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Can a free application really produce a quality product? If the answer is yes, why are people still spending hundreds of dollars on application programs? Like many people I was a little skeptical that a free application could replace an office suite like Microsoft Office for day to day use. So what is it? Google Docs is a free online office suite that allows users to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations without installing any software on their computer. All it requires is an Internet connection and it runs in any browser. The Document part of the application offers a basic and free solution for word processing. Users can create basic documents, produce new documents from scratch, use a template, and even upload existing files. In addition, they can enjoy the ease of using a familiar desktop interface, share and collaborate, safely store and organize files, and control who can see and edit a document.

Is it for everyone? Google Document is for anyone who needs to create a basic document using a word processor that is accessible from any computer without installing software. It’s easy to use and full of great tools, however if you are an advanced user you may immediately notice a few things that are missing or need improvement. At the end of the day, there are two great benefits I see in using Google Document. The Share feature is what keeps me coming back but the biggest benefit is that it’s FREE for everyone! Check out the above video for a quick overview of Google Document.
Likes:

• Available anywhere with an Internet connection
• Auto-save feature
• Share and publish options
• Save work online or locally on your hard drive
• Revision History logs every edit ever made to the document
• Feels much like other word processing programs I’ve used; doesn’t leave me lost or wondering how to use the application
• Available and easy to find Keyboard shortcuts menu
• Help menu is awesome! It includes video, text, and user help. I found the most useful information posted by Google Doc users.
• Templates are colorful and easy to modify

Dislikes:

• Can’t change margins: If you need to set margins while you are editing your doc, forget about it. You can only set the margins when it’s time to print but you can’t even preview those changes before you send the document to the printer.
• Needs fast Internet connection and a modern browser
• Inserting a table is simple, but sorting the information within the table is not an option.
• Deleting the table isn’t convenient. After trying to delete my table by using cut on the edit menu, clicking on undo, and selecting the table and pressing backspace, I eventually figured out that you have to right click on the table and select Delete Table. Other applications make this a lot easier by allowing you to highlight the table and press delete on your keyboard, clicking Undo on the tool bar, or delete from the edit menu.

Take a look around GCFLearnFree.org to see all the topics we offer.

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