Memeo Connect Brings Google Docs to the Desktop

By  |  Friday, May 21, 2010 at 12:24 pm

Trying to choose between Microsoft Office and Google Docs? Why not use both? Memeo Connect is a utility that brings Google Docs to the desktop. I’ve been kicking its tires for several weeks now using an account provided to me by Memeo, and have become a regular user.

I appreciate being able to access and share my documents on Google Docs, but still prefer to work in Microsoft Office. There are just too many advanced features that Google suite still lacks for me to take the plunge to a Web-only workflow. That is where Memeo comes in.

Memeo abstracts away the cloud by synchronizing its desktop client application with Google Docs. You can upload documents from your local machine, which can be retrieved and edited from wherever else you have the Memeo client software installed. You must open your files through the Memeo software, which automatically syncs with the cloud when you save. Changes are tracked, and can be rolled back.

It is also possible to save copies of your files locally, and the queue is accessible through a file management program such as OS X’s Finder. Files can be imported as PDFs or viewed on Google Docs through a browser.

You may use an existing Google Apps Premier Edition account and subscribe to Memeo Connect for an additional $9 per year, or start a new Google account through Memeo for $39 per year–software included.

On one occasion I encountered a hiccup when a few documents were displaying in my Google Docs repository, but could not be downloaded to my local Memeo client. I was able to access them online by launching my browser, but that scenario reminded me that it is probably a good idea to back up important documents on a USB stick when I leave home.

Like Google Docs, Memeo Connect has the ability to share documents with other users. I have not tried to do that yet, but may coax my editor at SD Times to use it when I travel to Microsoft’s TechEd conference next month. One complaint: the sharing dialog launches a browser window instead of happening inside of the application.

When I spoke with Memeo’s Spencer Chen, he hinted that a more advanced sharing infrastructure might be in the works. That idea appeals to me, because USB sticks can fall into the wrong hands or be lost. The cloud also forces an audit trail.

Overall, my impression of Memeo Connect is positive–it helps make Google Docs more useful to real-world businesses who aren’t willing to give up Office. It’s also great for people (like me) who have multiple machines.

 
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3 Comments For This Post

  1. Paul Says:

    OpenOffice is free and works very well with GoogleDocs and Zoho. It’s like my Offline Zoho or Google Docs. Very useful when the Internet is slow or not available. In fact, I find it has several features that ‘online word processors’ don’t (& I’m not even a power user) 😉

    I use the extension OpenOffice.org2GoogleDocs (gdocs_2.2.0.oxt 2.2.0). This extension helps me upload to Google Docs or Zoho in just 2 clicks!

    “Why not use both?” OpenOffice & GoogleDocs

    Savings really matter, especially in this economy.

  2. vik Says:

    There is a new software that has a free version for consumers (not free for business use) which automatically synchronizes with Google Docs and documents can be edited offline with MS Office or Open Office. It is also a complete document management tool for the PC. Take a look at http://www.busydocs.com

  3. J. Barrett Says:

    I’ve got Memo Connect on my iPhone. Not only does it let you access your Google Docs like the Memo Connect App, it has more advanced sharing options, support notes and voice memos sync to google docs, and it also enables you to edit your Google Docs on iWork.

3 Trackbacks For This Post

  1. Memeo Connect Brings Google Docs to the Desktop  | *NIX-NEWS Says:

    […] X’s Finder. Files can be imported as PDFs or viewed on Google Docs through a browser. … https://www.technologizer.com/2010/05/21/memeo-connect-brings-google-docs-to-the-desktop/ Post Published: 21 May 2010 Author: admin Found in section: […]

  2. Memeo Connect’s Take on the GDrive Says:

    […] Posted at 4:38 pm on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 Memeo Connect, which my colleague David Worthington tried and liked a few weeks ago, is an app that lets Google Apps users sync their documents and other files to a PC or Mac so they […]

  3. Memeo Connect Brings Google Docs to the Desktop  | *NIX-NEWS Says:

    […] X’s Finder. Files can be imported as PDFs or viewed on Google Docs through a browser. … https://www.technologizer.com/2010/05/21/memeo-connect-brings-google-docs-to-the-desktop/ Post Published: 22 June 2010 Author: admin Found in section: […]