http://www.zoho.com offers free services including an online word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, chat, wiki, and other services. All are compatible with MS Office as well as Openoffice. You can often save to HTML (web pages) or PDF documents (download forms or ebooks). This entry concerns the Zoho Writer service.

But why use online word processing (or other services)? The main reason is collaboration. Zoho collaborating goes a step further by their web conferences services that allows desktop sharing and chat. Another reason would be a method of backing up documents. Saving to the web can save you endless of heartache should your computer system get a virus or unexpected crash.

You can share your creations easily with email links, whether you wish to have people view or even edit your work. (If editing, the receiver must also be a Zoho member). Recipients get the link in email, click, and now can view a document online. Near the bottom of the document offers a handy comments section.

The Zoho Writer is simple to use and includes the basics of any word processing such as formatting, inserting graphics, printing, and saving your work. Saving and import includes such formats as .doc (MS Word), odt (OpenOffice) HTML (web pages), and basic rtf (rich test format).

Zoho writer also integrates MS Word with a tiny download from the Zoho site. This way you can open and save in the MS Word program.

You can also publish directly to a blog using Zoho.com. This includes premade links for LiveJournal, Blogger, Typepad, and Wordpress, but they also include a link that says “add blog” which allows you to select other online journals.

Communicating online can be somewhat confusing to the new PC user, or someone unknown to what the Internet has to offer. This entry is about messenging via the Web. Next week will be more centered on chat rooms.
Messenging online consists of being able to send real-time messages back and forth between you and a friend. This can be done through a number of different messenger program; many of which come with the PC or your Internet Services Provider. Here are some of the more well known ones but there are tons more out there on the Net;
AOL Instant Message is integrated into the AOL program allowing AOL member to chat in realtime with other AOL members. America Online also offers AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) which is a stand alone program that anyone, even non-AOL members, can use. They also now provide an online version (no download necessary) called AIM Express for anyone wishing to connect with AOL users. All you need is a browser.
MSN Messenger is another messenger that works similar to AOL where you chat with MSN members. There is a requirement to download the software that includes collaboration whiteboard, files, pictures, and even web browsing sharing. You can also share your web cam.
Yahoo Messenger also includes online chat rooms, radio, and voice chat with the PC to PC phone calling.
ICQ is yet another chat program you can use.
Many of the messaging programs include
File transfers
Graphical Smilies
Logging of your conversations
PC to PC phone calls and/or some form of voice chat
Internet Cam support (not all)
Chat support (Talk to more than one person)
Friends lists that you can edit into groups
Online alerts to tell you when a friend is online
Game sharing (not all)
Whiteboard you can share (not all)
Web browsing sharing (not all)
Don’t want to choose between them? Maybe Trillian is what you need. This free program allows you to connect to ALL the forementioned communities at the same time. You give up on some of the features the individual programs have such as IMVironments that Yahoo offers, or the Whiteboard MSN has. It does allow you to communicate with all members of those groups.