Sitting around a campfire last weekend, I learned that Google has an application called Google Docs that allows users to build documents that are oh-so-similar to our favorite Microsoft Office docs for FREE. Ok… so I’m WAY out of the loop, but I’ve become hopelessly addicted to and trained to use the “gold standard.”
But then again, maybe you’re in the same boat as me, and didn’t know that Google was giving every person with a computer and internet connection access to free word processing, spreadsheets, form builder and presentation software — and has been since 2007.
What provoked my interest in this? My friend Marc’s whole office made the switch last week from Microsoft Office to Google Docs. “It was really a budget move,” he explained. “Non-profits really start to feel it when we have to upgrade.”
Naturally, I was curious about Google Docs. After all, Dynamic Edge is in the business of information technology. Being one who uses Word, Outlook and Excel on a daily basis, I wondered how an office like mine would (or if we could) function on Google Docs alone. I’ve read several reviews and blogs with opinions both ways, then decided it would be best to just check it out for myself. Here’s what I think about Google Docs word processor:
The Good
+ Loads up quickly
+ It’s easy to figure out and use. If you can do Word, you can do Docs.
+ Composing and editing is very straight forward.
+ Navigation is very similar.
+ No irregularities in printing.
+ Collaborating on a document is less confusing than “track changes.”
+ It’s Free!
The Bad
– Not as many fonts available, font sizes either.
– Only allows simple formatting
– It’s hard to talk people into trying something new — that they’re afraid of.
– I miss my individual desktop icons.
– Google Docs is still in beta, why?
– Haven’t tried to use it offline — we’ll test that functionality over the weekend.
Conclusion:
Google Docs can do everything you would use Office to do, with a few limitations (file size, formatting, etc.) So, if you just need the basics covered, why not use Google Docs? Honestly, you can’t beat the price!
On the other hand, if you’re crunching lots of data into spreadsheets — and then using those to create detailed reports and complicated — you should probably stick with the programs you already know. This is especially true if you’re currently running the latest versions of these professional products.
