Web+Apps

Web Apps are software programs that reside on the web and provide functionality similar to that of software that is on the actual hard drive. For example, you might have Microsoft Office or Open Office on the computer you are using to read this web page. If you saw an online document that you wanted, you could download the document and open it in the word processor of either productivity suite's presentation program. If the computer does not have this software installed on its hardware, then reading the downloaded document might be more difficult. Instead of trying to download and install a large program like Open Office (Libre Office), you can go to http://docs.google.com, get a free Google account, upload the document you want to read, and read it (and change it) in Google Docs' word processor. This is free and it makes your document available to you no matter what internet-connected computer you use, so you don't have to worry about keeping track of a flash drive.

Google Docs is not the only web app available. There are many web apps with an amazing array of functions, from editing photos to creating and editing videos. This website makes reference to good web apps for various tasks.