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This is true, but doesn't answer the question of why not use another spreadsheet program? It's a minor learning curve to move to googles offering, and while it

This is true, but doesn't answer the question of why not use another spreadsheet program? It's a minor learning curve to move to googles offering, and while it may not be as useful, "less useful alternatives exist" is not a viable monopoly case, is it?

vundercind 3y ago
There are entire multi-step multi-document workflows all over the corporate world, which are built on excel. You can’t just drop Gnumeric in and keep going. The investment in it is incredibly large and the cost of switching to another system far too high to be feasible—and if any one company does it they’ll still need excel because it’s how they interface with the rest of the world.
- jvanderbot 3y ago
  "It's hard to use the alternative" still doesn't seem anti-competitive
nradov 3y ago
Google Sheets is a toy. When I've tried to do complex analysis on large data sets it just completely chokes and hangs part way through recalculating. Excel is far faster and more robust. Google Sheets is also just missing some more advanced data analysis and charting features. Casual users might never notice but power users consider it unacceptable.
- pjmlp 3y ago
  It is great to note lists and small monthly expenses accounting, and that is about it. Nothing that compares to the math functions charting and table manipulations, extensibility via COM and .NET, PowerQuery, Lambda,...
bobsmooth 3y ago
Microsoft Office has been installed on every computer I've used professionally.
citizenpaul 3y ago
>why not use another spreadsheet program? This is HN so everyone will focus on the functions/features. While that is important its not the reason for not switching. The friction is much deeper. At one point the business world went all in on MS Excel. Its not just that they use it, the entire management organization and feedback loops are based on Excel not the other way around. Moving away from excel is not a function choice anymore. Its a Executive leadership company structure decision. I'm guessing not many fortune 500 CEOS post on HN to confirm this. No one can "beat" excel because to do so requires simply copying it pixel by pixel and function by function. If you did that MS would sue you out of existence.

vundercind 3y ago

There are entire multi-step multi-document workflows all over the corporate world, which are built on excel. You can’t just drop Gnumeric in and keep going. The investment in it is incredibly large and the cost of switching to another system far too high to be feasible—and if any one company does it they’ll still need excel because it’s how they interface with the rest of the world.

jvanderbot 3y ago
"It's hard to use the alternative" still doesn't seem anti-competitive

nradov 3y ago

Google Sheets is a toy. When I've tried to do complex analysis on large data sets it just completely chokes and hangs part way through recalculating. Excel is far faster and more robust. Google Sheets is also just missing some more advanced data analysis and charting features. Casual users might never notice but power users consider it unacceptable.

pjmlp 3y ago
It is great to note lists and small monthly expenses accounting, and that is about it. Nothing that compares to the math functions charting and table manipulations, extensibility via COM and .NET, PowerQuery, Lambda,...

bobsmooth 3y ago

Microsoft Office has been installed on every computer I've used professionally.

citizenpaul 3y ago

>why not use another spreadsheet program? This is HN so everyone will focus on the functions/features. While that is important its not the reason for not switching. The friction is much deeper. At one point the business world went all in on MS Excel. Its not just that they use it, the entire management organization and feedback loops are based on Excel not the other way around. Moving away from excel is not a function choice anymore. Its a Executive leadership company structure decision. I'm guessing not many fortune 500 CEOS post on HN to confirm this. No one can "beat" excel because to do so requires simply copying it pixel by pixel and function by function. If you did that MS would sue you out of existence.