I’ve been flirting with Buzzword since just prior to its acquisition by Adobe and inclusion into their online office suite. The interface is gorgeous and the amount of functionality is astounding for an online document editor. However, all that sparkle comes with a cost. Every time I go to Buzzword to work on one of my documents, it takes two to three minutes to load. It first loads the “framework” then it loads the “organizer”. That’s all done in about two minutes. Then I’m greeted with my list of documents. I click on the document I want to work on, and it’s another minute and a half of loading the “editor” and then the fonts before I can begin work.

Now, don’t take this criticism as hatred. I absolutely adore this product that is lovingly draped in an essence of style and charisma. There are very few online products where I can honestly claim that. But the unnecessary load times are turning me off.

I’m currently in the process of moving my documents back to their old home. Of course, Google Docs isn’t a bed of roses, either. The Google online document editor is just so frustratingly utilitarian. I’m a fiction writer first and foremost, and I need a document editor that is not going to act as a roadblock to my creative instincts. The sleek black and neon green Buzzword interface was perfectly suited to helping me stay zoned into a particular creative mood as it struck. The sterile white and pale blue of Google Docs tries every time to convince me that I should be working on tax forms instead of fiction.

The goggles. They do nothing.

So, for the time being, I’m back in the Google family for yet another product, at least until something sexier comes along. I’ve already tried Writer from BigHugeLabs and didn’t like how constricted the interface was. Are they any other online editor suggestions people have that can keep my creative spirit kicking?