In pictures: Microsoft preps Office to run in a web browser

Microsoft has finally unveilled plans to attack Google's popular online Apps head on.

Google's online applications, such as Google Docs and Google Spreadsheets, and a raft of free or low-cost imitators including Zoho Business, ThinkFree and HyperOffice offer a lot of the functionality of Microsoft Office. The key difference is that they follow the software-as-a-service model, with all their programs, and the data created by them, stored and shared over the internet.

At its Professional Developers Conference in LA today, Microsoft previewed the next version of its flagship suite, currently called Office 14, which includes versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote that can be viewed or run in a web browser. In other words, all you need to created or look at Office 14 documents - or at least a lightweight version of them - will be a PC or any device with a web browser. Windows is not required.

Going even further beyond the pale, Microsoft says the web version of Office 14 will be designed to work with its own Internet Explorer. The company says Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari and "any web browser" will be supported.

Pushing the boundaries still further, Microsoft says Office 14 Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote files will also be able to be viewed, and edited, on a smart phone's web browser -- and again, you won't necessarily have to own a Windows Mobile handset.

The final release of Office 14 is scheduled for late next year. Below are a selection of the preview screen shots Microsoft released at its LA event today:

Editing an Office 14 slideshow in the web version of PowerPoint.

Viewing the same file via the web version of PowerPoint.

Editing a document in the web version of Word.

Viewing the document.

HEIR APPARANT: Ray Ozzie, poached from IBM to become Microsoft's Chief Software Architech - a position formerly held by the retired Bill Gates - has made his highest public profile appearances yet at Microsoft's PDC in LA,. His keynote address outline the strategy beyond Windows 7, Office 14 and Windows Azure, the new clould computing version of his company's OS. With the success of all three initiatives still hanging very much in the balance, Ozzie will be under pressure to earn his stripes over next 12 months as commercial versions of each product start to roll-out. 

If Mr Ozzie succeeds on all fronts, your correspondent might - might - forgive him for inventing Lotus Notes.