Don't Abandon Google Notebook!

To whom it may concern:

I embraced Google Notebook when it was first made available. I found it a reasonable notebook application, and since it offered a certain amount of integration with other Google applications -- either through Google directly or through add-ons -- it met my need to push my work off my PC and into the clouds.

Then, as more add-ons were created, making it my application-of-choice for cutting pieces of information out of articles needed as research for my blogging (or whatever), I became rather dependent upon it.

And finally, once I began to embrace the sharing functionality, it became an important part of my household organization, whereas my wife and I could use it to maintain important lists of information to which one or both of us needed to attend.

I have always hoped, yes, and even expected Google to continue to develop and, more importantly, integrate it into all of its offerings. Although a bit messy at times, the integration between it and Google docs made it easy to take my collected notes, migrate them to a Google doc, and with some tweaking, post them to my / a blog.

If I have to re-engineer my process using another application suite -- say, like Zoho or EverNote -- then why not just use their suite of products and abandon Google altogether? This is the question with which I and many other Notebook users are now faced.

I've been a loyal Google follower, and have heralded the excellent applications that those of you at Google have made available to us all. And [essentially] free, no less!

I guess I knew in the back of my mind that all things change, and some day we might find ourselves faced with having to pay for your applications -- in one way or another -- but I never figured it would be taken away altogether. I think if the clipping function was replicated in Google Docs, then this wouldn't be as large an issue for me. Perhaps I haven't looked that closely, but based upon the outrage this has generated, I probably haven't missed anything.

I'm still hoping the ground-swell reaction to this will make you at least reconsider your decision.

Still a #1 Google fan,

Michael

I Love Google, But Look Out For Yahoo's Zimbra

OK; Its individual components, by themselves, are not what any hardcore Google afficianado would call replacements for Google's Calendar, Documents, Chat, and GMail. But Zimbra is a cohesive mashup of all these components into one, neat solution.

And I'm not the only one who thinks so either. Just look at the growing list of comapnies that have signed on to their program: Comcast Cable, H&R Block, Georgia Institute of Technology, Digg, O'Reilly Media and Mozilla. I find Mozilla particularly interesting.

I still love Google's products, and when you include Google Desktop & Gears, one gets closer to the integration Zimbra has. Closer, but not quite enough for some.

Come on Google! Kick butt!

My Undying Respect

How can you not just love Google? The designer of what is unarguably the best search engine ever, and the provider of many, free, best-in-class, on line applications.

And this just scrapes the surface, as my many future posts will outline, and attempt to keep you up to date.

Check back, often, to see what I have to offer.