ThinkFree's version
of PowerPoint

According to TechWeb, Google is rumored to be interested in acquiring ThinkFree, an online office suite that touts integrated Java-based advertising.

Originally an offline freeware application back in 2000, the self-proclaimed Microsoft Office clone is now three Ajax-powered applications: a word processor (Write), a spreadsheet (Calc) and a presentation package (Show), along with a sprinkling of social-networking features. As its name suggests, the online suite is free and offers one gigabyte of storage to those who join the fold.

Text ads run in a separate pane on the right side, though they can be dragged closed, hiding the ads. However, by doing so, entertaining social networking features - a comments box and tags - are also turned off.

At least from TechWeb, ThinkFree has been garnering a lot of attention for the similarity of its look and feel to Microsoft's Word, Excel, and PowerPoint - so much so that the learning curve is nearly nonexistent.