Lamont - Google Drive & Docs in 30 minutes : the unofficial guide to Google Drive, Docs, Sheets & Slides

Copyright 2015

i30 Media Corporation

An In 30 Minutes Book

All Rights Reserved

The author and the publisher make no representations with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaim any implied or express warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular usage, application, or purpose.

The author and the publisher cannot be held liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages of any kind, or any damages whatsoever, including, without limitation, those resulting in loss of profit, loss of contracts, goodwill, data, income, information, anticipated savings or business relationships, arising out of or in connection with the use of this book or any links within.

i30 Media Corporation and IN 30 MINUTES guides are not associated with other brand names, product names, or trademarks cited in this book, including the Google Drive online storage service. Google Drive & Docs In 30 Minutes is an independent publication and is not affiliated with, nor has it been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Google Inc. Google and the Google logo are registered trademarks of Google Inc., used with permission.

Cover Design: Steven Sauer, Single Fin Design

Interior Design and Layout: Rick Soldin, Print/Digital Book Production Specialist

Introduction

Why you need to use Googles free office suite

T hanks for picking up a copy of Google Drive & Docs In 30 Minutes, 2nd Edition . I wrote this unofficial user guide to help people get up to speed with Googles remarkable (and free) online office suite that includes file storage (Google Drive), a word processor (Google Docs), a spreadsheet program (Google Sheets), and a presentation tool (Google Slides).

How do people use these applications? There are many possible uses. Consider these examples:

A harried product manager needs to work on an important proposal over the weekend. In the past, she would have dug around in her purse to look for an old USB drive she uses for transferring files. Or, she might have emailed herself an attachment to open at home. Not anymore. Now she saves the Word document and an Excel spreadsheet to Google Drive at the office. Later that evening, on her home PC, she opens her Google Drive folder to access and edit the files. All of her saves are updated to Google Drive. When she returns to work the following Monday, the updated data can be viewed at her workstation.

The organizer of a family reunion wants to survey 34 cousins about attendance, lodging preferences, and potluck dinner preparation (always a challengethe Nebraska branch of the family wont eat corn or Garbanzo beans). He emails everyone a link to an online form he created using Google Forms. Relatives open the form on their browsers, and submit their answers. The answers are automatically transferred to Sheets, where the organizer can see the responses and tally the results.

A small business consultant is helping the owner of Slappys Canadian Diner ( We Put The Canadian Back In Bacon ) prepare a slideshow for potential franchisees in Ohio . The consultant and Slappy collaborate using Google Slides, which lets them remotely access the deck and add text, images, and other elements. The consultant shares a link to the slideshow with her consulting partner, so he can periodically review it on the Google Slides app on his phone and check for problems. Later, Slappy meets his potential franchise operators at a hotel in Cleveland, and uses Google Slides on his iPad to pitch his business.

An elementary school faculty uses Docs to collaborate on lesson plans. Each teacher accesses the same document from home or the classroom. Updates are instantly reflected, even when two teachers are simultaneously accessing the same document. Their principal (known as Skinner behind his back) is impressed by how quickly the faculty completes the plans, and how well the curriculums are integrated.

At the same school, the 5th-grade teachers ask their students to submit homework using Docs . The teachers add corrections and notes, which the students can access at home using a Web browser. Its much more efficient than emailing attachments, and the students dont need to bug their parents to purchase Microsoft Office.