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Let the debate begin (again): is Google attempting to overthrow Office?  The Mountain View-based search engine company has just rolled out an option within Gmail that lets users look at PowerPoint attachments.

We’ve seen this feature before in testing, but it appears to be here for good at this point.  “Now you can open PowerPoint attachments as slideshows, without having to download anything,” boasts Gmail’s “What’s New” section.  “Just click ‘View as slideshow’ next to the .ppt attachment you want to preview.”

Then there’s what seems like a little dig at Microsoft.  “Since you can open .doc and .xls attachments with Google Docs and Spreadsheets too, there’s no need to leave your web browser to check out your Gmail attachments,” Google’s statement continues.

It’s just as well that Google’s not promoting this as some sort of frontal assault on Office, however, because, in those terms, this new feature would leave a lot to be desired; Missionary Geek reveals that PowerPoint 2007 files aren’t supported.

Google Blogoscoped’s Philipp Lenssen points out an even bigger problem - “Google doesn’t allow you to actually edit & create slideshows” - but then notes, “[T]hey did announce that such a presentation tool would come by this summer.”

It seems that, bit by bit, Google is indeed creeping up on Office.  A victory against Microsoft with a recently discovered antitrust complaint could bring the Mountain View-based company even closer to victory.