Working online is about to get a lot more satisfying. Thanks to a new wave of internet-based technology, using online applications such as word processors or more complex tools will no longer be a slow and off-putting experience.

That, at least, is the view of Eric Schmidt, chief executive of Google, who last month predicted a coming boom in online applications. From one perspective, his enthusiasm is hardly surprising: he has pinpointed this area as Google’s next big market and has plenty of reason to talk up the prospects.