I couldn't tell you what the major "advancements" in Wordprocessing have been in 20 years. I haven't had Office installed on my personal computer in about 10 years, but when I use Word or Excel they just feel like... well, spreadsheet and wordprocessing tools. Excel still feels really inadequate and slow compared for processing complex and large datasets. Word feels like a slightly different UI of wordprocessing software I had on Windows 95.
The changes for so long have felt like they haven't done anything really positive. If i need to write a letter, I just use Google Docs. If I need to tabulate some simple data, I just use Google Docs. I just don't get it.
Powerpoint still feels smooth to me than Keynote, but Keynote looks better in output generally. Pages almost always produces better looking output than Word for me for some reason (although I'd rather just use LaTeX for real document layout). Numbers by Apple is a mess compared to excel and not worth using.
When it comes to minor tasks like making a shopping list, Google Docs is great (it even syncs with my phone). But IMO it's not very useful for serious use, and that is probably one of its most detracting points. It has trouble displaying some docx files (probably because it's such a complex file format) and because it doesn't offer the level of control a word processor like Writer or Word offers. When it comes to editing complex documents prepared in Word with tables of contents and embedded Excel tables (which isn't uncommon in legal documents), Google Docs just doesn't cut it.
In any case, a lot of people won't be able to do their jobs properly without full-fledged document editors. I do agree that there haven't been any major advancements in word processing; if Google could solve the issue of compatibility and maybe throw in some grammar checking or autocompletion, then I would drop whatever I use now and switch to Docs in a heartbeat.
This is undoubtedly true. For complex documents, and those specifically for print publication, MSOffice is light years ahead of GDocs, and probably always will be.
However, my feeling is that this is a relatively small proportion of the MSOffice market (I'd love to see figures on how many word docs have embedded spreadsheets in, for example). For straightforward business docs, GDocs is almost as good, and has a couple of absolutely killer features. Firstly, collaborative real-time editing (e.g. during a conf call) is fantastic.
Secondly, and most importantly, no files to copy, backup, lose, mis-version, etc - just an URL. This is a totally killer feature: once non-techies grok that they never have to mess around with files, just point their browser at an URL, they (IME) love it, and don't want to go back.
What do you use for complex and large datasets? Last time I dabbled in office software, the gist was the the openoffice versions were missing a lot of advanced features in the spreadsheet.
I'm using Google Docs for mostly everything. I've typeset one book using LaTeX and several using QuarkXPress on Mac computers.
We're simply not the target for Microsoft Word.
But with less and less need to write letters (we've got emails now) and more and more totally free and convenient solutions like Google Docs, the "target" keeps shrinking for Microsoft Word.
The corporate world won't change anytime soon: MS Office is their way of doing business.
But SMEs are fleeing fast: I'm seeing more and more shared Google Docs (both text and spreadsheets) used inside SMEs and even to exchange doc with the outside.
Want an invoice and you're on GMail? OK, I'm sharing the invoice with you so you can print it. Why bother printing it and sending a letter? Why even bother exporting it as a PDF and sending it as an attachment? Shared invoice (read-only) just so that the recipient can print it.
I'm not saying it's "great" from a security point of view to share a Google Doc with a customer / contractor but that's where we're at now: lots of SMEs aren't even bothering with Word and its incompabilities (whether they still exist or not not being the point: they do exist in the users' mind).
MS did a 180 degree with Office 365 because they know it's very real.
I realize that, 15 years ago, I used Word for things like writing manuals, printing cover sheets, formatting resumes, writing newsletters -- everything that was designed to be printed.
I haven't used Word in years. Every workplace of mine has used Google Docs instead. And for the first time, I realize it isn't just because of Google Docs collaboration and use-anywhere -- it's the fact that all the "power" features of Word, particularly formatting and layout, are all geared towards the printed page.
But I literally produce nothing designed to be printed anymore. Everything that used to be printed, is now thrown up the web. Fancy formatting is useless now if it can't be translated into HTML.
(For spreadsheets, there are still big reasons for power usage of those, so I don't see Excel going away anytime soon. But except for producing PDF versions of nicely formatted resumes, it's getting harder and harder to see why Word should even exist. And of course graphic designers need to produce typeset pages, but that's what page layout programs are for.)
The changes for so long have felt like they haven't done anything really positive. If i need to write a letter, I just use Google Docs. If I need to tabulate some simple data, I just use Google Docs. I just don't get it.
Powerpoint still feels smooth to me than Keynote, but Keynote looks better in output generally. Pages almost always produces better looking output than Word for me for some reason (although I'd rather just use LaTeX for real document layout). Numbers by Apple is a mess compared to excel and not worth using.