Google readies PowerPoint killer

SURE AS EGGS ARE EGGS, it's been known for a long while that Google will at some point take on PowerPoint with a web-based presentations package. The breaking news is that the coming-out party for the software is any day now.

Called Presently, the slideshow program is likely to be based in part on code Google bought through the acquisitions of Zenter and Tonic Systems earlier this year.

Google had a bit of a coup last week when it said that ancient white-collar services group Capgemini will push Google Apps. Presently will be a near certainty to go into that suite, alongside web-based WP, spreadsheet and communications tools.

Call it a PowerPoint killer or PowerPoint clone but, with Presently, Google now has a suite of the main productivity tools office dweebs spend one third of their lives in. That said, the jury is still divided on the question of whether cloud-based apps are a match for the disk-based opposition. The nice thing is that you can share them, they're cheap and you don't need your own computer with you to work on them. The flip side is that you need a good broadband link and you lose a few high-end features.

It's all very interesting but, let's face it, plenty of media-hyped Microsoft-killers have come and gone yet the mighty estate of Redmond remains. Not that that fact is going to stop us joining the media hype.

Google is presently touring publishing houses to show Presently, so even if they make hacks sign an infuriatingly Web 1.0 non-disclosure agreement, an announcement can't be far off. µ