I really like the idea of Google Docs being used for certain types of projects. I can definitely see it being a useful tool for students who may need help with organization or possibly do not have a consistent routine as far as when a computer will be available. If they could just go to the library and jump on a computer there (or even at a friend's house), the worry of availability would be eliminated. I think it is probably a challenge for some of the middle school kids with whom I work to remember what they saved a document as, or creating folders to keep their work organized. If they were to use Google Docs, the ease of having it all in one place could really increase the amount of work that actually gets turned in on time. I also like the idea that if students were doing a group project, they wouldn't have to worry about which version of Works/Word each one had when emailing attachments back and forth.
I don't think I would use Google Docs for a real elaborate project though. I can see using this with my partner counselor to review an article we are writing for the school newsletter, but I wouldn't feel comfortable having a document that is even somewhat confidential on the Internet (no matter how secure they say it may be). And, it seemed to be lacking some of the applications/options that Microsoft Works offers.
I do not think that Microsoft should be nervous at this point. Like I stated above, for simple projects that are not confidential, Google Docs could be a real time-saver. However, for the more complicated or detailed projects that people or businesses are working on, I still think Microsoft will have more to offer for a long time.
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