Google's Latest Products In April 2006

Google has been busy in their software engineering division. They recently released SketchUp which is a 3D Modeling tool. "Google Launches Free 3D Modeling Software". SketchUp allows you to create 3D models and store in Google Earth.

Google released Google Calendar in April 2006 and in the usual Google style it is dubbed a 'Beta'. Well, if you have not had a chance to try it you should. I have used many web-based calendar products like Yahoo Calendar, Lotus Domino, Mozilla Calendar, Sunbird, and even Microsoft Outlook Web Access. Well, I will have to say that Google has done a good job of entering an already crowded market and managed to make a dent and establish some traction.

Like their other recent products, Google has integrated many AJAX features which makes this product really useful. I am most impressed with the ease of use and responsiveness of Google Calendar compared to the competition. For my first set of impressions, it is as responsive as Google Maps. Which I suspect is not an easy feat. The software engineers at Google have been quite busy.

The ease of use is the most important aspect of the new Google product. Scheduling events and appointpoints is the easiest I've seen in any web calendar or desktop calendar. You just click on the date and an AJAX style window pops up allowing you enter your event. This surprised me. The ease of sharing your calendar and keeping a private calendar all in one interface is innovative. This feature is much easier to use compared to others I have seen.

The intuitiveness of Google Calendar is the most impressive. To reschedule an evevent or appointment you just drag and drop. Wow! All this from within my web browser.

For now, Google Calendar has become my favorite web-based calendar software. The integrate AJAX features and the responsiveness of the product are what impress me the most. There is still some refinements to be made like integration with hand-held devices and mobile phones. I am sure these features will eventually find their way into Google Calendar. This will be an interesting product to watch evolve.