It has been quite some time since I have written about my favorite web site so I figured it was time to let you know what Google has now.  I am referring to Google Documents.

I signed up for Google Docs (for short) a year or so ago and didn’t use them for much.  Since I am also a Microsoft Office lover I thought, “Hmm, why switch?” and just kept enjoying Office.

One day I forgot to email a column to the DNR. I decided I needed to have a place to store files that would be easily obtainable if I left home without a much needed file. So I actually started using Google Docs.

Here is what I found out.  I will let you check out the details if this sounds interesting to you.

If you don’t already have a Google account head on over to Google.com and get one. An account is free, as is Goggle Docs. Once you have your account you can log in to a plethora of Google “stuff” which can be very useful depending on your needs.

Find your way to the Google Docs page and check it out (http://docs.google.com). You can create, edit or save previously produced Documents, Spreadsheets and Presentations. I don’t know how Google gets away with it but these are very, very similar to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, without some of the higher-end features. The Presentation feature is a very recent addition to the group.

Google Docs are totally compatible with their Microsoft counterparts. In other words you can create a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file and then open, edit and save it online with Google Docs, and then visa-versa. Then the files can be saved to your local hard drive or back online with Google and then edited there.

What a deal in that you can now have access to your documents – no matter where you are as long as you have an internet connection.  Once again let me mention that it is free.

Now if I forget to send a column in and my editor, Katheryn Huff kindly reminds me—I just go to Google and email it from there to her and all is well.

You may give permission for individuals, or the entire planet, to view your files along with other “sharing” tricks too. See this column at “http://xrl.us/97kf” if you want to give it a try.

It has many more capabilities which I don’t have room to write about here but go and see for yourself.  I just wonder if Access can be far behind.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 at 8:50 pm and is filed under Columns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.