Microsoft Opens Office Live Workspace with Chance to Win $100KMicrosoft Opens Office Live Workspace with Chance to Win $100K

As of today, anyone can try out Microsoft's Office Live Workspace, which lets Office users access and share documents online. And some lucky user will win $100,000 for their beta-testing services.Office Live Workspace is set to compete with Google Docs, Zoho, and other sites that make it possible to use office productivity applications online. Live Workspace is a Web-based extension to Microsoft Office, which means--at least for now--that users need the desktop Office applications to fully edit documents, though they can view and comment on them with a browser. Competing services offer full, free online functionality, without requiring any local software.

Live Workspace has been in private beta testing since October, but now anyone can play. To attract new testers, Microsoft is set to announce a sweepstakes, with 30,000 prizes to be given out between now and May 11. The grand prize is $100,000, and other prizes include Xbox 360s, Zunes, and Samsung mobile phones, down to sodas and gift cards to coffee stores. Sign up here.New York Times, PC World