Microsoft Word and Google Docs cannot help you send an email, share a selfie, analyze data, schedule a party, or buy movie tickets.

Judged as of 2023-11-09: could Microsoft Word and Google Docs, as then offered, help a user do each of five tasks: send an email, share a selfie, analyse data, schedule a party, buy movie tickets? True: neither product had built-in functions meant to do any of these tasks. Mostly true: one or both had only peripheral features touching one or two tasks (e.g. 'email as attachment' or a share-by-email button, inserting an image, a basic table), and the products were not meant to carry them out. Mixed: one or both clearly supported about two or three of the tasks as real features. Mostly false: most of the tasks were directly supported by built-in features. False: both products could directly carry out all or nearly all of the tasks.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 Tips to edit and collaborate on files Google (Google Workspace Help Center)

   “Email collaborators right from a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file.”

2. E2 Google Workspace Updates, May 2023 Berkeley Lab IT (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) · 30 May 2023

   “Once the invitation is complete, click the calendar icon to open Google Calendar with all of the pre-filled information ready to send.”

3. E3 Google Workspace Updates: Insert smart chips for files and meetings, create checklists in Google Docs Google Workspace Updates Blog · 18 May 2021

   “Insert smart chips for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides files, other Google Drive files, and Calendar events”

4. E4 Stop using Google Docs like a beginner: 10+ useful tricks to boost your productivity - ZDNET ZDNET · 6 February 2026

   “To add visuals, click Insert > Image. You can upload images from Google Drive, Photos, your computer, Google Images, or a connect camera, among other sources.”

I rated this mostly true. The evidence shows Google Docs had some features touching on emailing collaborators and calendar events (E1, E3), but nothing showing either product was built to carry out the five tasks. Google's help page says users can "Email collaborators right from a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file" (E1). May 2023 update notes describe completing an invitation and clicking a calendar icon to open Google Calendar with the details ready to send (E2), and 2021 notes describe inserting Calendar event chips (E3). These match the criteria's examples of peripheral features, such as a share-by-email button, rather than real email, scheduling or data-analysis tools. No evidence covers Microsoft Word, sharing selfies or buying movie tickets.