Online word processing involves using software applications for writing tasks that work through Internet browsers. These applications often have many of the same features as traditional word processing software, and they usually allow people to store their work online. This software is popular for several different reasons, including convenience and the freedom to work in any location.
If someone becomes accustomed to using a particular kind of online word processing software, he can access it almost anywhere he can find a computer with web access. This software is usually not very intensive in terms of system resource requirements, so most computers can handle it without difficulty. Some of these software packages do require a particular Internet browser, but they usually work well with the most popular browsers, and that makes them highly accessible.
The ability to save work online means that an individual doesn't have to rely on a central computer for word processing. He can work in one place for a bit, then save his work and go elsewhere to finish writing. In every location, he will generally have access to the same basic interface and software performance. In some jobs, this could potentially be very advantageous.
Online word processing software has a similar feature set to most traditional offline solutions, but some people feel that the best offline solutions are generally a bit more advanced. Some of the offline packages may have slightly more capable grammar checking options and other features, while online packages generally match them in term of more general features like spell-check and formatting options. This is likely to change as advances in online computing continue.
Some people do prefer offline word processing software packages for a few different reasons. For one thing, they may be accustomed to some particular piece of software, and most of the major offline packages do not have online equivalents. Another reason is because of Internet access. Even though the Internet is widely available, some people do most of their word processing on computers that don't have a connection to the net. For example, they may use an old computer with a simple dial-up connection for word processing, and they may not even hook the computer up to the Internet.
Online word processing is part of an overall movement called cloud computing. This is a term used to describe the practice of running software on computers located in other places and accessing them through the Internet. This could potentially simplify many computing tasks by allowing people to do almost everything directly through their web browsers in a decentralized way and allowing people to avoid upgrading hardware constantly.