Google Docs new features on Android

[GeoUSA]

I have been transitioning several documents to Google Docs. The article below is good news. So far my preliminary tests show the ability to display but so far not edit text documents on my G1. Intersting that I do see the edit features with spreadsheets. We really need mobile editing of text documents -- it's a pretty large void on Android right now.

http://www.wirelessandmobilenews.co...bilities_of_g1_iphone_and_symbain_phones.html

Google Spreads Spreadsheet Capabilities of G1, iPhone and Symbain Phones

By Contributor Wireless and Mobile News on February 15, 2009 9:58 AM

Google added new capabilities to Google Docs for mobile phones that allow user to add new rows, edit existing cells, sort by columns, and filter by terms.

Google spreadsheet users don't have to wait until they get to their computer to update a spreadsheet, whether it's an expense tracker, time sheet, or a wine rating spreadsheet.

An example of how the sort feature could be used on a mobile is, say if a user has Favorite Wine sheet, the sorting and filtering options could help find the best wine for the meal

To try out these new capabilities, go to m.google.com/docs in your mobile browser and log in. IGoogle Apps users may go to docs.google.com/a/your-domain.

Enhanced mobile access to spreadsheets is available only Android, iPhone (and iPod touch), and Symbian S60.

 

[benmarvin]

I'm really surprised they rolled out support for Spreadsheets before the ability to edit documents, but maybe they're adding more features to documents. Who knows. I would really like to be able to edit Google Documents on the go. This is one thing that is really missing from Android.

 

[dkaufman1]

As a heavy user of their suite of doc tools, they have different teams working on each piece. It is common to have rollouts and even different feature sets on one and not the other. They currently handle a few things differently.

I expect the old writely team (docs original coders) will get around to mobile editing. Everyone knows it is a must.

In fact I expect an application icon and set of tools will probably be coming at some point, to use the web service offline with gears, ala gmail, calendar, etc. I think that is why a notepad app was never included.

BTW - I just used dropbox - getdropbox.com on my device, no editing but great for sharing docs and their full javascript/ajaxy site works on the g1 browser.

 

[punkzanyj]

As a heavy user of their suite of doc tools, they have different teams working on each piece. It is common to have rollouts and even different feature sets on one and not the other. They currently handle a few things differently.

I expect the old writely team (docs original coders) will get around to mobile editing. Everyone knows it is a must.

In fact I expect an application icon and set of tools will probably be coming at some point, to use the web service offline with gears, ala gmail, calendar, etc. I think that is why a notepad app was never included.

BTW - I just used dropbox - getdropbox.com on my device, no editing but great for sharing docs and their full javascript/ajaxy site works on the g1 browser.

Having been a Gmail user for several years, I have every confidence that support for most(if not ALL) GDocs features on Android is on the list. It's just probably not priority number one. Google has made it their practice to increase the value of their products steadily over time. It has served them well, as enough people love Google products that they have been able to bring us more and better products, while still improving them. I doubt they'd suddenly abandon that habit now.

 

[dkaufman1]

Having been a Gmail user for several years, I have every confidence that support for most(if not ALL) GDocs features on Android is on the list. It's just probably not priority number one. Google has made it their practice to increase the value of their products steadily over time. It has served them well, as enough people love Google products that they have been able to bring us more and better products, while still improving them. I doubt they'd suddenly abandon that habit now.

@punk - I said the same thing, were you just agreeing? Sorry I wasn't clear. But I agree with your way of saying it too.

 

[BigJoey66]

With the gdocs app on the market, you can edit your google docs and upload them from your G1. Gdocs automatically syncs when opened. You can then open, edit and upload the docs that you have registered on Google Docs. The feature that I'd like to see next is the ability to take docs from your email on your G1 and edit them directly from your phone without having to first register them on Google docs from your computer.

 

[dkaufman1]

With the gdocs app on the market, you can edit your google docs and upload them from your G1. Gdocs automatically syncs when opened. You can then open, edit and upload the docs that you have registered on Google Docs. The feature that I'd like to see next is the ability to take docs from your email on your G1 and edit them directly from your phone without having to first register them on Google docs from your computer.

GDocs is made by Wildart, not Google. It also expires June 1st.

 

[nandroid]

I'm a heavy utilizer of google docs, except for my most confidential items. Is there some way of protecting the documents that I have not yet found? Or does anyone know if that is in future plans? I'd be very happy to phase out microsoft office altogether!

And it's great to know now that I can edit my spreadsheets on the fly, so thanks.

 

[dkaufman1]

You ask an interesting question with some generic language....

...google docs are protected in the first place as they are only available to you via log in u/p. This should be pretty secure.

...I have not seen an encryption option.

...You can share a spreadsheet and a doc as a read only file, so for example a corporate budget could be viewed but not edited with a select group of people who log in.

...security is often the weakest link. Viewing the novel you are writing in a train station might have someone read over your shoulders. Trusting that your girlfriend is not able to guess your password, you remember to log out everytime you use it.

I am interested to hear your reply, as this is clearly something we all worry about. Keep in mind, it's on the web, so security is much less than if it were say on your device only.