Filed under: Business, Internet, Google, Microsoft, Beta
The Google Docs Divide
Q: Who doesn't know about Google docs http://docs.google.com/? A: 73% of Americans.
Q: Who doesn't use Google docs?
A: 94% of American computer users.
Q: How come?
In a word? Platform. Google Docs (still in beta, still free and still without commercial interruption) is a leap forward into online office applications and requires a paradigm shift for desktop-comfy workers. Working online is new and uncharted territory where few business users have gone before.
Owning a corps of loyal followers can codify a new product or dissuade newer ones from taking your market share. With perhaps one of the most recognized names among all levels of online users, how does Google fail to own the market already for its online docs with American users when more expensive suites like Microsoft Office are ubiquitous among US small businesses?
After spending the better part of an hour on 