive element between Microsoft and Google isn’t clear. After all, TechCrunch compares Office Web Apps to Google Docs and calls it a “Google Apps Killer.”

It’s probably too early to fairly judge Microsoft Office Web Apps, with limited usability and features in this Technical Preview. However, things already look promising with Microsoft clearly attempting to make its products available across the spectrum of user options, with a desktop version on the OS, a Web-based version, and a Sharepoint-based version for smartphones.

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