Writely is a web-based word processor which shot to instant fame following its acquisition by search giant Google. It’s a great example of a Web 2.0 site, featuring the ubiquitous “beta” tag and an AJAX driven interface. It’s still in Limited beta, so you can use it only if you’re lucky enough to have an invite.

Writely, like other Web 2.0 sites, loads quickly on fast internet connections, and once loaded, has the look and feel of a desktop application like Word or OpenOffice.org, with a slight comic-book look to it.

All the usual formatting options expected in a word processor, albeit a basic one, are present. Tables, lists, hyperlinks, images, etc. can be inserted with ease. In addition to these, writely has some nice features. For instance, the ability to save and store files online in RTF, PDF, HTML, DOC and ODF is a very useful feature which makes writely even more versatile and portable.

The ability to “collaborate” is a feature which we also find in Google Spreadsheet. It basically allows multiple people to login from different locations to simultaneously work on the same document. Combined with the fact that the files created using writely are stored on Google’s servers ensures that they are accessible from anywhere in the world.

Two other features worth noting are the “Blog”, which lets the user directly post to a blog, and the “Revisions” feature, which enables a user to see a history of the revisions made to the document.

All-in-all, Writely is another good “beta” offering from Google (although not developed by it), without being revolutionary/path-breaking in any way. It does not, in any way, endanger MS Word or OpenOffice.org nor does it offer a viable alternative. As for it’s being online, products like ajaxWrite, Zoho Writer and ThinkFree Office are also online, and available.