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Filed under: Office, Web services

ajaxXLS: Web-based spreadsheet from ajaxLaunch

ajaxXLSMichael Robertson's ajaxLaunch is trying hard to keep up the buzz from the launches of its web-based word processor ajaxWrite and drawing app ajaxSketch, and today it's launched ajaxXLS, a web-based spreadsheet app. ajaxXLS looks promising, and will no doubt look familiar to Excel users, but having spent a few minutes with it I can already tell ajaxXLS is far from finished. In fact, it's downright hard to use and seems like it would be infuriating to anyone trying to switch from Excel. Some of its issues might just be due to high opening day user load, but much of it just seems buggy or incomplete. Here's hoping Robertson can turn ajaxXLS into something usable; at present it's uninspiring.

Filed under: Design, Developer, Fun, Web services, Freeware

ajaxSketch

ajaxwriteThe other week we mentioned ajaxWrite, which was developed by the good folks at Linspire. It appears the ajax bug has bitten Michael Robertson big time, and who can blame him? Linspire's Click-and-Run repository of instantly downloadable apps (similar to Synaptic in Ubuntu) has theoretically made it much easier to distribute and install apps for its users. Ajax apps don't even need a download really, and as Michael says, "Software can be a low cost or free service available to everyone on any computer platform, loaded instantly when you want it with no hassles. Exciting, ain't it?" Yes, it is, when it works. A number of people complained about ajaxWrite not being quite ready. Reading Michael's recap, I see why— their servers just weren't ready for the demand. Hopefully the launch of ajaxSketch last week will go better. ajaxSketch is, of course, a browser-based drawing tool.

There are still a few kinks in the system, however. Bringing in a JPG, I wasn't allowed to add text. Maybe I was, but I never saw it, and couldn't manipulate it. For basic shapes and drawings, this works OK. As expected, nowhere near the functionality of GIMP or even Paint for that matter, but an interesting tech demo. One interesting bit is that your docs are saved as SVG's. Is there a use for this? Not yet, but I can see it evolving over time into something moderately useful, especially for creating PowerPoint-esque graphics (hint, hint).

Robertson is so smitten with ajax, he's even started a website: ajaxLaunch.com, where he and his flying monkeys developers will be launching a new ajax-based web app every Wednesday. Naturally, we'll try to pick those apart each week as well. I applaud the effort, and hope, like ajaxWrite, NVU, and Linspire itself, these tools will gain some level of appeal to "average" users.

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