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10 Reasons to Like Zoho Writer (and more)
By Larry Hendrick | February 20, 2007
Are you looking for a FREE, ROBUST, DYNAMIC, and JUICY web-based word processor? You’re in luck with today’s recommendation. Zoho writer is a great product and the highest praise I can say is, "It doesn’t feel like a web-based program. It is much better than everything else I have tried." I like this product and would recommend it to anyone needing the advantages of an online word processor.
Office Suite
Zoho is much more than an online word processor, with spreadsheets, planners, databases, presentation builders, chat, and wikis available, to complete the office suite. They even have a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) program that rivals many computer based programs I’ve used.
What Do I Like?
- I like how fast it responds. There is no lag from keyboard to screen.
- I like the ability to print straight to my local printer without leaving the writing screen, much the same feel of my computer based software.
- I like the ease of selecting options from above, like MS Word.
- I like the styling options, letting me put in sub-headlines and bulleted lists without any problems.
- I like the full screen mode that lets me see a lot of screen and text without scrolling.
- I like the tables insert command. Sometimes you need a table and I can never remember the commands (have to look them up).
- I like the undo button. WOW! is it handy.
- I like the look and feel of the program.
- I like the ability to insert special characters, like em dash or en dash or a copyright symbol.
- I like the ease of spell checking and correction.
- BONUS—I like the sharing and collaboration tools.
If you are familiar with MS Word or Corel’s Wordperfect, you will be right at home in Zoho Writer. Rather than try to cover the entire feature list, here is a screenshot of the commands available at the click of a mouse.
Why Web-based?
When web-based programs were first introduced, I scratched my head and wondered why anyone would ever need this type product. Why wouldn’t you just write it on a local computer and be done? Now I know.
I work on two different computers on a regular basis (sometimes more), and sharing documents with a USB drive wasn’t hard, but it was a hassle. Every time I was in the living room with the laptop, I would need access to an active document. That required me to get up, grab a USB drive, copy over, … well you get the idea.
This is way better in both the short and long run. I started this article on the laptop and have reworked much of it on the desktop and will share it with the Redhead to edit before posting to the website. All this without a single USB drive or reinstalling any software.
It also allows you to post directly to your blog, if you desire. You will need to know some setting, but it’s not that difficult of locate. What I haven’t found is a way to post a draft, allowing me to see the article, add pictures, pull-quotes , and anything else before taking it live.
Fast, responsive, and free! What is better than that when looking for a tool to improve your productivity. Look no further than Zoho.
Disclaimier: I am not affiliated with Zoho in any way. I just use and like the product.
Topics: Blogs, Technology |
February 21st, 2007 at 9:04 am
I’m actually interested in the CRM and database tools. For those, portability it a major plus. Thanks for sharing.
February 21st, 2007 at 9:19 am
Thanks Dave. The CRM tool is a great implementation for a web-based product. They did a good job of making it easy, yet powerful.
I haven’t used the database program yet (haven’t needed it), but if it’s like their other programs, it will serve a good purpose in individual or small business environments. If you use it, let me know what you think. I’d be really interested.
March 12th, 2007 at 5:09 am
Bloggers on Zoho Writer…
A couple of recent blog posts from the blogosphere featuring Zoho Writer caught our eye. The first blog post by Joe has 8 nice tips for using Zoho Writer. Sample this :
Modifying Tables - After adding a table to your document, Writer makes it very easy…