(Updated)
I was one of the first bloggers to welcome  ajaxSketch, released only a week after ajaxWrite, as part of my growing collection of FireFox bookmarks in the WebOffice folder.  Well, I just deleted them.  What’s the point of using Web-based applications if I can only save my work on the local harddrive?  If I have access to my own PC, I also have the desktop applications, and if the purpose is work/create anywhere I am, I need not only Web-based applications, but web-based storage too.

Well, at least I don’t have to worry about my WebOffice folder filling up too fast …

Update (3/30): Apparently I’m not the only one disappointed: “Whats the point in a Web application storing its files on your pc? None!”

Update (4/10):  Now we have the answer, thanks to the Seattle PI via Paul Thurrott.  “Currently, ajaxWrite saves documents on the computer hard drive, but

Robertson says the plan is to offer online file storage and other

advanced features for a subscription fee. That’s how the company will

seek to make money.”   OK, I just wonder if the initially disappointed users will bother to check back later.

Tags: WebOffice, Web 2.0, AJAX, AJAX Office, ajaxWrite, ajaxLaunch, AjaxSketch, box.net

This story (via Digg) suggests Gmail has a limit of 500 emails a day. Perhaps it’s just spam control – perhaps it’s the prelude to Google’s pay-for-use services, especially considering that they will introduce private label Gmail accounts.

read more | digg story

Tags: GOOG, google, gmail, business model, spam, antispam

 ajaxSketch, a Web-base tool for diagramming, flow charts, free hand drawing was launched today.  This came just a week after it’s creator, Michael Robertson released ajaxWrite, which became both instantly popular and controversial.  Popular, since within a week it was used to creat over half a million documents.  Controversial, since it sparked a debate that it’s actually not AJAX but XUL, so perhaps it should be named xulWrite…

I’m a dumb user, not technical enough to follow those debates … and I don’t care anyway. What I do know is that I now have a folder named WebOffice in my FireFox with bookmarks for Writely, Thumbstacks (cool online Presentation tool – light Powerpoint-replacement, although I will be chastised for this), Vyew, Box.net, Zoho, Calcoolate … and a bunch of others.  Today ajaxSketch joined the crowd.  I think I’m gonna lose this race: before realize, I’ll have way too many WebOffice apps there, when I really should “standardize” on a handful.  Michael Robertson is a guilty party here:  he promised to release a new app on ajaxLaunch.com every Wednesday, and so far he’s delivered.

Update (3/29):  Since the announcement this afternoon, the US server had scarce availability, the European server was up, but slow.  Now that they got TechCrunched, it won’t help…    Oh, well, when Zillow was unavailable almost all of their launch day, nobody seemed to care except me – apparently it did not hurt them a single bit.

Tags: WebOffice, Web 2.0, AJAX, AJAX Office, ajaxWrite, ajaxLaunch, AjaxSketch, Writely, Thumbstacks, box.net