Google Docs: My new best friend...

Google Docs rock.

Funny thing is... it never used to.

When I first tried it about 14 months ago, 'twas a bit buggy. The cursor jumped all over the place, and took forever for characters to render. It was best for copy and pasting quickly - really suited for emergency uses.

Different story, now. Of course, give Google 14 months and look out.

Now, I'm not a Google fan - in fact, I sort of fall into the "Google is evil" camp. I know, I know... this blogging software I'm using now this very second is created by hosted Google. Call it semi-early adopting.

Still, I don't really use my Gmail - even now, I'll forward Google docs to my other web mail account - really only out of convenience, so my clients won't get confused and email me at an address I rarely check.

So, while I was reveling in the convenience and ease of Google docs (just doing word processing, mind you) - I got to thinking about Google vs. Yahoo as brands. Both have long been competing for eyeballs and usability since before Web buzz words.

Yahoo had the edge - once - in search. But Google appeared, and within a year or two, smashed that lead, becoming the household verb it is today.

Yahoo's course made it more a destination for "entertainment" - connection (mail, chat, groups, etc. ), games, fantasy sports, movie reviews, music, and on and on. But Google transformed the Web with its focus on usability. It focused on making the Web a better experience, rather than a more entertaining one.

This change in usage, for me, as warmed Google as brand in my mind. I'm still firmly entrenched with my Yahoo mail, and I use a "Group" to track client work, ideas, income, etc. But, I'm now going to explore the additional usability of Google's offerings.