Google Docs

Docs are an amazing free tool from Google that I use every day including today. You simply sign up for a free Google account, usually a Gmail, and within that Gmail account in the top right corner when you click on the symbol of nine small square icons it opens up to display Docs when you scroll a bit further down. Docs work exactly like Microsoft Word. In fact, instead of creating their own proprietary Google word file type, they were smart and just made the Microsoft file type a native integration within Google Docs. So when you import .doc files the formatting is always kept intact. Unlike my experience with the another free tool called OpenOffice. I always had issues when saving and opening word files between the Microsoft Word and Open Office so I just stopped using OpenOffice because Microsoft .doc files are the industry standard and I use them extensively in my business. When you create a new document inside your Google Docs account you have the full rich text editing capabilities available in Word. And it feels solid and saves your content automatically just moments after you're done typing it. While you can export files into several types including PDF and .doc files, so their is complete end to end compatibility between Google and Microsoft in this way which I think is awesome. I have a personal Gmail account which I've used for both personal and work though ideally I'd like that account to be for personal use only. So I find it increasingly intriguing and easy and useful to create a new Gmail for each project I have with new clients. And from that Google account only (and Skype) conduct meetings and share documents including using Google Docs and Google Sheets both specifically to keep clients in the loop as to my own and my team's progress. Sharing files is as easy as emailing a shareable URL link they provide you. Or create custom permissions and different users in other situations. It's all very simple to do in your Docs file from your Google account. I honestly just realized there is a huge selection of add-ons available inside your Google Docs account. I had no idea but there are well over one hundred available there freely to install in seconds which is awesome. I've already installed a thesaurus, a table of contents creator and a mind-map maker in a few clicks. A free Google account including Google Docs is a great project management setup to consider for individual freelancers and smaller team projects. The overall means of communication, together with the content and storage tools in a Google account nowadays offers tremendous value when you think about it. Including email, chat, hangouts, video calling, docs, spreadsheets and Google Drive for starters. All free. It's tremendous value and easy to take for granted, though highly beneficial to take advantage of not only for business purposes but for creative project and personal reasons as well.

There's not a whole lot to dislike about Google Docs. But as a general preference, I do prefer software with labeled menus or an option to combine symbol based menus into labeled/symbol based menus. I get the minimalist approach by Google but they almost go slightly extreme in a sense. Personally, I don't find it intuitive to discover your user-interface by clicking on random symbols. Labels draw my interest much quicker because I get the purpose without having to click anything first. So, perhaps Google doesn't promote itself the best way, simply because the tremendous value inside a single Google account is not fully explored until you stumble into their symbolic menus which happen to contain immensely more value than a Gmail account by itself.

Google Docs is a best of breed option in my experience. It syncs to a Gmail, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Google Hangouts and more in your free Google account. While it uses and exports .doc files natively so it's fully compatible with Microsoft Word. Together that's the best of both worlds. While Microsoft offers a similar suite of tools with their Office 365 subscription, and Skype for Business, they are both paid programs. Which puts into perspective the sheer amount of real value made available by Google for free another reason to use Google Docs and the entire suite of software for your next creative personal, or small business project. My highest possible recommendation.