ReCrunch

[TC] Majority Of Americans On Google Docs: “What You Talkin Bout Willis?”:

A new survey by NPD has found that the 73% of Americans have never heard of Google Docs and other online office applications … 94% of Americans have never tried a web based productivity suite. To be fair though, the survey was of “600 PC users” so it (possibly) didn’t count Mac users for example, nor really ask enough people to even be a statistically valid survey of computer users. Although some will undoubtedly use the figures as proof that online applications are failing to gain popular acceptance, they do represent an opportunity waiting to happen. … The challenge is to overcome over 25+ years of what people consider to be normal (desktop apps) by proving that the online alternative is ready and capable of being used.

Good morning internet! Here is a wake-up call. Most people don’t worship you.

Hey TechCrunch, I am not statistician, but 600 people is a good enough sample size. NPD (”the leading global provider of consumer and retail market research information for a wide range of industries”) probably knows a thing or two about this stuff. Not sure I can say the same for you. Let’s not try to blame unsatisfactory results on something.

The challenge is not not overcome what people consider normal, it’s to actually be normal. Maybe people like to be able to insert images or see print preview of the documents. Maybe people like having spreadsheets with real formulas that won’t crap out at 1,000 rows. Maybe people want be able to see the files their friends/colleagues send them in their entire glory. Why use a lightweight alternative when you already have something that is more powerful and reliable on your machine? Am I just banging my head against the wall here?