The increase in availability and quality of web-based applications may spell the end for Microsoft's venerable Office suite of productivity applications. As if the threat from freeware applications like Open Office wasn't enough, new web-based alternatives are arriving almost daily to compete with the likes of Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

Does it mean that web-based versions of MS Office applications are in the works? Don't hold your breath. But being able to edit documents, create spreadsheets, edit images, and track email, tasks and customers should get less expensive, if not easier, since most of the applications in our web-based office toolbox are free.