Google Documents- Store , Edit and Access existing or create new documents online.

Google is a name usually associated with Internet searching. However, by registering a free gmail account, you open up a plethora of free services(like the free blogger I am using right now). The scope of this article will deal with Google Documents.

So what is it? Google Docs is is a free, web-based office suite, and data storage service. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users. It is the oldest and longest running of all the cloud based document storage offerings.The majority of document-sharing services require user fees, whereas Google Docs is free.

Before you start counting your dollars saved by dumping Microsoft Office, let me be frank: Google Docs is not a Microsoft Office replacement. Period.

Yes, you can create basic Word like docs, Excel like spreadsheets and simple PowerPoint like slide presentations. However, I suggest you try these functions and see if you(and those around you) can live with the limitations.

Where is really is useful is as an online document repository. You can upload invoices, customer info, etc and access them from anywhere at anytime.  I use it to store network layouts of all of my customers for fast access. You get 1 GB of free storage.

Collaboration is one of the big strengths of putting a document on the Read/Write Web. You can add or remove collaborators using the Collaborate tab , which allows others to access and edit the same document at the same time. The bottom of the screen notifies you when someone else is also editing a document. Collaborators can also insert comments, rather than editing the actual document.
If two people happen to be editing the same word at the same time, one person will receive a message that their changes did not get saved, because someone else was editing the document.


One caveat: There is no offline access to the documents when using Google Docs.You must login to your gmail account with a live Internet connection.


Its easy to use and navigate. If you want to try it out, here is a link for a guided tour and how to register an account:

http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html

I'll cover how to use your own domain name with the Google Apps for business product in another article. Its free as well with a few limitations.

Please few free to ask any questions.

Tech Guru