By Robert Chapski
Microsoft has just announced that it will release a free version of its Office productivity suite as part of Office 2010 that can be accessed on the web. This move is an obvious attempt to compete with Google, which released its own free office productivity software a few years ago.
Google recently announced that it plans to launch an operating system to compete with Windows. I would suspect, as with other advancements over the last several years, consumers stand to benefit from this competition. I can still remember when a new desktop computer cost over $4,000! This is great news for young lawyers, especially those hanging their own shingle or working for a small firm. The modern tools of the trade--word processing programs, spreadsheet software, and presentation software---are becoming more available and accessible to small businesses. It's hard to imagine how a modern lawyer can survive without spell-check . . .
** Click here to read an article I wrote for DRI about free webware and productivity suites available to lawyers.