Google Docs:Excellent Tool Managing Documents Online

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Google Docs is an online office suite provided by Google to its account holders. Launched in August 2006, Google Docs then consisted of a word processor and spreadsheets akin to MS Word and MS Excel respectively. Unlike Microsoft’s products, Google Docs was launched and largely continues to be a free-to-use product. Today, Google Docs supports 15 file formats including .ZIP and .RAR files, PDF, Apple’s PAGES, .TIFF and .PS files to name a few.

The greatest feature of Google Docs is the ability to create or upload documents online, which can then be edited by registered and permitted users of the file. Without a shadow of a doubt, this definitely means saving loads of time in an office environment in saving, editing and mailing multiple revisions of the same documents. Also, it takes away the risk of overwriting an approved revision. Work can thus be done efficiently, quickly and without having to wait for that email containing the ‘corrections required in the document’. Simply put, it also tells you if your boss has looked at the document or not and therefore you can schedule your day’s work more efficiently.

All documents created or revised using Google Docs are automatically backed up by Google on its servers and latest revisions too can be viewed easily. At any time, a user can download the document on his computer in any of the common file types like PDF, HTML, MS Office etc. Multiple users can access and edit the same document at the same time, something a document shared on the office network does not usually allow.

For its MS Office users, Google Docs offers the Google Cloud Connect plug-in. This simple plug-in enables the user to sync the files on his computer with those on the Google servers. Thus, every time the file is modified on the user’s computer using a MS Office version between 2003 and 2010, the plug in updates the files on Google Docs too. This feature allows the user to be offline, work on the document and still upload the work as soon as the computer comes back online. The document can also be rolled back to a previous version at any time it seems necessary.

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With the advent of portable and mobile devices, Google Docs would probably called an ‘ancient online tool’ if it were not made available for mobile devices. A simple ‘App’ on the Android OS allows one to use Google Docs exactly the same way one would do on a computer. The App can also help your boss sign the document on the move. Similarly, one can use Google Docs on the iPad, iPhone and most other mobile devices that have a mobile browser.

Before you go and sing praises of Google Docs, there are a few drawbacks of the tool that you must know. Although, multiple users can modify the document, there is no way that you can be notified when a change is made. Also, Google Docs does not highlight the changes which have been made since you last saw the document or tell you who made the changes and where. So, you must know the document inside out to spot the minor changes that might have been made.

Unlike most of Google’s products, Google Docs is no longer in its beta version. So, you are expected to pay some nominal money for huge storage spaces on Google’s servers if you cross your 1 GB file storage limit for your account.

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Nevertheless, Google Docs is an excellent tool for documents and will become even better when the ‘offline’ version is released later in the year.