ItsGeekToMe.co

Geek Note: The dry spell in my question queue continued this week, so no Q&A this issue.  Previously I discussed a lot of things regarding Microsoft, so in this week’s issue, and probably next week’s as well, I’ll cover the wonderful world of Google, and the many free services they provide.  Meantime, visit my website and submit your question, blah, blah, blah…

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 Once upon a time, the Worldwide Web was a paradise full of sites providing content for free, with hardly any people trying to scam you or steal from you to be found.  Things have changed a lot in the last 30 or so years.  It seems like cyber-criminals are now lurking around every corner, and people wishing to partake in every activity from email to web surfing need to be hyper-vigilant to protect themselves.  Along with these changes, the vast majority of free web content has largely dried up.  With a few notable exceptions, of course.  One of them is It’s Geek To Me, whose content and insight always have, and will always be free for you, the reader and consumer.  Another, far larger site that has managed to remain free is the 800-pound gorilla of the web, namely Google.

Having a Google account unlocks a vas universe of digital tools and services that can make your life easier, better organized, and, dare I say it, more fun.  You may be thinking “I only use my Google account for Gmail,” and if that’s the case, you’re really missing out.  Let me tell you some more about what your f-r-e-e account can do for you.

One vastly overlooked feature of Google is one that I’ve discussed here in the column before, and that’s the Google Office Suite.  This offering lets you break free from the cost and virtual monopoly of a certain “Office” suite published by another big name in the cyber realm.  Your Google account includes a rich suite of tools to enhance your productivity, to include:

Google Docs: The free word processor.  This program provides everything you’d want in a word processor, but in the cloud.  It allows you to create, edit, and share documents in real-time online.  There’s little that’s cooler than having a document open, and watching someone with whom you’re collaborating make their changes to it in real time.  This eliminates a lot of emailing documents back and forth, or saving them to a shared space and sending a text that the latest revision is ready for review.

Google Sheets: As the name implies, this is a spreadsheet app.  It has the same type of collaborative interface described above, with all the number crunching features that you need from your spreadsheet application.

Google Slides: Easily design and create presentations.  Includes templates, transitions, and yes, collaborative features that help to ensure your presentations are polished and professional.

The Google Office Suite is a robust, stand-alone group of extremely useful tools, but it also has the capability to load documents from other software suites, not the least of which is Microsoft Office.  This allows you to keep up with people who are using the Microsoft tools without ever spending a penny on your own office suite.  And what’s more, besides the free cost, the cloud-based nature of the suite means that you won’t ever have to worry about installing patches or updates.  You get the latest and most secure version every time you open it.

Although I’ve covered one of the most important aspects of what you get for your free Google account, there’s much more to come!  I’ll continue next week with Google Drive (your free online cloud storage), Google Calendar, and whatever else I have room for.  Stay tuned!

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To view additional content, comment on articles, or submit a question of your own, visit my website at ItsGeekToMe.co (not .com!)