Anyone who reads Enquiring Mimes regularly knows that we think that web applications are the best substitute for old style desktop applications, especially because they’re cross-platform, automatically backed-up, and available anywhere you can access the Internet (and in many cases even that restriction is removed by using Google Gears which allows applications like Zoho Writer to be used offline).

Today we’ll introduce a new online word processor from a well-known and respected name in web and desktop applications, Adobe Buzzword. An open beta was just announced for Buzzword and it will be worth watching as it moves towards production, of course what application ever stops being in beta and moved into “production” on the Internet?

While not yet as powerful as Google Docs or Zoho Writer, Buzzword is clearly the best looking and graphics-friendly of the online word processor applications (which isn’t surprising for Adobe, the czars of graphic programs for web design).

In addition to a slick and elegant interface, great graphics handling, Buzzword is designed to allow documents to be shared and developed collaboratively. Documents can be exported in various formats including PDF, Microsoft Word, HTML, Plain Text and the Open Document Format.

Give it a try, if you don’t have one, you’ll need to sign up for an Adobe ID first.