Google Wave has been making big news recently, what with all the hype of its preview finally reaching the eyes of its adoring fans – and I finally got my hands on it too after my invite finally coming through.
I do admit that I was pretty excited, like a little school girl, giggling with the endless possibilities of collaboration that Google Wave had promised, but then I hit a few snags, like the whole ‘it being rubbish’.
To start off with though, I felt pretty lonely, there was only one other person (the person who invited me), to play with – he had Google Wave for a few days before and was finding it a little boring to use by himself, so I think Google were too slow on the invites.
1. Usability Sucked
Google products are renowned for being easy to use, without generally even having to think about it, but I found Google wave, clunky, boring, difficult, and just damn right annoying. You can see when other users are typing, providing they are online at the same time as you. What is the point in that feature? So that people can laugh at me making a typing mistake? Does it add anything? NO. All it made me want to do was when 2 people were online, was to not add an extra message, but exchange messages by first typing them, and then deleting them to type my next message. It felt like the devolution of instant messaging. And Practically nothing was explained. Plus I was too lazy to watch all the videos.
2. What are they offering that email does not offer already?
Can anyone spot the real difference between email and this, so far it looks like they should just update their Google Mail with the same stuff, allow the ability to add in funny videos, maps etc, and your done. Otherwise they are kinda making 2 products in competition with each other. As far as collaboration goes, how exactly can you use it to collaborate? Oh wow you can add voting, you can upload some files that everyone can access, this is hardly revolutionary stuff is it? Am I being too harsh, but so far I can’t actually see a purpose for it (at least as a web designer).
3. Cloud Computing is Evil
Cloud computing will be the death of us! The Death of us!!!!! But no really, it’s not a great idea giving all your data across to someone else, then getting all upset when they use your data to sell you products in the form of advertising (yes Google, I’m on to you) – AND when the services goes down, i.e Google Mail, you have no email, and for businesses who rely on it, its not good to be without it for too long! It costs money when these services do not work. If you compare it to your own dedicated in house systems, then they are more reliable, but also more expensive. I can see things going more and more this way in future, and I can understand why, its happening now with Google Wave, but I also think that people must understand the dangers of giving away their company sensitive data to another company to look after! Thats mad, its like Google using a ‘Microsoft Wave’ Product to plan their next big online hit. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN – is it? Yeah, you heard! Its not!
Conclusion
I’m not impressed by Google Wave yet, but I also appreciate its a Beta and I have no friends. Its hard to collaborate with people when you don’t know any. But I think Google have created a tool that no one needs… YET, but lets see what happens when developers get their hands on it FOR Google and make something useful.
dean hunt on 19 October, 2009
Great post.
I have to agree.
That said, I think it has a lot of potential, but a loooong way to go just yet.
Dean
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chris bailey on 19 October, 2009
At my college we use a different tool for working on our projects online.
Its free and needs no installation since its online, go to http://www.showdocument.com
pretty useful for me since i usually do my projects on the laptop. -chrisman
APD Internet Marketing on 19 October, 2009
Interesting one. First up I haven’t received my invite yet, although I am on the list.
I watched the demo video all the way through and have to say I could see great benefits using Google wave, particularly as in my business my people are split far and wide across the globe.
Hopefully the problems you encountered are just teething problems, but I must admit I had high hopes from “Wave” and it seems there is still some way to go!
Thanks for the review.
Cheers
Derek
EvenFlowDave on 19 October, 2009
With you on the usability and lack of a need for it just now.
It’s a bit difficult to handle just now and a bit hard to find the point to it at the moment…
that said, i’m sure it will come good once the bugs are ironed out and developers get creative with apps for it!
Alan Hamlyn on 19 October, 2009
Thanks for the comments
at least i’m not going mad!
uberVU - social comments on 20 October, 2009
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Anonymous on 28 October, 2009
ppl say these things every time a product launches & the day it will be a big hit …u will say i was the first one to point out it will succeed .
so i do not agree with u.
I know there are lots of things to be worked out in wave..but in all the idea is so nice … & the platform is so wide that it can take lots of things into it..so i will not be surprised at all if wave becomes a big hit & u writing an article on that again!
Alan Hamlyn on 28 October, 2009
I look forward to the day I write the article saying Google Wave is great
until then! we shall meet again…
keithd77 on 13 November, 2009
If you want real collaborating with documents, spreadsheets, etc use microsoft groove. If you want chat collaboration set up a freakin chat room in AIM. Google wave seems like nothing more then a message board that lets you send videos.
Jonathan on 24 May, 2010
It is not for you… the problem is Google Wave was designed for collaboration… you and a couple friends is not what it was meant for… go back to Facebook because it was designed for people that are a bit more business oriented and not as a replacement for you to MSN with your buddies.
Alan Hamlyn on 24 May, 2010
Hi Jonathan, we do run a business and this collaboration tool is no where near the usefulness of Basecamp by 37 signals or Dropbox. It is somewhat of a replacement for email, but I’m satisfied with our current email. Even when we attempted to use it for business, we found that it had nothing more than a novelty factor.
Facebook is also a very powerful business too for marketing, if you know how to use it for social marketing – MSN is for chatting with your buddies, but even then we use google talk.
Good luck with Googlewave, though I feel the only thing you are right about – is that its not for us.
Alan