Google Docs, Presentations, and Spreadsheets

Have you ever worked on a document, emailed it to a review team, received the same document back with corrections from each source, and then tried to merge everything into one place? The single task of document version control can be daunting and overwhelming, especially if multiple documents circulate via email. Google has developed their free online documentation software to thwart the encumbrances of collaborative writing.

Introducing Google Docs

A normal Word document resides on a local computer. For you to get that document to anyone working on it, you need to email them a copy of it, which creates a problem for many teams. As soon as you email more than one person, you’re creating new versions with no way to log those versions. If you work on something like a newsletter, newspaper, collaborative website, or any other text copy that can change from week to week, then you need a solution that solves the version control problem. Google Apps provide you with the ability to create documents online and have them stored on Google’s servers.

When you write a document with Google Docs, it is automatically saved and updated on the Google server so you never lose your changes. Forget the days of losing data due to computer lock-ups and crashes. With Google Apps, you can be working on a spreadsheet, presentation, or document and know that your document will still be there even if the power fails and your battery backup doesn’t work.

To begin using Google Docs, type http://www.google.com/docs into the address bar of your browser. You need to have a Google account to start using the service. If you don’t have one, visit the Get Started area to set one up. It should only take a few minutes. Once that’s completed, visit the aforementioned URL again.

On your first use, Google Docs asks you to input your name. When you’ve answered that information you’ll be looking at the main dashboard area of the application, where you can create and manage documents. Let’s take a look at how to create your first Google Doc.