Great Dell Offers for Startup Businesses
Dell Vostro 3500 - thin, light, and optimized for small
businesses. Only £399 excl. VAT. Includes FREE delivery.
Find out more

Google Spreadsheets - Our review

print  e-mail 

At Bytestart, we keep an eye on all Google "new releases" with interest. Google Analytics is an excellent (and free) site traffic analysis tool, and other applications such as the Toolbar and Gmail have been happily adopted by many millions of web users worldwide.

The latest release is "Google Spreadsheets" - currently undergoing a "limited test", this is an online application which allows users to create and amend spreadsheets online, and share the results with other people.

We applied for an invitation to try out the new tool, and received an email within 24 hours, allowing us to try out the software.

The basic online functionality is good - you can create and update spreadsheets with ease, with some, but by no means all, of the editing functionality provided by Microsoft Excel. You can upload spreadsheets from your hard drive (in .xls or .csv format) and save spreadsheets created online either within your Google account or on your own PC. After a while, the editing functions do seem very intuitive, however this is no replacement for Excel.

One function which could prove to be a real winner for Google Spreadsheets is the ability to share spreadsheets with other users. You can "invite" other users to edit or share your work with ease (simply send them an email via the application). This could be particularly useful for small business people who may work at different locations if they need to share accounting or other data.

The application did prove to have mixed success when importing Excel spreadsheets (e.g. not importing percentage signs or dates accurately), and it is limited in its complexity with dealing with certain cell formulae. Additionally, despite our best efforts, it seems impossible to print spreadsheets - there is no neat print function and you have to resort to printing the entire HTML Page rather than selecting neat sections of data for print.

To try out Google Spreadsheets for yourself - click here.

Posted June 14, 2006

Latest articles in Technology
 
Choosing a web hosting service for your small business
If you are thinking of setting up a website for your business, how do you find the right hosting company for your needs? Here are some tips from the Bytestart team to help you make your decision. [July 8, 2010]
 
Domain naming tips for small business owners
If you are thinking of creating a web presence for your small business, one of the most important tasks you need to do is choose the right domain name. Here are ten tips from the Bytestart team. [July 6, 2010]
 
Get a free website for your business
Any small businesses who are thinking of taking their first steps on the web will want to register with this new scheme, which is providing a free website for 100,000 British businesses. [July 5, 2010]
 
How to find good keywords for your small business website
Finding good keywords and phrases is an important area of web marketing, but how on earth do you find out which phrases are suitable for your business website, and which are too competitive to bother with? [May 26, 2010]
 
Top 10 tips for choosing a business domain name
Tips for selecting your small business domain names - what to look out for, and how to protect your brand identity. [April 23, 2010]
 
Why site owners should think about getting links than obsessing over 'keywords'
A decade ago, site owners were obsessed by 'keywords' when seeking to propel their sites up the search engine rankings. Given that Google doesn't even recognise the keyword tag in webpages, we explain why site owners would be better off concentrating on acquiring relevant links to their sites. [April 21, 2010]
 
Looking at your business website from a visitor's point of view
Google has confirmed that website speed will now be taken into account when working out search engine rankings. Although this will just be one of many ranking factors, it is small businesses who could most benefit from this change, according to an insider at the firm. [April 14, 2010]
 
Business broadband - what to look out for when choosing a supplier
How selecting the right business broadband provider is an important step in the start-up process, and what broadband packages are available to businesses of all sizes. [March 17, 2010]
 
How to choose a phone system for your small business
When choosing a phone system for your small business, you will face a bewildering number of options from a large number of suppliers. To help you in your quest for an appropriate system to meet your needs, here are a number of important questions to ask potential suppliers before buying a phone system: [March 11, 2010]
 
A simple guide to ADSL, Cable and Mobile Broadband
As demand for broadband services has exploded over the past few years, and the number of "bundles" and offerings becomes ever more bewildering for business broadband and personal broadband users, we take a brief look at the types of broadband service available in the UK. [February 24, 2010]
 
7 questions you should ask your IT service provider
Finding the right IT service provider for your business can be a tricky undertaking though, with numerous companies to chose from, seemingly offering the same type of service. Here are some expert tips on questions you should ask to make sure you choose an IT service provider that will allow you to focus on what you know best: your business. [January 27, 2010]
 
Creating your first online store – tips for success
A great article which guides you through the steps involved in setting up a web store from scratch - you need to get people to your site, make it easy and compelling for them to buy, and provide excellent customer service. [January 5, 2010]
 
Online marketing - getting the basics right
The growth in the use of the Internet in recent years has led to a huge shift in marketing activities to the online space. This article explains some of the key things for you to focus on to help you market effectively online. [December 15, 2009]
 
Top Tips on cloud computing for small businesses
The head of Google Enterprise has put together 10 essential tips small business owners should hear in mind when getting started with 'cloud computing' [November 30, 2009]
 
Get more from broadband
Now the broadband market has matured, and providers have to offer more to attract customers. Here are some of the added-value features you can expect to see with some broadband packages. [November 26, 2009]
 

Click Here



Our Partners
Key Services
Key Services
Technology Guides