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Google Apps Go Mobile, Starting with iPhone

As the Google vs. Microsoft battle hits the road warrior, many are expecting the first major outbreak of the iPhone to be fired with Google Docs and Spreadsheets - which as of this week, works on Safari.

What does Safari 3 have to do with Office applications on the iPhone?

For those of us who downloaded and reviewed Safari 3 beta, we received a nice surprise from Google. It may not have been all we were hoping for at an otherwise lackluster WWDC, but it is nonetheless interesting and forward-reaching.

Google Docs and Spreadsheets works in Safari 3. “Well, its about time!” you might be saying to yourself…Or perhaps you didn’t know that Google Apps previously didn’t work in Safari. In either case, this is very big news.

Why?

Because the iPhone runs a full version of Safari according to Steve Jobs (on several occasions). So therefore, by the transitive property of compatibility (invented my me just now) Google Docs and Spreadsheets — and who knows what else — will work on the iPhone.

How well will it work? On a 320×480 pixel screen like shown below, it feels very crunched in. And that’s before the keyboard and menus are on the scene. Also, I’d hate to have to fire up Google Apps from an EDGE connection that initial iPhones will be shipped with. It would likely mean a long wait between deciding to open a document and actually reading and editing it. Also an unknown is if the new BFF duo of Apple and Google put together a better interface than the stand alone web browser.

Still, this means that you will be able to open, edit and save documents and spreadsheets on an iPhone, which is news to us.

About the Author

Seth Weintraub is a Paris-based IT management consultant specializing in the technology needs of creative global organizations, including The Paris Times, Omnicom, the FIA and WPP Group. He is also a regular contributor to 9to5Mac.com.

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