Google Drive has been a game-changer for me. The ability to access all my documents from any device, plus using the online word processor, spreadsheet, presentation and forms functions has been amazing.
Here is an article with 50 ideas for using Google Drive - there were a few I didn't consider so even if you are a pro check it out.
Here is an article with 50 ideas for using Google Drive - there were a few I didn't consider so even if you are a pro check it out.
So when do you choose Microsoft office and when do you choose Google Drive? Here’s just a few thoughts on that.
In general, I use Google Docs if I want to…
- create documents really quickly and easily. I spend most of my computer-using day in my web browser with Drive documents open in tabs. Because I’m already there, I find it hugely convenient to be able to create new documents in just one click.
- keep track of the documents I make. I make documents every day. The fact that I don’t need to think about where and how I save them, and then being able to get back to them really quickly is a huge timesaver for me.
- work on a “living document”. For documents that grow and evolve over time, that have edits and updates regularly applied to them, there really is no better choice than using Drive. Just think about how many documents you create that are works in progress. Probably most of them.
- create a document can be distributed to others without versioning issues. Having a single master version of the document that is always up to date, while still being able to share it with others, is a huge deal!
- collaborate on a document with others. Being able to work together on a document with others, in real time, regardless of where they might be, is simply amazing and an absolute game-changer in how we can work together to get things done.
- work on more than one machine. I have a computer at work, a couple at home, and an iPad and phone. Having my work saved in Drive has made it completely irrelevant as to which machine I choose to work on.
I would use Microsoft Word if I wanted to…
- Have very specific control over layout and formatting options. Having those options is really nice but I do find that for the majority of the documents I produce I really don’t need 287 font choices, garish page borders, complex tables inside tables and so on. But when I do need such things, Word provides them.
- Lock down the final copy of a document in order to distribute it to “normal” users. I’d still probably create, edit and evolve the document in Drive, but then I have the option of exporting it out as a Word file at the end if needed.
(Thanks to Chris Betcher for this inspiration)
Here is a great tutorial site that will help you if you want to use GoogleDrive