Millennials prefer Google Docs for collaboration over Microsoft Word

Microsoft is in a bit of a pickle that it is finding difficult to escape from right now. According to a new report, millennials tend to prefer to use Google Docs when it comes to collaboration but will use Microsoft Word for personal use.

This demonstrates a worrying trend that Google is having more success in the workplace than previously thought. It could also prove that Google Docs is much better for collaborating, something we here at Windows Report have to agree on.

Here’s what the Creative Strategies report has to say, taken from ReCode:

“When students write papers by themselves, only 12 percent use Google Docs. But when students write papers in groups — when they collaborate — 78 percent use Google Docs. On the other hand, 80 percent of students use Microsoft Word for individual work, and 13 percent use it for group work. The dynamic is the same for all Millennials, regardless of gender, the phone they use, or where they live: Microsoft Word for individual work, Google Docs for collaborative work.”

When the software giant announced and launched Office Web Apps, it was supposed to represent some well-needed competition to Google Docs in the online space. However, Office Web Apps — especially Word — have always been a problem. For one, the formatting isn’t perfect, and it’s not possible to add a URL by clicking enter on the keyboard after it is pasted. There are times when the program shows two instances of the same account currently viewing a document. (Apparently, Word Online is not smart enough to tell both accounts are one and the same.) Whenever this happens, it is impossible to add a title to the document.

These problems have been going on for ages and still no fix. So as it stands right now, Microsoft has a lot of work to do before it can get millennials excited about its Office Web Apps — and Google will no doubt take advantage of this.

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