Group Projects
Google Spreadsheets
As the name suggests, this free Web-based application, one of the latest to come out of Google's shop, will help you organize information into a tidy chart, tabs and all. But the best part about the elegant interface is that it encourages collaboration. That is, it allows multiple users, logged in from different computers, to update the same spreadsheet simultaneously while text-chatting in a separate window. (The chart is stored on a Google server, rather than locally on a PC's hard drive.) You can invite others to edit or view your spreadsheet with a quick email without leaving the page. Google, having recently purchased Writely.com is expected to introduce a similar free tool for writers who wish to collaborate in real time.